KIA Grand Carnival

Sponsored by Nuffnang
 
“Look mum, a KIA”, “look mum, a KIA”.  This was the voice of my son as we drove down the Princes Highway, heading to Batemans Bay. We were on our way to a beach getaway.  It’s funny how you never notice other types of cars on the road – that is, until you are driving one.

We had been planning a weekend getaway for some time and when I was offered the chance to try out a KIA Grand Carnival I leapt at the chance. Really, who wouldn’t want to go away for a weekend, in a new car?

We picked up the car from the KIA Head Office in Sydney and were given a run down on it’s many features. Electric windows, electric doors, electric boot, electric sun roof… oh boy, we were going to have a lot of fun.

Oooh hellooooo. There I am, picking up the car. Nice isn’t it?

Kia Carnival Pick Up

The KIA Grand Carnival is an 8-seater. As only the 4 of us were heading down the coast, a fantastic feature of this car is that the back row of seats folds down. When the seats are folded down flat, there is an AMAZING amount of space.

Kia Grand Carnival Boot

We don’t travel light. When we go on our little getaways, we pack way more than we need. I’d hate to get to our holiday destination and worry that we’d forgotten something vital.

We managed to store all of our bags, food supplies (in 2 esky’s), the kids scooters, hubby’s fishing rods and our beach stuff – along the bottom of the boot. One level only. No stacking, shuffling or rearranging required.

Finally, it was time to start our drive. The kids had their games and toys for the long drive.

Hubby had his iPhone will great music to plug into the sound system (with an AUX cable) and get the holiday started. The Jersey Boys Soundtrack started to play and we were off.

Kia Grand Carnival Sound

The KIA Grand Carnival is a tough car. It’s a strong and powerful car and the one which we drove had a diesel engine. It was much more economical than a standard petrol engine. All up, we drove close to 700 km’s - on one tank of fuel.
It was a smooth and comfortable drive, but after 3 hours, we were glad to get there and have a leg stretch.

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The next day we did a little more exploring around the Batehaven area. It was such a beautiful and warm weekend. Considering it was still winter, we were very blessed with such lovely weather.

Kia Grand Carnival BB

The water looked very inviting, but we dipped our toes and felt the cold spread quickly to the bone. Hmm… maybe a few more months before the water is warm enough to swim and frolic.

We headed back to town for lunch and parked in the local shopping centre car park. It is a large car to manoeuvre, but with rear sensors and a reversing camera, I felt comfortable in my abilities.

The rear doors are electric, and slide open smoothly. The kids both took much pleasure in pressing the button to open and close their doors.

Kia Grand Carnival Door Button

And the fact that they slide open is an absolute bonus. Usually when we park the kids are in such a hurry to get out of the car, I have to warn them not to open the doors too fast and bang into the car parked beside them. I love the smooth sliding doors of the KIA Grand Carnival.

My current car is about 5 years old and I’ve been thinking that perhaps it’s time to start thinking about replacing it – with more space for the kids and their friends. I wouldn’t hesitate in buying this type of family car. It is spacious and powerful which is important, for all of the highway driving we do.

The KIA Grand Carnival S model has a starting price of $38,990. For more information, visit the KIA Australia website for details on the varying models and features.


3 comments

  1. What a lovely way to get to your getaway! And if the weather is anything like it has been here today, you will have a lovely weekend!

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  2. I never realised they were so large inside...perfect for packing all of the family's things for a weekend away. Glad you enjoyed the ride!

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  3. This was a car we were really thinking of buying when we were looking. It had so much space and was easy to drive given how big it looks. Glad to hear you all enjoyed your trip and the car.

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