First look: Facelift Kia Carnival approved for arrival in 2025

Despite accounting for a small percentage of its local market offset, Kia South Africa isn’t taking leave of the Carnival as indicted by the facelift’s model unveiling at its end-of-year product event held at the Glendower Golf Estate in Edenvale on Monday (2 December).

Showcased alongside the facelift Sorento, the four-year old fourth generation Carnival received its current first mid-life update in 2023 in South Korea, which has since been rolled-out in versions in the United States and Australia where it has consistently been the best-selling large MPV.

New outside

It’s arrival in South Africa two years ago coinciding with the Sedona name being dropped and the Carnival nameplate revived after being abandoned with the departure of the original generation more than two decades ago, the internally named KA4 Carnival will seemingly still offer seating for seven or eight, with the previous 11-seater unlikely.

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Externally, the latest interpretation of the Opposites United styling language sees the Carnival benefit from new headlights complete with L-shaped daytime running lights, a slightly altered bumper and grille, new alloy wheel designs and fog lamps now integrated into the sides of the lower air intake rather than on the outer flanks of the bumper.

At the rear, Kia has furnished the Carnival with a new bumper, revised the tailgate by omitting the handle for a button located near the reverse camera, and restyled to light clusters with the same L-shaped slim appearance as those of the fronts.

Restyled inside

Inside, the same revisions as those of the facelift Sorento have been incorporated, namely a new dual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, the digital climate control panel with touch-sensitive buttons from the Sportage and a new centre console.

While specification is still to be revealed, the displayed model did have dual sliding electric side doors, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree surround-view camera system, a heated second row as per the seven-seat layout, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, and a drive mode selector.

Still diesel only

Up front, and as with the Sorento, the Carnival is expected to remain a diesel-only model and therefore without the option of the normally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 that produces 213kW/353Nm, or the hybrid that pairs a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with an electric motor and battery pack for a total output of 180kW/367Nm.

As such, expect motivation to once again come from the 2.2-litre oil-burner rated at 148kW/440Nm. An eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox rather than the Sorento’s dual-clutch is set to prevail as the only option.

More to come in 2025

Its official market date-of-reveal is still to be finalised, expectations point to an early or mid-year unveiling, although as mentioned, nothing has yet been cast in stone.

Expect, however, a price increase over the current pre-facelift Carnival, whose three-model starts at R938 995 for the entry-level EX and ends at R1 163 995 for the flagship SXL.

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