Kia Carnival marked its India return earlier this month and now comes in just one fully-loaded version called Carnival Limousine+. Kia Carnival has been launched at a price of ₹65 lakhs (ex-showroom), making it the most-expensive engine-powered model from the South Korean brand in India. But while the price tag may indeed be significantly higher than what it was previously, the updates are quite significant too.

The Kia Carnival was first launched in India back in early 2020 and at the time, started at ₹25 lakhs (ex-showroom) for the base seven-seater version and went up to ₹34 lakh (ex-showroom)) for the top-end Limousine Plus version. Four years on though, there is only one version and it is nearly double the price.

The 2024 Kia Carnival comes into India via the SKD or semi-knocked down route which refers to parts of a product being imported and then assembled within the territory of the country of import. In India, the tax structure for such a vehicle is higher than if it was entirely manufactured in India. So this in itself has a bearing on the pricing of this particular model.

But beyond the complexities of taxation, the fourth-generation Carnival is a major step forward from the previous editions of the model.

Also watch: Kia Carnival 2024 | Does it command a business-class like price tag? First drive review

What are the key highlights of Kia Carnival?

Much has changed on the Kia Carnival. For starters, there are several subtle yet significant design changes on the outside, from a more imposing grille to new LED lighting on the face, new alloys and new LED tail lamp design. The vehicle has also grown in proportions from every direction and angle.

On the inside, the Carnival now comes in only the 2+2+3 seat layout. The last-row seats offer respectable amount of space for adults and this is largely thanks to the increase in wheelbase. Additionally, the two seats in the middle come with cooling as well as heating functionality, there are two 12.3-inch displays on the dashboard, 12-speaker Bose sound system, 360-degree camera and even Level 2 ADAS.

The 2.2-litre diesel motor continues to do duties under the hood but the level of refinement has improved big time. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Carnival then is targeting a very niche set of audience and is well aware that an overwhelming majority of its owners would be chauffeur-driven. And with no direct competition at this price point and in this body style, the Carnival may have a free run in the foreseeable future.

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