2022 Kia Carnival: New Kia logo here in September, but digital dash and auto wipers delayed to 2022

The 2022 Kia Carnival people mover will gain the Korean brand's new logo within months – but a selection of much-awaited technology features aren't slated to be added until next year.

Kia Australia confirmed to CarAdvice that Model Year 2022 (MY22) examples of the Carnival will arrive in Australian showrooms "around" September wearing the company's new logo, which debuted locally on the Cerato small car in early June.

No other changes to standard specification will be made alongside the addition of the new logo, with pricing also set to remain pegged at the $50,890 to $70,490 drive-away range of the current 2021 model.

That means the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Blind-Spot View Monitor side camera views, and rain-sensing wipers will arrive at an even later date, as a running production change within Model Year 2022 – after missing the cut for the new Carnival's local launch in January, due to COVID-19 constraints.

Above and throughout: US-market 2022 Kia Carnival pictured.

Kia Australia couldn't confirm when the features would be implemented into Australia-bound production, though CarAdvice understands the items are more likely to arrive sometime in 2022 (calendar year) – rather than for the start of MY22 (in the second half of 2021), as initially suggested.

COVID-19 challenges also affected the Carnival's electric power steering system, which saw the Korean-market tune used in Australia, instead of one developed for local buyers by Kia's Australian engineers.

However, Kia Australia says it "[isn't] disappointed" with the Korean steering map, with a spokesperson adding that the car maker "[hasn't] committed to changing [the tune]".

If a decision was made to 'Australianise' the Carnival's steering, a Korea-based Kia engineer would need to travel to Australia to assist in its development – a challenge to organise given strict travel restrictions, therefore delaying the process further beyond 2022.

When the technology updates come on stream, expect higher-grade variants with the features equipped to increase in price by around $500 to $700 to account for the updates – though it's possible rain-sensing wipers would be across the range, as per the Sorento large SUV.

As reported by CarAdvice, the arrival of Model Year 2022 Carnivals in September will coincide with MY22 versions of the Sorento and Stinger wearing the new Kia logo – making them some of the last Kia models to switch over to the new logo.

Meanwhile, recent rumours suggest the Carnival will gain a hybrid option in the second half of 2022, followed by an all-electric model in 2023 – though Kia has yet to confirm the arrival of these models, let alone announce Australian launch timing.

Stay tuned to CarAdvice and Drive for full pricing and specification details of both updated iterations of the 2022 Kia Carnival.

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