carandbike Awards 2021: MPV Of The Year

The luxury MPV segment has caught the fancy of car buyers of late and in 2020 we have seen two very premium and interesting launches in this segment. The Kia Carnival that goes up against the likes of the Toyota Innova Crysta has the biggest footprint in its segment and also is one of the most comfortable, practical and feature loaded offerings in its segment. On the other hand, we have the Toyota Vellfire that is positioned on the premium side of the market and too has quite massive footprint and is cavernous on the inside as well. In the 2021 edition of our carandbike Awards, we have these two models contesting against each other for the MPV of the year title.

Kia Carnival

The Kia Carnival is the most spacious offering in its segment.

The Kia Carnival was the second offering from the South Korean carmaker in India and it officially went on sale in India at the Auto Expo 2020. It's offered in 3 variants - Premium, Prestige and Limousine and it comes in 7-, 8-, and 9-seater cabin layout options. The premium MPV is positioned above the Toyota Innova Crysta in the segment and comes to India as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kit. The Kia Carnival comes with the signature Tiger Nose grille finished in chrome and flanked by large, sweptback headlamps with LED projector units and integrated LED daytime running lamps and indicators. The foglamps are also LED units and the bumper also features a large central airdam and chrome brackets on either end. The Kia Carnival boasts of an upmarket design language and massive proportions, but it is the side panels that give you a sense of the spacious cabin. The power sliding doors allow easy ingress and egress to the rear with easy access to passengers.

Also Read: 2020 Kia Carnival Review

On the features front, the Kia Carnival comes with dual electric sunroofs, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, laptop charging point, powered tailgate, one-touch powered sliding doors and dual-zone climate control. The top trim comes with 10.1-inch entertainment screen for the rear passengers. There's UVO connected tech on offer as well that further allows you to control certain functions of the car via a mobile app. Furthermore, in the second row the MPV also comes with luxury captain seats with adjustable armrests and footrests to further improve the chauffeur-driven experience. Power on the Kia Carnival comes from the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, VGT diesel engine that is BS6 compliant and is tuned to produce 197 bhp and 440 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with an eight-speed Sportmatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels.

Toyota Vellfire

The Toyota Vellfire is positioned on the premium side of the segment.

The Toyota Vellfire was introduced in India last year as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and the luxury MPV is offered in a single variant - Executive Lounge. Positioned in the luxury end of the segment, it takes on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. The 2020 Toyota Vellfire has a boxy design with simple lines and a chrome accentuated front that is underlined by LED headlights with cornering function. It also gets LED taillights and chrome-finished 17-inch alloy wheels. Proportionately, the Vellfire MPV is humongous, measuring at 4935 mm in length, 1850 mm in width and 1895 mm in height. The wheelbase stands at 3000 mm, making for ample room in the cabin. The MPV also packs seven airbags with ABS, EBD, panoramic view monitor, parking assist and more.

Also Read: Toyota Vellfire First Drive Review

The cabin gets a dual-tone beige and black colour scheme with wood inserts and leather upholstery giving a premium appeal to the interior. The model also comes with a 17-speakers JBL sound system and dual sunroofs. Moreover, the MPV gets two captain seats in the second row with reclining function, electronic footrest and a fore-aft slide function. Additionally, the company also offers ventilated seats, a roof-mounted entertainment screen with HDMI and WiFi support. Under the hood, the Toyota Vellfire comes with a 2.5-litre petrol mill that is capable of producing 87 bhp at 4,700 rpm and 198 Nm of peak torque at 2,800-4,000 rpm. The unit is coupled with two electric motors that are mounted on each axle. The electric motors are capable of generating 105 kW and 50 kW respectively, bringing the combined power output to 196 bhp. The engine comes mated to an e-CVT transmission that sends power to the front wheels, however, it also gets the electronic 4WD system.