Kia Motors has decided to discontinue its Carnival MPV in India. The premium MPV model has been delisted from the brand’s website as dealers stop accepting bookings for the vehicle. The KIA Carnival was the company’s flagship model in India.
Kia Carnival: Discontinued
The Carnival was introduced in India at the 2020 Auto Expo. However, just a few months after its launch in February 2020, the automaker launched the fourth-gen Carnival globally. This meant the model we received was a generation old already.
The third-gen model came loaded with a lot of unique features that one could expect from a premium MPV in India. But it always felt like the Carnival was on borrowed time in India as other markets had already received the next-gen model. And now, the stricter RDE emission norms that came into effect this year meant the MPV was going to be discontinued sooner rather than later. While Kia updated its powertrains on the Seltos, Sonet, and Carens to meet the new norms, it did not update the Carnival’s diesel motor.
Prices for the Carnival ranged from Rs 30.99 lakh (ex-showroom) - Rs 35.48 lakh (ex-showroom). The only rival to the premium MPV was the new Toyota Innova Hycross.
Kia Carnival: Fourth-Gen Model Coming
Kia Cars had showcased the fourth-gen Carnival as the KA4 working concept at the 2022 Auto Expo. The model has been sold globally for three years already and is slated to receive a mid-life facelift next year. The automaker is expected to launch this updated fourth-gen model to India, meaning it will be in sync with other markets.
The new Carnival is bigger than the last-gen model and also gets much more premium features especially for the rear passengers.
While the company has not confirmed the launch of the new model, we expect it to go on sale in India by late 2024/ early 2025. Prices for the 4th Gen KIA Carnival is expected to be around Rs 35 lakh to Rs 45 lakh (ex-showroom).
