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2021 Kia Carnival: Australian engine details surface in government database

Details of the upcoming 2021 Kia Carnival people mover's engine range have surfaced in a government database, ahead of the new-generation model's anticipated arrival in the coming months.


According to a filing in the Australian government's Road Vehicle Certification System (RVCS) – an official database detailing all vehicles certified for compliance with Australian Design Rules (ADR) standards – the new Carnival will go on sale locally with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, as is the case with the current model.

Petrol options consist of a naturally-aspirated, direct-injected 3.5-litre V6 developing 216kW, up in displacement and power from the old Carnival's 206kW 3.3-litre six. Commanding the diesel fort is a heavily-reworked version of the outgoing car's 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder which, despite its under-the-skin changes, produces just one additional kilowatt, for a total of 148kW.

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Above: Korean-specification Kia Carnival, as pictured throughout the story.

The RVCS filing doesn't list torque figures, though overseas reports pen the petrol and diesel engines at 355Nm and 440Nm respectively.

Both engines send drive to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission – however, if the related Sorento SUV is any guide, the petrol's gearbox will use a conventional torque-converter design, while the diesel employs a more efficient, quicker-shifting dual-clutch setup.

17-inch alloy wheels will be standard on entry-level Carnival models, with larger 18-inch and 19-inch units to be available on higher grades. 325mm front and rear disc brakes are listed as standard-fit across the local range.

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The new Carnival is larger in nearly all dimensions than its predecessor, measuring in at 5155mm long (up 40mm), 1995mm wide (up 10mm) and 1740mm tall (no change), all riding on a 3090mm wheelbase (up 30mm). Eight seats will be standard on all variants.

Standard equipment between various trim grades isn't detailed in the RVCS listing, though available features on certain grades – as confirmed at the Carnival's global unveiling earlier this year – will include 'Level 2' semi-autonomous driving aids (including adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist), a pair of 12.3-inch displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system, LED headlights and tail-lights, and leather-trimmed seats.

The 2021 Kia Carnival is slated to touch down in Australia in the coming months. Local pricing and specifications will be announced closer to launch.

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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