Kia held a major event in the Indian market, unveiling its flagship SUV, the Sorento (Kia Sorento). Simultaneously, the brand launched its first hybrid model in the Indian market. The company specified that its hybrid technology will be implemented not only in the Sorento but also in other vehicles.
The popular Kia Carnival Hybrid was presented. Currently, the company has not announced prices for this vehicle, but it has confirmed its technical specifications. Carnival Hybrid is expected to go on sale in India within the next few weeks.
The Kia Carnival Hybrid is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that produces 180 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque. This same engine is used in the Sorento Hybrid, but the Carnival Hybrid features a more powerful electric motor that outputs 73.4 horsepower and 304 Nm of torque. The Carnival's electric motor has 8.4 horsepower more and 40 Nm more torque compared to the Sorento's electric motor.
Kia has not disclosed the combined output power of the vehicle. The configuration may include a six-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter. It should be noted that the current version of the Carnival uses a 2.2-liter engine that generates 190 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque, which is also installed in the Sorento. This version is equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter.
The exterior of the Carnival Hybrid retains the design of the previous model, and the interior also looks similar. Key features include two 12.3-inch screens (infotainment and instrument cluster). The vehicle is equipped with three-zone climate control, a 12-speaker audio system, heated and ventilated seats, eight airbags, Level 2 ADAS, a 360-degree view camera, and four disc brakes.
The current Carnival is sold for 59.65 lakh rupees with external tax, and the hybrid version will be more expensive, exceeding 60 lakh rupees with external tax.