Family wagon

Kia Carnival SLi

There was a time not long ago when hauling the tribe meant owning a traditional box van with three rows of seats and not much in the way of creature comforts or safety.

Australia’s obsession with SUVs has since blurred the lines somewhat, but the thing that hasn’t changed for family wagons is their need to carry at least seven passengers and a boot full of bags in comfort, and not cost the earth to own and run.

Those were the areas the judges put the emphasis on in this year’s Australia’s Best Cars family wagon category.

A recent mid-life upgrade for the third generation Kia Carnival delivered increased safety, suspension refinement, an electric park brake and a new eight-speed automatic transmission, not to mention some styling and packaging upgrades to take the Carnival to the next level.

So much about the family wagon is the vehicle’s ability to move a load of occupants in a comfortable and safe manner, and none did this better than the Carnival in this year’s awards. Sitting alongside the Honda Odyssey, the Carnival is considerably wider, which translates into more internal space for all occupants.

The Carnival will actually carry eight average-sized adults and, if you’re hauling kids, then they’re going to have plenty of their own space. Multi power-adjustable, heated leather-appointed seats for the front row offer great comfort and support. The second row is extremely flexible, with the centre seat able to be removed to create walkthrough access to the third row. Second row seats can be folded forward individually to create additional space and slide for more equitable space for the third row if required.

The Carnival also offers four child restraint anchor points – two in the second row and two in the third (three are ISOFIX compatible). Behind the third row, the Carnival can accommodate four full-sized suitcases, as well as a couple of backpacks and computer bags, all still sitting safely below seatback level thanks to the well provided for the third-row seat to fold it down into the floor.

Folding away all seats in the back creates an enormous space for carrying the largest of packages. Keeping your family safe is vital and something Kia has taken seriously with the recent model upgrade. All Carnival models now come with autonomous emergency braking as standard, along with lane departure warning, active cruise control and six airbags including curtain airbags covering all three rows. The Carnival also received a localised suspension upgrade to further improve the ride and handling characteristics.

Controlling in excess of two tonnes of people mover has its challenges and the Australian team has produced quality ride improvements. While the steering is still fairly light and lifeless on the open road, it makes low speed manoeuvring a breeze.

Family wagons are all about how the occupants interact within the vehicle. This is ergonomics and where the Carnival puts its head above the rest. Fitting an electric park brake instead of the old foot-operated unit is a great leap forward. The new in-house designed infotainment unit now includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto apps via the 8.0-inch touchscreen.

Navigation is standard, with 10 years of map updates thrown in for good measure. The rear-view camera presents a clear image for the driver and both sliding doors can be power activated from the driver’s seat. The tailgate has a proximity function to automatically open when you approach it with the key fob in your pocket.

Tri-zone climate control, with rear controls and vents in the second and third rows, should have everyone at a comfortable temperature. You can lock the rear climate controls out if the inevitable ‘I’m hot, I’m cold’ argument starts down the back.

In this day of multiple electronic devices, the Carnival falls a little short with only three USB ports. Two are available to front occupants, with one accessible in the second row and nothing for the backseat passengers. In the battle for cup holder supremacy, both the Carnival and Odyssey have 10 each, which doesn’t quite make sense for seven or eight occupants.

The 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine is a carryover from the previous model, however, a slick new eight-speed auto has been added. The combination works fantastically together, with a wide range of ratios allowing the Carnival to stay right in the middle of its not insignificant 440Nm torque band, leading to a relaxed driving experience even when fully loaded.

Listed fuel economy on the official combined cycle is 7.7L/100km. The upgraded Carnival SLi will cost you just under $60,000 on the road and you can add another $695 if you tick the premium paint box at the dealer. Running and repair costs over five years are similar to the Odyssey, but the Carnival gets a scoring boost from its industry leading seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

If your main requirement is to move a large family safely and in comfort with a fair amount of premium style, then you can’t go past the latest Kia Carnival.