The Kia Grand Carnival 2.2D SX is now available in
Malaysia and joins the locally-assembled MPV range as the new range-topping
variant. Priced at RM 188,888 (on-the-road, excluding insurance), it effectively
replaces the EX, which means the Carnival is only available in KX (RM161k) or
SX trim. Just to note, this is not the facelifted model, in case you’re
wondering.
Before we get to the meat and potatoes, just keep in
mind that the EX went for RM 180,668, so the SX isn’t that much costlier. With
that, it gets HID projector headlamps (up from halogen units), Diamond Glitter
LED positioning lights, new Tiger Nose grille with chrome pins instead of the
regular horizontal slats and a revised front bumper.
The lower front bumper is now equipped with
projector fog lamps with chrome garnish, and the front and rear bumpers now
come with skid plates. Elsewhere, it gets new 19-inch Chrome Sputtering alloys
(upgraded from the EX’s 18-inch items) and two new paint colours – Blackberry,
which replaces Titanium Brown in the colour palette, and Silky Silver, which is
unique to the SX. The Snow White Pearl and Aurora Black Pearl colours can also
be had.
Inside, the cabin gets luxurious two-tone burgundy
leather seats with wood grain garnish. The eight-inch infotainment system with
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionalities remain, but rear passengers now
benefit from two headrest-mounted screens, part of the Rear Entertainment
System with WiFi connectivity.
Just like the EX, the standard six-speaker setup
continues to be offered here, and the driver’s seat still features 12-way power
adjustability. However, the front passenger seat is also powered, and there’s a
new sliding centre console tray in the second row – both features unique only to
the SX. Other standard features include powered sliding rear doors, heated
steering wheel, keyless entry with start and rear-view camera.
For propulsion, motivation comes from the same 2.2
litre four-cylinder turbodiesel that makes 190 hp at 3,800 rpm and 440 Nm of
torque at 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. This is paired with a six-speed automatic
transmission driving the front wheels
