Kia Carnival 8-seater launched in Malaysia – 2-3-3 layout, ADAS, 12 Bose speakers, RM238,888 nett

The KA4-facelift Kia Carnival 8-seater has been launched in Malaysia. Positioned between the RM189k 11-seater (2-3-3-3) and the RM249k 7-seater (2-2-3), the 8-seater asks for RM238,888 nett (RM239,849 OTR before insurance). All Carnivals are locally-assembled (CKD) in Kulim, Kedah and come with a five-year/150,000 km warranty.

Here you get a 2-3-3 seating layout with leatherette seats. The 40:20:40-split second row is detachable and slidable – the middle seat can face forwards or backwards while the outer seats can be reversed by switching their positions. The 60:40-split third row folds flat into the floor.

The 8-seater shares the 7-seater’s 12 Bose speakers (11-seater gets only six), 19-inch alloys (18s for 11-seater), four-way lumbar (two-way for 11-seater), full ADAS (11-seater only has a blind-spot monitor) and heated/ventilated front seats, but of course does without the 7-seater’s middle-row captain seats (called Relaxation Seats), which are also heated/ventilated.

Everything else is status quo, including ambient lighting, a 12.3-inch instrument panel seamlessly connected to a 12.3-inch touch-screen, a 202 PS/440 Nm 2.2 litre turbodiesel, an eight-speed auto, eight airbags, a claimed WLTP combined fuel consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 km, a claimed WLTP range of 900 km and the same four colours – Meteor Gray, Snowflake White Pearl, Astra Blue and Jet Black.