People-movers have never been considered the most aspirational vehicle type, yet at the end of April 2017 they are the best-performing passenger-car segment in sales – albeit with just two percent growth.
That’s still notable in an Australian new-car market that has slowed overall, and manufacturers will be hoping for a boost from all the end-of-financial-year offers doing the rounds for May and June.
Great bargains await, though WhichCar can also help that equate to great value via sister brand Wheels.
Wheels’ Gold Star Awards scored cars out of 100. Real costs comprising 3-year depreciation and a year’s insurance and fuel expenses accounted for 80 percent of the score, with 10 percent each for servicing costs and warranty.
Kia offers two people-movers, and both feature in the medal positions. It’s the less popular Rondo, however, that takes gold rather than the bronzed, segment-dominating Carnival.
The Rondo Si’s $31,490 RRP is still impressively low for a vehicle offering seven seats, even with the base S starting at $26,990. It’s backed by cheap insurance ($817 for a year) and competitive fuel consumption (7.9L/100km for the petrol motor).
A 48 percent resale value is on the weak side, yet doesn’t prevent the Rondo from being more than $2000 cheaper to own over three years than the Carnival S.
Most of that discrepancy is accounted for by depreciation for the $43,990 base Carnival CRDi, though losses are restricted by a high 59 percent residual. The CRDi also makes more financial sense than the $2500-cheaper S petrol, because its much lower fuel consumption – 7.7 versus 11.6 litres per 100km – compensates in the not-too-long run.
In the middle of this Korean sandwich is France’s Citroen C4 Picasso. Citroen comes closest in the industry to matching Kia’s seven-year warranty – with six. The single-spec, $40,990 Exclusive model is also fuel efficient – officially using 5.6 litres per 100km with its 121kW 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, though with premium unleaded recommended. Its resale value also matches the Carnival’s 59 per cent.
The Citroen and Kias all offer industry-average service intervals of 12 months, each with capped pricing.
Unfortunately, there are no EOFY deals currently offered for either the Kia Rondo, Kia Carnival or Citroen C4 Picasso.
Car buyers have been moving away from people-movers to seven-seaters in recent years, yet they are one of only two passenger car segments (along with sports cars) to actually register growth so far in 2016.
There are three stand-outs in the sales charts: the latest-generation Kia Carnival, the Honda Odyssey that’s been running as a nameplate for more than 20 years, and the Hyundai iMax which is a variant of the iLoad van designed for carrying passengers rather than cargo.
Here, WhichCar provides a guide to any changes planned or expected for these models to help you pick the perfect time to buy one.
The fifth-generation Odyssey materialised in early 2014. Using previous models are a guide, an all-new replacement won’t be introduced until 2019. There’s likely to be at least one notable update before then, though for now the Honda continues to be available either in eight-seater VTi or seven-seater, higher-spec VTi-L forms. Prices, respectively, are from $38,990 and $47,620.
The iMax was given a Series II update in February 2016 so no changes are anticipated for the foreseeable future. The update brought a 7-inch touchscreen, voice activation, rear-view camera, front side airbags, cruise control for diesel autos, and styling tweaks. Buyers have a choice between a 127kW/224Nm 2.4-litre petrol with four-speed auto, or a 2.5-litre turbo diesel producing 100kW/343Nm and mated to a five-speed auto.
A new, third-generation version of Kia’s popular people-mover was released in February 2015, serving up a longer wheelbase on a new chassis for greater interior space for up to eight people including driver. A more upmarket cabin also complemented the stylish exterior. Priced from $41,490 with three trim grades, engines consist of either a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel or more powerful 3.3-litre petrol V6. In late 2016, an autonomous emergency braking system will be added to the model.
PLUS
- We couldn’t talk about the Carnival without bowing down to its abundance of space. The boot is big, and by big we mean massive. Even with all three rows set up, it’s worth singing about. So just imagine what you could do with all that space once you put the back seats down.
- With all that space comes storage. Storage galore. 10 cup holders, seriously! I guess this makes sense when you consider what this bus is in its prime when transporting an army of children!
- The seats are versatile. You can do whatever you like, almost. Three rows, two rows, side seats with a catwalk down the centre. Just another day in the Carnival.
- Kia may have dropped the ‘Grand’ from the name and left it at just ‘Carnival’ but we’re loving the new SUV-ish styling. With the boxier front, it looks more like your average SUV – from the front anyway. The side and back still look like a bus, but trust us, it’s better.
- The safety features included in the top spec models are impressive: Blind spot monitoring, active cruise, lane departure warning and forward collision warnings. So if price is no object, then you’ll be rapt.
- It’s more refined, it’s boxier and it has space. But you can’t put a dinosaur in a tutu and pretend it’s a ballerina. It looks better, but a bus is still a bus and the Carnival still drives that way.
- Parking. It’s not like we didn’t know parking a car this size would be hard.
- The price. Being so big, you want all the beeping and alerts you could ask for in a car, just so you can park the darn thing. But on a family’s budget, the Platinum (which comes with all the bells and whistles) is a bit of a tough ask!
- The suspension works a treat when the vehicle is loaded, but unladed it’s a bit firm – meaning you feel the bumps.
Click here to read the full review on the Kia Carnival.