Fourth-gen Kia Carnival facelift begins road testing

While the fourth-gen Kia Carnival is yet to launch in India, its facelift has already been spotted testing in South Korea. Along with a refreshed design, Kia will bring in a hybrid powertrain for the MPV. 

1. Kia Carnival facelift gets slight redesign
2. Hybrid powertrain to be based on 1.6-litre petrol engine
3. Global debut expected in January 2024

Kia Carnival facelift design

The spy shots reveal that the facelifted Carnival will get a new, vertically stacked headlamp design, similar to the ones seen on the new Kia EV9 SUV. Alongside, it will also get a new layout for the LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and a slightly redesigned bonnet with more cuts and creases. 

In profile, the Carnival facelift seems to be largely unchanged over the current model. Even the design of the alloy wheels is the same as the current model. Moving to the back, the updated Carnival can be seen with a new design for the tail-lamps, with an inverted L-shape as seen on the Seltos facelift. 

Kia Carnival facelift powertrains

While not much is known about the powertrains offered with the Carnival facelift, it is expected to get a hybrid powertrain. It will come with a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, however, its output figures are yet to be revealed. Currently, the Carnival is offered with a choice of two engines – a 201hp, 2.2-litre diesel and a 296hp, 3.5-litre petrol engine. Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. 

Kia Carnival facelift launch timeline, expected price

The Carnival facelift is expected to make its global debut around January 2024. Kia showcased the current, fourth-gen Carnival at Auto Expo 2023 as the KA4 MPV, which is expected to launch in India sometime later this year. However, it remains to be seen if Kia will directly launch the facelifted Carnival in India. When launched, the Kia KA4 is expected to be priced at around Rs 50 lakh. 

Do you think Kia should directly launch the Carnival facelift in India? Let us know in the comments.

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