Kia is gearing up for an exciting year end, not only will they be launching the recently revealed facelifted Kia Stinger, but the fourth generation 2020 Kia Carnival has also officially made its global debut. The all-new Carnival not only offers more space and safety tech, but it is also more tech-laden than ever!

Though not as sporty as before, the Kia Carnival does still offer an aggressive presence on the road. The new Kia tiger-nose design now spans the width of the vehicle while stylish LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and headlamps combined to give the MPV a futuristic look.

For the Carnival’s new looks, designers have drawn inspiration from the brand’s SUV range as is evident with the sculpted bumpers, lower air intakes, metallic lower skid plate along with the full-width light bar on the rear-end.

To make up for the less sporty looks, designers have made sure that the Carnival bears features that no other MPV sports, like the island roof design which features blacked-out A- and B-pillars. The C-pillar, on the other hand, is specifically designed so it stands out.

The Carnival even has a chromed fin that bears a subtle diamond pattern.

Inside, designers have worked to increase the cabin spaciousness as much as possible. The Carnival now has a shorter front overhang, the A-pillar, meanwhile, has been moved backwards to create a longer hood.

This has allowed engineers to increase the MPV’s wheelbase by at least 30 mm (3,090 mm) and the width of the car by 10 mm (1,995 mm).

To make good use of the extra space, Kia designers have created a new “Spatial Talents” concept for the cabin. The new panoramic-screen dashboard design is used to further emphasise the MPV’s spaciousness and futuristic ambience.

627-litres of boot-space, even when the third-row seats are deployed, is on tap as Kia engineers have not only extended the length of the car by 40 mm (5,155 mm) but also the rear overhang, longer by 30 mm than on the previous MPV.

To make loading even easier, the boot lip has also been lowered by 26 mm. This is added convenience next to the power tailgate.

Tech-wise, the Carnival now features a twin-digital display. The driver will benefit from a 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster. The cluster screen seamlessly flows into 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system creating a panoramic, widescreen user experience.

The infotainment is wireless Android Auto ready and Apple CarPlay capable with voice recognition to boot. It even offers live telematics information via the in-car touchscreen and on their smart devices.

Like the recently launched 2020 Kia Rio, the infotainment also allows users to connect two devices via Bluetooth at the same time.

Another nifty feature that the Carnival boasts is the Rear Passenger View & Talk. This feature is especially useful for parents as drivers can check on the rear-seat occupants with a small camera linked to the infotainment system.

The feature also allows front passengers to communicate with the rear passengers via the rear-seat speakers as the system amplifies anything said by passengers. There is even Rear Passenger Voice Recognition technology, this allows second-row passengers to issue voice commands to the infotainment system.

Powertrains include a newly designed 3.5-litre GDi (gasoline direct injection) V6 that crunches 294 PS and 355 Nm of torque and a 3.5-litre MPi petrol V6 engine that produces 272 PS and 332 Nm of torque.

A powertrain that we’re more familiar with is the 2.2-litre Smartstream diesel engine. This engine too has been redesigned and is at least 20 kg lighter than the predecessor engine. The diesel engine crunches 202 PS and 440 Nm of torque. All engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

And, of course, let’s not forget the all-important safety systems to add on to its 7 airbags.

The fourth-generation Kia Carnival features a full suite of ADAS like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), Lane Following Assist (LFA), and Highway Driving Assist (HAD aka Adaptive Cruise Control).

In addition to that, the Carnival also has Safe Exit Assist (SEA) that prevents the power-sliding doors from opening in the event the system detects an object approaching from behind or either side.

Closer to home, Naza Kia Malaysia has only just recently launched the 11-seater 2020 Kia Grand Carnival.