Kia looking to sell 400 units of all-new Carnival this year

Kia Philippines has just launched the 2022 Carnival. With an SUV-like design and a more high-tech (and comfortable) interior, the family minivan now looks more like an executive vehicle.

In fact, Kia is now pegging the Carnival as such because there’s no longer an 11-seater model available. Both the EX and range-topping SX variants of the all-new Carnival come with only seven seats. As such, the second row has captain seats while the third row has a bench that can seat three people.

While the previous generation was also available as a 7-seater, the amount of amenities on the new-generation model outclasses its predecessor. With amenities like ventilated captain seats with power-sliding function, dual sunroof, LED cabin lights, a wide array of USB charging ports, a wireless charging pad, and remote engine start, the new Carnival is brimming with features.

So when we asked just how many units of the Carnival they plan on selling, we were surprised when they said they plan to sell 400 units this year. But is their goal achievable? Looking at the number of Carnival units they sold in 2021, they might be able to hit their targets.

Based on the number of Carnivals they sold last year, they were able to move a total of 251 units of the previous generation minivan. Out of all the units sold, 50% went to the EX 7-seater, while the other 50% went to the EX 11-seater and LX 11-seater, combined.

With the 11-seater variants sharing the 50%, they considered the EX 7-seater as the best-selling version of the Carnival. This is also the reason why they opted to remove the 11-seater variant entirely. With an entirely new Carnival on their hands, Kia is confident about their target sales.

But with a starting price of PHP 2.540 million, (SX starts at PHP 2.998M), some are doubtful they'll be able to hit the 400 units for this year. However, since they’re now marketing the minivan as an executive vehicle, they could be onto something. Better yet, the 2022 Carnival was able to undercut its closest rival, the Toyota Alphard, by PHP 1,420,000.

Do you think Kia will be able to achieve its goal of selling 400 Carnival units this 2022? And would you get Kia’s "Grand Utility Vehicle" over the Toyota Alphard? Let us know in the comments.