Kia’s familiar 1.6-litre petrol unit is a pepped version of a unit already serving Sorento and Sportage.

NOT only is the Carnival continuing for Kia - in enacting sale of the long-serving MPV in its mid-life facelift form, they’ve brought in a new ride.

Siting above three choices that continue with the outgoing car’s well-proven 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel, for between $62,990 EX and $78,990 (Premium), is a flagship HEV Water version running a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid that already serves in two other Kias.

Main attraction of the HEV appears to be cleaner emissions and lower economy when operating in its primary state.

Kia New Zealand claiming 6.4 litres per 100km against 7.5L/100km out of the diesel, both as measured by the WLTP scale that is now solely relevant to New Zealand.

The turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor create a healthy 180kW and 366Nm, which is slightly up on the same set-up as found in both the Kia Sportage and Sorento hybrids that output 169kW and 350Nm. A six-speed automatic transmission sends drive to the front wheels.

There is penalty for those into towing, as whereas the diesel is rated to haul an already modest 2000kg braked, the hybrid is even less endowed, with a 1000kg maximum. Both are rated to 750kg unbraked.

Kia NZ has suggested the addition of the hybrid, which is the first alternate drivetrain for the eight-seater since the petrol V6 was pulled, is a bit of a market tester. It says it might yet add a lower-specification, and presumably cheaper, HEV light if market potential proves favourable.

Safety will always be on the minds of such a family-oriented vehicle and, in that respect, intendees might notice that Carnival hybrid remains “unrated” by NZ’s independent safety body, ANCAP.

For context, the broader Carnival range was awarded a five-star safety score when it launched in 2021, and scored highly for both adult (90 percent) and child occupant (88 percent) protection, while its safety assist systems were scored at 82 percent. Vulnerable road user protection was rated at 68 percent.

However, the Melbourne-based auditor has specifically excluded the hybrid from this, on grounds the new drivetrain is sufficiently different that it would demand a fresh assessment. Whether that ever occurs is not clear.

An impressive array of safety technologies is bundled into every grade of Carnival, including this new hybrid model. Standard across all are autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, rear occupant alert, speed-limit assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

The refresh also delivers some external styling revisions and an updated interior, in which there is now a panoramic TFT display. The Premium diesel and Water HEV also get a heads up display.

While MPVs are now rare commodities, New Zealand is still a fair ground for Carnival. It has proven to be a solid seller for Kia NZ, potentially even at expense of its fully electric alternate, the EV9, which starts at $105,990 but was heavily reduced last year to move excess stock at time when all EV sales were all but stalled.