Kia is in a challenging situation due to supply issues with the Carnival Hybrid components. A staggering 70% of all Carnival contracts are for the hybrid model, but the powertrain supply has not been sufficient. The explosive popularity combined with the component supply difficulties means that even if you contract today for the Carnival 1.6 Turbo Hybrid, you’ll have to wait 13 months for delivery.
The Carnival Hybrid is Kia’s first electrified version of its iconic model, featuring a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo engine paired with an electric motor, resulting in a respectable total output of 245 horsepower. This performance surpasses the 2.2 diesel model’s peak output of 194 horsepower and matches that of the 3.5 gasoline model.
Additionally, the Carnival Hybrid (based on a 9-passenger model with 18-inch tires) boasts a fuel efficiency of 14 km per liter, which is higher than the 13.1 km per liter of the diesel model. The notion of buying a diesel vehicle for better fuel efficiency is now outdated.
Despite the high demand, 70% of Carnival customers opted for the hybrid. While Kia should be celebrating the home run success of the Carnival Hybrid, the situation is not straightforward.
Kia emphasized that due to supply issues with the powertrain components for the Carnival Hybrid, the wait could extend up to 13 months. Even if you place an order now, the estimated delivery date won’t be until January 2025. This wait time is actually a month longer than the current 12-month wait for the popular Sorento Hybrid.
With an influx of contract orders and ongoing issues with powertrain component supplies, everyone’s eager to see how Kia will manage to reduce the customer waiting period for the Carnival Hybrid.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr