Kia Carnival MPV could cost more than Rs 50 lakh at launch

Key Highlights

• The Kia Carnival will initially be imported to India as a CBU unit.
• The import taxes will cause its starting price to rise up to Rs 50 lakh or higher.
• Kia will start the local assembly process for the MPV by the end of the year.

The Kia Carnival MPV is coming to India this fall. The previous model of the Carnival was discontinued in India last year due to its failure to meet the updated emission norms. The facelifted version of the MPV, which was revealed globally in October 2023, will be launched in India in the coming months. Kia has revealed that the Carnival will be brought to India as a CBU import, driving up the starting price.

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Kia Carnival MPV: What lies ahead?

Even though Kia has a manufacturing plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, it will import the Carnival MPV to the country via the CBU (Completely Built Up unit) route upon its launch. This will levy significant import taxes on the MPV, driving up its price. It is possible that the starting price of the Carnival may exceed Rs 50 lakh. Kia plans to start the local assembly process for the Carnival by the end of the year. This will be reflected in its pricing in 2025.

The 2024 Kia Carnival flaunts a lot of premium features. The curved display on the dashboard consists of two 12.3-inch units –  a touchscreen infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster. This massive twin display extends to the centre of the dashboard and forms a part of the centre console. The top-spec variants come with two 14.6-inch entertainment screens for the rear seats. Other features include a digital rearview mirror, dashboard cameras with front and rear lenses, a rotary drive selector, a heads-up display, and more.

The Kia Carnival facelift is available in two powertrain options. Powering the entry-level LX trim is a 3.5-litre V6 GDI petrol engine that produces a maximum power output of 287hp and 352Nm of torque. This engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The top-spec variants of the MPV are powered by a 1.5-litre turbo hybrid engine that produces a maximum power output of 242hp and 367Nm of torque. This engine is linked to a 54kWh battery and a six-speed automatic transmission.

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Conclusion

It remains to be seen which powertrain options will be made available in India. Before the Kia Carnival was discontinued in India, it was priced between Rs 25.48 lakh – Rs 35.48 lakh. A significant bump in starting price will leave it without any true rivals. The Toyota Vellfire MPV is a luxury offering that is priced at Rs 1.22 crore. Meanwhile, MPVs like Maruti Suzuki Invicto (Rs 25 lakh) and Toyota Innova HyCross (Rs 19 lakh) are a few segments below the Carnival.