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Hyundai Staria Vs. Kia Carnival — Two Can Play This Game [Comparison]

The demand for full-size Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) in Pakistan is quite small. As a result, only a few large MPVs have ever been launched here.

Recently, Lucky Motor Corporation Limited (LMCL) debuted the Kia Carnival in Pakistan. The enthusiasts praised the MPV’s futuristic design and modern features which also helped its sales.

Hyundai Nishat has thrown in the ‘brand-spanking-new’ Staria MPV to the mix.  It is also incredibly futuristic-looking and promises impressive features, which begs the question — can it break the monopoly of Kia Carnival?

Let us have a thorough look at both vehicles and find out:

Exterior Styling

Kia Carnival

The latest model, while still a minivan, carries a lot of influence from the SUV design. With a slightly longer wheelbase and shorter front and rear overhangs, the vehicle looks much more poised and aggressive for an MPV.

The front now features a longer and straighter nose. It also has Kia’s patented ‘Tiger Face’ front grill which spans across its width, sleek new headlights with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) integrated into the sides of the front grill, a large and beefy bumper with a silver trim piece for a fine finish.

The side profile is almost like every other mid-size minivan, except for a few sharp character lines that run along the length of the MPV. The wheel arches are slightly pronounced to make it look planted and muscular. Needless to say that these are all cosmetic.

Carnival also features the “Island Rood” design, with black A and B pillars that hold up the body-colored roof. It has a signature chrome fin on the C-pillar with a diamond pattern finish, which starts from the top, goes around the window creases, and ends at the tailgate.

The rear has a sleek taillight that extends across the back, a few sharp lines, and a rear bumper that features foglights, reverse lights, and a scuff-plate-like silver trim piece to complement the design.

Hyundai Staria

The Staria looks like a modern take on MPVs from a bygone era. An old-school design, coupled with futuristic styling, makes for a contemporary look.

The front fascia features a huge LED lightbar that serves as a large DRL and stretches across the Staria’s entire width. Below that is a huge mesh-patterned grille that also houses quad-LED headlights. The front is smooth and rearward-slanted, giving the MPV a retro look.

The side profile is also smooth and blocky, much like classic minivans. The tremendously low beltline and huge windows allow for great visibility and a unique style. It has no sharp lines or creases along the side, which is a refreshing design element.

Staria’s rear is also clean and simple. Some notable styling elements include a huge rear windshield and large verticle taillights. The rest of its styling is smooth, simple, and true to its ‘classic minivan reimagined’ styling theme.

Overall, Hyundai has seemingly taken notes from Tesla’s minimalistic design language with the all-new Staria.

Interior

Kia Carnival

Carnival’s interior is modern, yet purposeful. The analog gauge cluster and infotainment unit are joined together in a single panel. A modern dash design, diamond-patterned trim around the vents, along with silver and piano-black trim pieces liven up the interior.

Being a full-size minivan, Carnival is incredibly spacious. It can comfortably seat seven adult passengers, although the 2nd-row passengers travel in most comfort, courtesy of the captain’s chairs.

The Carnival has 1138 liters of cargo space behind the third-row seats, 2435 liters with the third row folded down, and 4106 liters with third and second rows folded down. Overall, Carnival’s interior is good-looking, comfortable, and greatly practical.

Hyundai Staria

There is a stark contrast between Carnival’s and Staria’s interiors. While the former is more premium-looking, the latter is basic and utilitarian.

It has the same four-spoke steering wheel from the Hyundai Sonata. The gauge cluster is modern and all-digital, while the dash design is a blend of old-school aesthetics and modern technology, namely, a touch-based infotainment unit and a modern center control stack.

The Staria is also a full-size MPV that can accommodate up to 11 passengers. Its second-row seats are rotatable, which allows the rear passengers to face each other if they so desire.

It bears mentioning, however, that the fourth-row seats steal the majority of cargo space. With last-row seats upright, the Staria offers 841 liters of boot space, which can be extended to 5000 liters with all seats folded down.

With its interior room, configuration options, and practicality, Staria could perhaps be a threat to both, family vehicles and commercial vehicles.

Dimensions and Weight

Carnival and Staria both share the same platform, but the former is marginally smaller and lighter than the latter. The dimensions of both MPVs are as follows:

Measurement Kia Carnival Hyundai Staria
Wheelbase 3,090 mm 3,273 mm
Length 5,155 mm 5,253 mm
Width 1,995 mm 1,995 mm
Height 1,775 mm 2,000 mm
Ground Clearance 172 mm 186mm
Max. Unladen/Dry Weight 1,984 kg 2,390 kg

Performance

Kia Carnival
Staria Engne
Hyundai Staria 2.2D Engine

Kia Carnival is offered with one engine option — a naturally-aspirated 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine that makes 272 horsepower (hp) and 332 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque, and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

It has McPherson struts up front and multi-link coil spring suspension at the back. It has disc brakes on all four wheels with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) technology, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EDB), and Brake Assist (BA) technology.

According to various reviews, the Carnival provides a fuel economy of up to 10 kilometers per liter (km/l).

Hyundai Staria

Staria is offered with two powertrains — a turbocharged 2.2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 174 hp and 430 Nm of torque which is mated to either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission, and a naturally-aspirated 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine that makes 268 hp and 331 Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

It also has McPherson struts up front and multi-link coil spring suspension at the back. It has disc brakes on all four wheels with ABS, EDB, and BA technology.

As per various road tests, the diesel-powered variants offer a fuel economy of up to 11 km/l while the petrol variants offer up to 8 km/l fuel average.

Features

This list consists of features from the top variants of both vehicles. Here’s how the two MPVs stack up:

Specs and Features Kia Carnival GLS+ Hyundai Staria HGS
Safety
Central Power Door Locks Yes Yes
Immobilizer System and Burglar Alarm Yes Yes
Parking Sensors Yes Yes
360º Camera Yes Yes
Daytime Running Lights Yes Yes
Front Foglights Yes No
ABS Brakes Yes Yes
Hill-start Assist Yes Yes
Cruise Control Adaptive Adaptive
Lane Keep Assist Yes Yes
Traction Control & Stability Control Yes Yes
Hill Start Assist Yes Yes
Auto-Rain Sensing Wipers Yes Yes
Airbags 7 6
Convenience
Smart Infotainment System Yes Yes
All-Digital HuD Yes Yes
12 Volt Socket Yes Yes
USB Connectivity Yes Yes
Apple Carplay/Andriod Auto Configuration Yes Yes
Wireless Charging Yes Yes
Climate Control Yes Yes
Rear AC Vents Yes Yes
Keyless Entry Yes Yes
Push Start Button Yes Yes
Electronic Parking Brake Yes Yes
Paddle Shifters Yes Yes
Multiple Drive Modes Yes Yes
Sunroof Panoramic Panoramic
Steering Wheel Multimedia-Control Switches Yes Yes
Adjustable Steering Wheel Yes Yes
Heated Seats Driver + Passenger + 1st row Driver + Passenger + 1st row
ISO Fix Child Seat Anchors Yes Yes

Price and Verdict

As mentioned above, the full-size MPV market in Pakistan is incredibly small. One of the key reasons for the limited demand is extravagant pricing. Here’s how much each variant of both MPVs cost:

Kia Carnival
  • GLS — Rs. 9,199,000
  • GLS+ — Rs. 9,999,000
Hyundai Staria
  • 3.5 A/T — Rs. 7,199,000
  • 2.2D M/T — Rs. 7,349,000
  • 2.2D A/T — Rs. 7,749,000
  • 3.5 HGS — Rs. 9,299,000

The rising popularity of SUVs is pushing the MPV segment to the brink of extinction. SUVs are better looking, easier to live with, and arguably offer better utility.

However, MPVs like Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria still have their niche, which includes people with over seven family members. In terms of pricing, Staria takes the win for being significantly cheaper, but in terms of style, Carnival is likely to garner the favor of a vast majority of MPV buyers.



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