People movers have fallen from favour in lieu of large six and seven seat SUV’s however if you’ve got a large family nothing comes close to the versatility and popularity of the current eight–seat Kia Carnival. In fact it currently commands 57 per cent of the people mover market. I drove the petrol 3.3-litre V6 Carnival Platinum, $63,990 drive-away, an eight-speed automatic, the overall polish of this vehicle impressive, more so the seat versatility of the three rows of seats. Let’s be honest most SUV’s are used purely as people movers so why pay for a 4WD drive-train when it will never see an off-road track.

I had to move seven adults, their luggage and a dog and for such a mixed load the Kia Carnival proved a very practical family vehicle –  yes its big and boxy but excellent drive-ability, comfort visibility and on-road dynamics mask its overall bulk. A downside is a space saver spare wheel but the upside to that is the deep recess in the boot floor which offers a huge amount of luggage space – Kia’s impress with great suspension tune and fully loaded the Carnival is confident with nice steering. The Platinum edition loaded with features, the power side sliding doors proving popular with my family –  one annoyance, the over eager lane departure warning system, a common complaint on many cars today.

I’m David Berthon

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