Kia Carnival 2021 confirmed: All-new people-mover due next year

Kia Australia is gearing up to launch an “all-new” Carnival people-mover around September, with its 2020 release schedule to also be highlighted by a box-fresh Sorento large SUV in the second quarter.

While CarsGuide reported last month that the fourth-generation Sorento is due next year, confirmation of the fourth-generation Carnival is new.

A Kia Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide this week that the Carnival will enter showrooms a matter of months after the Sorento, stating that both models will be “all-new”.

While the Sorento has been spied testing in Europe, the Carnival is yet to make a public appearance, so details on it are scant.

The Sorento is expected to debut hybrid powertrains, including a plug-in that could also make its way into the Carnival, but time will tell.

Either way, Kia Australia is keen to move forward with its electrification plans, so anything is possible for these new models.

That said, upgraded versions of the Carnival and Sorento’s 3.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6 and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines are likely for both at minimum.

While the Sorento is expected to adopt Kia’s new SUV design language, little is known about the Carnival’s prospects, although its overall shape should be familiar. An increase in technology for either model is a near certainty.

For reference, the Carnival and Sorento are both currently priced from $42,990 plus on-road costs, topping out at $63,290 and $58,990 respectively.