Kia’s ultra-luxury Carnival gets an in-built foot massager

KUALA LUMPUR: Last year, Kia unveiled the Hi Limousine variant of its Carnival minivan for the Korean market. This ultra-luxury version features a seven- and nine-seater lounge-like interior with all premium touches like a high-roof setup, recliner-style second-row seats, side curtains, an air purifier, entertainment screens, and LED reading lights. Want more? Here comes the four-seater iteration of the Carnival Hi Limousine with more luxury on board.

The premium machine gets a driver and a front passenger in the first row, and there are two captain chairs in the second or last row. The main highlight of the new trim is an in-built automated foot massager for the rear passengers that can relax their feet while on the go. Such a function is available on the Audi A8 too. Also, parts of the premium kit are:

• 21.5-inch display mounted on the ceiling.
• A 7.0-inch touch panel control on the back seat
• Full reclining seats quilted with Nappa leather
• Rear-seat shoe-storage box
• Heated and cooled cup holders
• Extended roof completed with mood lighting
• A large white lamp for rear passengers

Powering the luxurious Kia Carnival Hi Limousine is a Smartstream G3.5 GDI V6 gasoline engine kicking out a maximum power of 294 PS and a peak torque of 355 Nm. Another engine on offer is a 2.2-litre diesel good for making 199 hp and 441 Nm. An eight-speed automatic gearbox channels the power to the wheels.

In terms of safety, the van gets several advanced driver-assistance systems like lane-keeping assist, forward collision-avoidance assist with a pedestrian, cyclist, and car detection, blind-spot detection, and Safe Exit Assist.

In the home market, the Kia Carnival Hi Limousine price for the nine-seater version starts at 60.66 million won (RM 221,684), and the seven-seater model is priced at 62.71 million won (RM 229,175). Well, this chock-full of luxury four-seater model is on offer at an eye-brow raising price of 88.26 million won (RM 322,549).

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