1K km Trip Driving the Kia Carnival in the Himalayas

It was October 2021 and our ride to the hills was the Kia Carnival. I drove down myself. Took the family along. It’s a Road trip family still recalls with great zeal and the carnival played a big role in that.  

But when I first saw the car, it seemed really Huge. I thought about how I would drive this monster. When I got in,  The Instrument Panel  & steering were overloaded with controls and gadgets. They seemed distractive. I felt Panga Le Liye Bhai.

This car may look huge and intimidating on first impressions but it takes under 10 minutes to befriend you. It took that much time to get a grip over the basic controls. Next 1 hour one could explore the finer controls and operations. By the next day you are on top of most controls 

Driving this Huge Car 

 Most people advised, take a driver and not self drive. Covid precautions and need for privacy helped make our mind faster for self drive. After driving for 25 km or so, you get really comfortable with the car’s dimensions. Yes its huge, there like an extra length back there but guess what’s ? Its manageable due to the cameras, sensors and most importantly the design and great visibility. 

It was just once throughout the 1k km drive that I had to open the driver's door to peek outside while reversing. 

Stability 

The Carnival is exceptionally stable especially at high speeds. Though I hardly crossed 80 kmph speed as each time I crossed it, the high alert chime would come. It wasn't a buzzer but a gentle chime. The family would ask what that sound was. When I told them about it, I couldn't cross 80 kmph as a louder high speed alert would come from the family! 

Driving Experience 

The carnival has a great power on demand. It lunges forward like a tiger if you floor the pedal. The kids used to love the sudden acceleration on the highways. It was handy while overtaking long trucks and trailers. In fact, this great power on demand made a few petrolheads take offence when they got overtaken suddenly and they mistook it as a challenge to race. But I was on a 80 kmph leash aka speed limiter due to family alert chime! 

Ride & Handling 

The ride is fantastic on a plain road. Despite the long dimensions, there isn't any roll or pitch. In fact till you look behind or in the RWM you don't really realise it's a long car. 

However when the road gets bad, the ride gets a bit bumpy. Also the ground clearance is a bit low so you really have to be soft on the bumps. 

Driving Experience 

Hold Feature 

Its an intelligent car. In the hills the feature I used the most was the “Hold” Feature. WhetherI was on an accent or a descent, If I had the hold button pressed, I could lift my foot off the brake pedal and the car wouldn't move an inch. Extremely useful feature while maneuvering on sharp turns in the hills. 

The only thing is that you have to remember to engage the hold before you drive off as it resets to default “Off” each time you switch off the engine. 

Cruise Control 

Despite the steering full of controls, it doesn't take too long to learn to engage cruise control while driving without looking at the wheel. It worked seamlessly and helped reduce driving fatigue in the plains before we reached Himachal. 

Automatic in the Hills. Are you Serious ? 

AT was fine in the plains but the moment we began the ascent to the himalayas, it was getting confused. So I quickly switched it to manual and guess what, it worked better than a manual. It seemed manual had evolved! It was smooth to shift up and down. Mostly one had to shift between second and third gears in the manual mode and it was a breeze. 

Space

This car treats you like a King when it comes to space. The second row  first class style captain seats have all the bells and whistles for lower back , neck , shin supports. The leg rest swings upon to make it a lazy boy still lounge seat. 

Even the third row has a lot of space. My younger kid had actually proclaimed and claimed the third row as his studio apartment! 

Features 

As I mentioned, this car is loaded with features to pamper you. The Inside air purifier with the PM 2.5 real time reading was really liked by everyone. The panoramic sun roof was a  treat while driving in the hills. It takes a while to get used to it! You suddenly feel where all this light is coming from!

The Exteriors

The same exteriors which seemed big and unmanageable now felt stylish. The car has a great road presence. It's actually designed like a car. Most other of its rivals seem like vans. You can self drive the carnival effortlessly. It's welcoming. 

It’s a Headturner 

Heads were rolling within the first km of driving it. The Autorickshaw wala bhaiyas would try to overtake and catch a glimpse. Then when I took it for refueling and had just parked it for the Air , a couple of guys came and started marveling at it. They asked if they can pose with it and I said be my guest. They thanked and said thank you bhaiya, insta pe daalenge bahut likes aayenge! 

Even on the highway it was the centre of attraction. In fact, my wife and I had done a social experiment of sorts. We tried to enter Shantiniketan, a posh colony in Delhi, from the gate which only allows cars with RWA stickers. When the carnival approached the boom barrier, the guard stood up, trying to frantically look for the rwa sticker and not finding it , just lifted the boom barrier and allowed us access. That’s the aura of this vehicle. 

Summing it up ! 

The Carnival is a treat to travel in. It's effortless to drive. You actually feel rejuvenated by driving such a huge vehicle. It pampers you with space, comfort, luxury and good ambient lighting. 

Barring the bumpy ride on the Singhu border and low ground clearance, it's a Palace on 4 wheels!

Carnival is not a Vehicle, It's an experience, Period