2007 Kia Grand Carnival Road Test
August 14, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
2007 Kia Grand Carnival Road Test
Affordable, well built and with enough space to carry eight adults and the week’s groceries, the Kia Grand Carnival is the perfect large family mover.
Model tested: 2007 Kia Grand Carnival EX five-speed auto
CarAdvice rating: 
Recommended Retail Price: $37,990 (Kia Grand Carnival EX five-speed auto) -> $50,990 (Kia Grand Carnival Platinum five-speed auto)
If you have always wondered why anyone would buy a car as big as the Kia Grand Carnival, the answer is actually rather simple, apart from the family size, the Grand Carnival provides the practicality and the ability to do nearly anything.
Initially I was scheduled to pick up the standard Kia Carnival but a few problems here and there and I ended up with the Kia Grand Carnival, the biggest Kia (bar the trucks) in the market. From a distance it’s actually a little hard to tell the two apart, but once you get inside, it becomes quite obvious.
The differences between the two models are aplenty, firstly the price, the standard Kia Carnival (pictured below on the right) starts from $32,990 for the EX five-speed manual (you would be mad to buy this in a manual), and goes all the way to $36,490 for the luxury five-speed auto. The Grand Carnival starts from $37,990 for the five-speed auto EX variant and goes all the way to $50,990 for the platinum variant.
With a longer wheel-base, the Grand Carnival needs more power than the standard model, and it gets this in the form of a 3.8-litre petrol engine with 184kW of power and 343Nm of torque. You wouldn’t believe it, but the Grand Carnival is very quick for a car its size, 0-100 in 10.5 seconds. It can easily spin the front wheels on take-off and put a few of the medium cars to shame!
The selling point for the Grand Carnival is that even with the third row of seats in use, there is still more room in the back than your average family sedan! That means you can carry eight passengers and the day’s shopping at the same time, not to mention everyone will ride in comfort!
With 8 seats that can each fit a fully grown adult, the Grand Carnival really does emphasis the Grand part. There is just so much room in the rear that you will be amazed as to what you can actually fit! I honestly think you can fit two cattle calves in the back.
With the third row of seats folded, you already have access to 2.3 cubic meters of load space, fold the middle row and you get 3.1 cubic meters, remove the middle row of seats and you get 4 cubic meters of usable space!
There is a noticeable amount of body roll around corners, but the soft ride and comfort easily make up for it. As far as interior comfort goes, there isn’t much to complain about, the seats are very comfortable, even the third row in the far back. The rear doors slide open easily and stay there as expected. Power windows for all, as well as power rear side vents which open slightly outwards!
This car is rather massive, seating height is on par with a four-wheel-drive. There is a huge gap between the passenger and driver seat, you actually can’t reach the passenger safely, and if you lose something, there is a good chance you will never find it.
Another noticeably annoying bit is the stereo system. Although the speakers are adequate, the volume knob sits on the left hand side of the headunit and given the lack of steering wheel audio controls (on the model tested), you actually need to get out of your seat to reach the headunit, this can become rather annoying once the Scissor Sisters come on for the 6th time in a row.
There are two massive cup holders and a great deal of room to store nearly anything you can think of. You can actually walk through this car. The third row of seats easily pull out, and you can have the third row setup and ready in less than 30 seconds, guaranteed. The middle seats get their own food tray that open up much like the ones found on a plane.
From the centre console you can independently control the temperature for the front and the rear, the middle seats have their own separate system (mounted in the roof) giving the Grand Carnival three separate climate zones! It would be nice if the climate control system was digital. The centre console in general looks a little cheap, but it does the job rather well.
Here is the thing, you wouldn’t buy this car unless you had kids, a few kids, and there is absolutely no reason why a family mover, in 2007, does not come with a DVD player and rear LCDs!
The screens themselves alongside the system would not cost more than $1,500 and this needs to be either standard or available as a cheap option. I believe a great deal of car accidents are caused by distracted parents, so why not keep the kids busy and keep the family safe at the same time?
For those that can’t stop worrying about their kids, Kia has installed a convex interior mirror that allows you to keep an eye out on your passengers, a clever feature, but also a little risky given that once behind the wheel, one needs to put all emphasis on, well, driving.
There are some serious downfalls for the Grand Carnival though, the car misses out on side curtain airbags and there is also no ESP. You can option out the extra airbags for $1,500 (ESP not available). For that you also get some updates to the interior, a leather steering wheel, and rain sensing wipers – all of these features, specially the side curtain airbags need to be standard, but for $1,500 it’s not much.
Standard safety features include Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, dual front airbags and… not much else.
All that extra room comes at a price, weighing over 2 tonnes, the Kia Grand Carnival is big and thirsty, using 12.8 litres of fuel /100kms. Realistically you’d be looking at around 15 litres.
If you want to be fare, you have to compare the Carnival to the competition, the Toyota Tarago starts at $49,490 for the 2.4-litre four-cylinder variant, the 2.4-litre Honda Odyssey retails for $39,290, and both cars are smaller in all respects.
It probably won’t inspire you to passionately make out with your wife while the kids are still in the back, but when you consider what you actually get for the price, the 3.8-litre V6 Grand Carnival is an absolute bargain and you can use the money you saved on a babysitter and a holiday away from the kids!
Alborz Fallah
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Tezza Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I own Territory 7 seat TX 2 Wheel drive have had for 2 years since brand new, it now sits in the garage waiting to be sold and the Grand Carnival Premium is now in the driveway, for those of you out there who have a large family (There is 6 in ours) and own a Territory 7 seater a question ? How much space to you have left over when you go on the family holiday for luggage???????? I know the answer to this one “BUGGER ALL” you need to have the mother in law coffin on the roof to put your suit cases in. Plus this car is a rocketship for its size KIA needs to be commended for their efforts on this one.
Hi, just want to ask if you have any review/s or comment/s about the new KIA Carnival diesel edition ?
hi, just want to know if anyone of you have any review/s or comment/s about the new KIA carnival diesel edition ?
Got 22.5% off the on road price of my last purchase at Kia(Brand new 2005 LS Carnival).
Just about to start negotiating a price for a brand new Grand Carnival Premium. (RRP $44990 with some dealers offering $42990 Driveaway)
Any ideas what the cheapest price one could expect on this?
Herbert
I sent Kia Australia an email about this in January and they stated that they currently have no plans to introduce to Australia. I had a 2.9 CRDI carnival in the UK, But europe only has 7 seat SWB models for sale. I done some research and Kia are sticking the same 2.9 CRDI into the Grand Models in South Africa. visit kia.co.sa Cost wise would be more expensive to run due to the 20c spread in fuel cost and performance wise, the 2.7 petrol seems better than the 2.9 diesel I had.
I am using Kia Carnival year 2000 but engine 2005..
Few months ago i was change my gearbox but after 3 months still having a problem.. My question is how to get the original gearbox? How much the price?
Thanks
Rosman bin Mohd Nordin
No 28, Jalan 14/108, Taman Salak Jaya
57100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Had our ‘06 Grand Carnival for 45000 k’s now, and LOVE IT!!!
Why are there still ignorant people trying to compare this model with the earlier ones??? Have you heard of GOOGLE??? They are actually a rebadged Hyundai Entourage, as they are known in America. First people mover to recieve 3 gold stars for front, rear, side impact testing in Yankee land.
With regards to fuel usage, i’m an a-grade mechanic. I know they have 15000 k service intervals, but the engine in these are so well built (Mitsubishi engines, same as the engine in a Hyundai Granduer, only detuned slightly), with such close tolerances, once the oil starts to break down and degrade – around 6000-7000 k’s, watch your economy go out the window. I change my oil& filter religously every 5 thousand, and get around 14L around town, a best of 9L on the highway. It’s all how you drive it too!!! Don’t winge at the car using fuel because you cannot control your right foot, and have to beat every VE Crappodore off the lights. It weighs over 2 tonnes, with 187 k’w (more than a vs ss v8 btw) – what do you think gets it going in the first place?? Be gentle with the foot, and you will get the economy – and change your oil religiously!!
Only beef – CRAPPY TYRES!! Useless size 22570r16. Soft, crappy Kumho’s with regular small car pattern on a truck!! Mine almost due, but out of shape and noisey like nothing else!! Rotated and balanced religously every five thousand, wheel alignment every 10000. That is seriously my ownly gripe.
Otherwise – brilliant!!! Go and buy one if you thinking about it, stop your judging and hire one for a weekend if your a sceptic, or continue to enjoy if you already wised up to the fact that there is nothing on the market that can come close regards to value for money!!
We have a Aug06 Grand Carni with the Premium pack $43990 d/away (power sliding doors,ESP, rear sensors ,leather everything ..top of the line at that time before the Platinum came out last year).Took delivery in Jan 07 with the $1k cashback and 6yr/200,000 km warranty. 2 years later and nearly 24,000 kms ( mainly home to school trips and one Sydney/Gold Coast trip last year) we are very happy with it , no problems whatsoever. Lots of room for luggage for a family of 6 with 4 girls.
When I first bought the GC i was told by a mechanic at a party I went to to sell it straight away. Because they are unreliable and the engine was a piece of crap!!! I asked him what model he was talking about…..it was a 2000 model carnival. I told him they are far more superior now and that it was wrong for him to compare two different models and judge them as being the same….much like comparing a 1989 EA Falcon 3 speed auto to a ‘08 Falcon XT.
Like the previous postings have said rent one out before you buy..Europecar have a lot of them….
just bought 2007 grand carnival auto seems to take a while to engage into drive from reverse and slips auto fluid level all good antone else haveing this problem?
Today I bought a 11/2006 build 12/2006 Compliance KIA Carnival, I hope I’ve done the right thing (traded a AUIII Ford Falcon XR8), can any one tell me if there is anything I should look out for.
By the way it’s A KIA Grand Carnival first registered 04/2007, 78628ks
i have 12/08 ex australian tennis grand carnival premium,best investment i ever done,(wish i could say the same about my wife)lol…..love the car nice black all lether and my right foot loves it…..i recomend you to buy one,,,,stuff the tarago…had one for 1 week too slugish, not the same luggage room, not much passenger space like the grand carnival,never go back to a tarago…well done kia,cant wait for the next new shape ….
Have a 2007 Grand. Converted to run on LPG (80L LPG tank – 320KM). Huge saving. as compared to running on Petrol alone. The only complaint I have is that the Engine Light will come and go off. Any mate having the same problem on the engine light? Anyway, the 2007 Grand is a great car to have. If only KIA will not void the engine warranty after teh conversion.
• 2005 kia carnival brought may 2006 with 11 000km on the clock
• 94000 kms just stopped whilst driving it no warning, no noises nothing.
• Cam shaft seized
• Timing belt thrown
• One head damaged by the above
• Opposite side bottom end pistons burnt and overheated
• Little or no oil and water to one side of engine due to carbonisation blockages caused by poor quality rings
• Mechanic advised not worth repairing engine is a write off
• Unable to purchase new motor, have to purchase second hand motor and rebuild $8000 plus!
• Financially unviable to repair.
• Was worth $10 000 to $16 000 now worth NIL
• Left owing money, no car with 5 kids and a frail age mother in my care.
The car dealer we brought it from said too bad out of warranty
Kia said if it had done under 90 000 kms they may have covered parts only.
well well people were still winging about the old 2001 carnival. Kia has come a long long way since 2001 it would be good if some of you people had the same memory about bad politions get over it deep breath in out ps how about lifting the bonnet check the oil and water or did,nt dad teach you how to do that it takes 5 minuites of your timeit could save you a whole lot of money and that goes with any brand of car not just kia
I have had my Grand Carnival Premium for 2 years now. Just run up 65,000km, and just replaced the 4 tyres.
I love my GC, Electric Doors are great.
I took the middle centre seat out of the car, we dont need to use it. makes enrty to back seats even easier.
I can lower the rear seat and carry heaps.
I have added a Rear Camera beside number plate and a LCD review mirror. I have a box trailer with a Camera also, so when reversing the trailer camera works. I chose the car for my Novated Lease.
i intend to buy the CRD Platium next year.
I have had no problems at all, and for the price the package is the best on the market.
I might be onto something with high city cycle fuel consumption.I’ve noticed my july 2007 grand carnival changes up into 3rd,4th& 5th too soon,it also seems to hog 3rd for every corner even @ 20km/h.This makes the engine labour,& with little to no torque below 2000rpm,it really makes the tranny slip & engine bog down,hence high fuel cosumption. Another thing I noticed when in sequential shift mode,it never changes down from 3rd to 2nd with the programmed override,it jumps straight to 1st @ approx 18kp/h,very annoying. One more issue with the auto, it needs a lot of pedal travel to force it to change down a gear,when it does you feel like you’re giving it to her.I would like to hear from other fertile GC drivers if they agree. Size matters! go the Grand!
Have a 2007 Grand Carnival – love it. With 4 kids and occasional grandparents – takes all onboard comfortably. We chose it originally because it was the only people mover that could take the family, strollers plus shopping etc…with plenty of power. Yes – it does chew up fuel – particularly depending on driving styles (my wife uses less fuel than I do …surprise), but it’s a big vehicle that is capable of moving quickly. Have driven to Syd, Melb, Bris, Adelaide and around Tassie…90k never had any major issues.
Other than fuel – the only a couple of issues – factory tyres are poor – changed to Goodyear – but they scalloped, more regular wheel alignments would have helped, but it’s an issue Kia should investigate. Currently have Bridgestone – going great. Brakes tend to wear quickly with machining required….again could reflect driving style, particularly with such a heavy car.
Keen to explore LPG. Overall..would recommend as very fit for my purposes – not luxury –but does the job I need exceptionally well.
I have a 1999 Carnival Ls. Believe it or not….190000kms.
No engine trouble.
Have read the comments here, and am convinced to upgrade to post 2006 Grand Carnival! Inspected inside of one today, am in love! I need to have one!…..at a good price of course.