Fourth-Gen Kia Carnival Facelift Teased – Launching Soon?

Kia Malaysia has just dropped a teaser image showcasing the facelifted fourth-gen Carnival MPV. Launching soon?

Just over a month since the new national sales company (NSC) was established, it appears that Kia Sales Malaysia (KSM) is gearing up to launch its first new model soon, as indicated by this new teaser image, possibly showcasing the facelifted fourth-gen Kia Carnival MPV.

Published via Kia Malaysia’s official social media channels, said teaser image is accompanied by a caption that reads, “Created for the moments that matter the most. Because spaces that move with you, will inspire you. Stay tuned.”

The facelifted fourth-gen Carnival has already made its regional debut in several ASEAN markets, like Indonesia and Thailand, meaning that its arrival at our local market is imminent. What’s more interesting is that the Thai-spec Carnival facelift reportedly arrives as a fully-imported (CBU) unit assembled in Malaysia.

As detailed prior, the Carnival facelift gets an assortment of upgrades, with the most notable being the visual changes that showcase Kia’s Opposites United design language made famous by its flagship EV SUV, the EV9.

Some key visual changes include the EV9-esque L-shaped LED headlights with the signature Star Map DRLs, a large front grille, wheel options measuring 18 to 19 inches, slim L-shaped LED taillights, a lower license plate mounting place, and many more.

Similar to the outgoing model, the facelifted Carnival comes with multiple seating configurations. Depending on the market, you can get them in either a more conventional three-row eight-seater with a 2-3-3 layout, a more luxury-forward seven-seater with a 2-2-3 layout, or a four-row 11-seater one with a 2-3-3-3 layout.

Apart from its new look, perhaps the other most significant change given to the facelifted Carnival is in its powertrain lineup, as the peoplemover is now offered with a new series-parallel hybrid (HEV) option. Using a smaller 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbocharged petrol engine as its core plus a single electric motor, the Carnival Hybrid boasts a combined output of 242 hp and 367 Nm, with drive still sent exclusively to the front wheels (FWD) via a six-speed automatic transmission.

In markets like Indonesia, the existing 2.2D SmartStream turbodiesel option is still offered for the new Carnival, with said setup still delivering 191 hp and 441 Nm as prior.

Last but not least, prices for the facelifted Carnival largely vary depending on the market, with the Indo-spec model retailing at IDR 998 million (RM241,535) for the diesel variant and IDR 1.388 billion (RM335,922) for the hybrid. As for Thailand, the facelifted Carnival is solely offered in a hybrid form, with prices starting from THB 2.499 million (RM322,780) onwards.

For reference, KSM recently revised the pricing for the pre-facelift, fourth-gen Carnival CKD, as it now retails from RM193,000 to RM218,000.