ROLLING LOUNGE. The Kia Carnival is one minivan that can match any of its rivals in terms of spaciousness, comfort and practicality.

DURING the recent Chicago Auto Show, MotorWeek, a popular television series in the US, named the Kia Carnival as the “Best Minivan” in its Drivers’ Choice Awards.

The Carnival’s selection was the result of an evaluation carried out on 150 vehicles, which were rated on the basis of performance, technology, practicality and value.

According to Kia Motors America (KMA) executive vice president and COO Len Hunt, “The Carnival has been a smash hit with both consumers and the automotive press since its debut last year, and receiving this award from the venerable and well-respected team at MotorWeek is further proof of the impact the vehicle has had in the marketplace.”

Indeed, the accolades for the Carnival have been plentiful: “Best Buy” by Consumer Digest; “Total Value” and “Most Delightful Vehicle” from Strategic Vision; and “Best Buy-2007 Minivan” by Consumer Guide Automotive.

But does the vehicle measure up to all the praise?

That question was answered when Columbian Autocars Corp., exclusive distributor of Kia vehicles in the Philippines, offered this writer a test-drive of the Carnival EX.

Upon taking delivery of the vehicle, this writer immediately noticed just how much headway Kia has made in its march toward being a world-class brand.  The Carnival’s fit, finish and overall build quality is as good as any vehicle from a rival brand on the road today. 

The gaps between doors and panels are tight and uniform, the weather strips and trim items are precisely installed, and the doors close and open without any snags.

Viewing the vehicle’s exterior from several angles makes one appreciate the sheer size of it, which is largely due to its long wheelbase (a version with a short wheelbase is also available).     

Although it is often billed as a minivan, it also has characteristics that are taken from an SUV.  Nowadays, such a vehicle is referred to as a Crossover vehicle.

The Carnival’s two front doors are conventional, however, it has sliding doors on both sides, which can be opened or closed manually or by simply turning the handles and allowing the power-activated mechanism to move the doors on their rails.  They even have pinch protection, which is good to have when you’re lugging around kids. As an added bonus, the sliding doors also have power windows. The liftgate in the rear can also be opened or closed manually or by pushing on a button in the cockpit or on the bottom of the liftgate itself.

Thanks to its cavernous cabin, the Carnival can seat seven full-sized adults comfortably. The driver’s seat is power adjustable and offers excellent visibility all around. The second row, which is equipped with three individually adjustable seats, can be flipped and folded forward to allow access to the 60:40-split third row, which can in turn be folded flat to the floor to create more cargo space.

Getting the seats to fold down requires a bit of work, however,  as a certain sequence must be followed in order to accomplish the task. 

Trizone air-conditioning directs more than ample cooling to all three rows and no less than eight cupholders are located all over the cabin. Up-front, there are two glove compartments and a center console. A conversation mirror and a sunglass holder are located on the overhead panel. Onboard entertainment comes in the form of an AM-FM-Cassette-MP3-CD stereo system connected to six speakers, which produce decent audio quality.

On the road, the Carnival is a veritable rolling lounge as the comfort levels inside the cabin is first-rate, thanks to the fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts up-front and a multilink setup in the rear, and front and rear stabilizer bars. Noise, vibration and harshness are almost imperceptible due to the adequate insulation engineered into the vehicle.

Unfortunately, the suppleness of the suspension gives the vehicle vague feedback at the wheel and sudden inputs produce a sluggish reaction.  That’s not a bad thing, really, considering that one is driving a minivan.  If you’re after crisp and lightning fast steering, then you opt for a sports sedan.  One must remember that the Carnival is meant for leisurely drives with the family, not an autocross.

Powering the test unit was a 2.9-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder, DOHC, CRDi turbo-diesel engine that’s capable of 160 ps of power at 3,800 rpm and 35 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm.  A smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode gives the driver flexibility in the city and highway.         

Perhaps the Carnival’s proverbial ace up its sleeve are its safety features, which have earned it a five-star crash-safety rating from the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and earned the nod of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as “Top Safety Pick.” 

Bundled with the Carnival are electronic stability control, antilock brakes, a tire-pressure monitoring system, seat-mounted side air bags for the driver and front passenger, side-curtain air bags for all three rows of seats, and active front headrests that help protect against whiplash injuries from a rear-end collision.

The Carnival presents itself as a practical vehicle for family use and truly lives up to all the rave reviews it has been receiving.  Spacious, comfortable, fuel-efficient and safe—how can one go wrong?

DURING the recent Chicago Auto Show, MotorWeek, a popular television series in the US, named the Kia Carnival as the “Best Minivan” in its Drivers’ Choice Awards.

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