2021-2024 Kia Carnival: Used car review

The fourth-generation (KA4) Kia Carnival launched in Australia in January 2021, and continued its predecessor’s diverse line-up of four trim levels available with either petrol or diesel powertrains. 

From launch, it continued the previous third-generation Carnival’s undefeated winning streak as Drive Car of the Year Best People Mover in 2021 and 2022, before expanding to win Best Large Car for Families in 2023 and Best Family Car under $80K in 2024.

The Carnival was updated in May 2024, so it will be the new KA4 PE version that faces judges for 2025 Drive Car of the Year in the coming months.

Explaining its 2024 award, Production Editor Kez Casey noted at the time: 

“Kia’s Carnival has set the benchmark for ultimate family motoring once again in 2024, backing up its 2023 win.

“While the evolution of the Drive Car of the Year awards has seen this category expand from ‘best people mover’ to a broader ‘best car for families’ title over the years, the fundamentals haven't changed, and the Carnival meets the needs of Australian families in a way no rival can match.

“With a starting price from as low as $47,480 plus on-road costs, the eight-seat Carnival remains a budget-friendly choice and doesn't compromise on flexibility for the price. Even the entry-level model provides configurable full-size seating in all three rows, and a huge amount of cargo space.

“No matter which seat you claim, the Carnival’s tall dimensions and long wheelbase ensure there’s room for adults in all three rows or enough space to make installing child seats a much, much easier process.

“With 627 litres of cargo space behind the third row, or 2785 litres to the second row, the Carnival offers more cargo space than the other cars in its DCOTY segment. All the more versatile to fill in as a makeshift van when required.

“As the entire Carnival range fits in under the category’s $80,000 price cap, there’s no bad choice in the range, but the judging panel leans towards the well-equipped but still cost-mindful Carnival SLi diesel.”

The 2021 Kia Carnival maintained a similar sales volume to its predecessor in its first year, leading its People Movers under $60K segment with 5862 sales ahead of the Honda Odyssey that sold just 1143 examples over the whole year.

From 2022 onwards, the Carnival’s dominance of its segment (People Movers under $70K from 2023) has only expanded, despite Hyundai’s entry vastly improving with the introduction of the Staria just eight months after Carnival, but aided by the demise of established rivals like the Toyota Tarago and Honda Odyssey. 

In terms of 2024 sales to the end of May 2024 when this model was updated, the Carnival outsold the Hyundai Staria (511 units) by more than six to one and represented 81.4 per cent of all vehicles sold in its segment.

Data below supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)

That means, from the beginning of 2024 to the end of May when this model was updated, of every 1000 new cars delivered, six were a Kia Carnival.

From launch, this Kia Carnival was offered in four trim levels (S, Si, SLi, Platinum), with a choice of petrol or diesel powertrains, in two-wheel drive.

In March 2023 a Special Edition version was added, with pricing and features positioned between the SLi and Platinum to help alleviate stock shortages of the Platinum grade and help those in the queue to take delivery of a Carnival sooner.

The Carnival Special Edition retained the choice of petrol or diesel powertrains.

The 2024 Drive Car of the Year judging panel found there to be no bad choice in the Carnival range but leaned towards the well-equipped but still cost-mindful Carnival SLi diesel.

For everyday family use, the SLi still pampers with synthetic leather trim, a powered driver’s seat, power sliding doors and tailgate, three-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch infotainment system, and a slew of family-friendly features without breaking the bank.

Here’s what the Drive team said back in 2021 of the Kia Carnival.

Sam Purcell said:

“I’ve found out it’s impossible to dislike a car, when it happens to be very good at its core role. And the new 2021 Kia Carnival people mover is exactly that. This ain't no muscular, swooping, coupe-SUV-off-road-shooting-brake-family-sports car, like so many segment-blurring models that are currently crowding showrooms. The Kia Carnival is a god-damned, unabashed people mover. And it’s all the better for it.”

Trent Nikolic said:

“So, will you feel short-changed if your budget doesn’t stretch to the most expensive Carnivals in the range? Absolutely not. This Si is an exceptional option for the family buyer whose budget meets the asking price. It’s got everything you’ll need, it’s practical, stylish and enjoyable to drive. We’d like to think that more three-row buyers will consider one when the time comes to update."

Joshua Dowling said:

“Wish list? Speed sign recognition would be nice to have (Hyundai and Kia are slow to adopt this tech). A full-size spare tyre and the option of an all-wheel drive would be welcome if Kia could package it. And I would love a more intuitive favourites button on the dash or steering wheel to quickly dull or mute lane-keeping assistance, which is overly enthusiastic and tricky to disable when on the move. Overall, though, the Kia Carnival is one of the most car-like people movers to date and a step up for the class.”

The fourth-generation Kia Carnival was offered with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty when new, which means the first early 2021 examples will likely have at least three years of factory warranty left.

Be mindful of any examples that have been subject to commercial use, as this drops the warranty distance to 150,000km, but maintains the seven-year duration. 

Like many new cars of this period, used values have stayed strong, largely due to the time taken for new orders to be delivered, but the recent launch of the updated new model will sweeten the opportunity for used buyers to a degree.

Service costs are capped for the first seven services, regardless of variant, but prices increase marginally each model year for each powertrain.

Representing the base level, the Kia service schedule for all versions of the 2021 Kia Carnival is as follows:

In terms of general reliability, Drive spoke with a service representative at mycar Tyre & Auto who said:

“The 2021 Kia Carnival is definitely a fan favourite at mycar – both as technicians and as drivers." 

“We’ve had a small number of customers in metro areas experience issues related to intake airflow or emission controls on the diesel variant. From the data we have on hand, most of these have been returned to the dealer for rectification under warranty."

“Aside from that, we have very little to report other than routine maintenance and a chorus of happy owners – some of which are mycar technicians.”

Since 2021, there have been five recall notices issued for this model of Kia Carnival. The details are listed below:

If you need to carry more than three children or regularly transport friends, pets, extended family, bikes, sports gear or even furniture, even all at once, there is no better choice on the Australian market than the Kia Carnival.

With an established reputation for reliability, the balance of a seven-year warranty on offer, no shortage of used examples on the market, and a choice between petrol or diesel, the 2021–24 model is a sound choice. 

As always, ensure that all services have been completed and according to the schedule, and if you’re not confident checking the condition of the body and mechanicals, a professional third-party inspection is always a sound investment.

You can search for used Kia Carnivals currently available around Australia on Drive Marketplace.