Kia distributor for Malaysia and Bermaz subsidiary Dinamikjaya Motors has sold out most of its allocation of the fully imported (CBU) from Korea 11-seater Kia Carnival. The locally-assembled (CKD) Kia Carnival will be launched in Malaysia after May 2022, said sources familiar with the matter.
Checks with dealers show that most of their allocation - said to be in the mid hundreds range - were snapped up within the first month of its launch in January 2022.
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The CBU Kia Carnival is currently sold at RM 196,340. The 11-seater MPV is powered by a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that makes 199 PS and 440 Nm, paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels.
Many prospective buyers have also asked for an 8-seater variant but it’s difficult to say if this seating configuration will be available in the CKD model. This is because prices of 7- or 8-seater variants will certainly be a lot higher than an 11-seater – weird but true.
Also read: Review: 2022 Kia Carnival – So much metal for RM 196k but can you handle its size
Malaysia’s tax regulations allow for 11-seater vehicles to be declared as a minibus, which as a commercial use-focused vehicle, has a lower tax rate than regular 7- or 8-seater MPVs.
This is also why the 7-seater Hyundai Staria is priced almost twice (from RM 358,888 to RM 368,888) that of the 11-seater Kia Carnival, even though both cars are imported (CBU) from Korea, and both are powered by the same 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine.
Also read: Pros and Cons: The 2022 Kia Carnival can rewrite Kia's Malaysian history, but it still has its flaws
The locally-assembled (CKD) Kia Carnival will be the first model to be produced by Kia Malaysia – the manufacturing joint venture by Kia Motors and Bermaz Auto. The vehicles will be produced at the Inokom plant in Kulim.
Also read: Kia Malaysia targets 30k units of CKD cars by 2026, exports to make up 60 percent
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