Comparison Between 2022 Hyundai Staria Elite And Kia Carnival Si

As reported in Wapcar automotive news, It is a different kind of working horse. The engine is modest, driven by crowded, busy families with an endless need for a taxi driver. However, something has changed in recent years, the rise of 7-seater SUVs has led to the shrinking of the market segment in Australia. So, to try to maintain the appeal, the remaining models are moving towards more luxury and premium. 

Two popular 8-seater models are Hyundai Staria and Kia Carnival. In terms of Hyundai Staria, it is a new nameplate that takes the place of a similar rear-wheel drive iMax.It comes in Basic, Elite and Highlander forms. You can choose between the front-wheel-drive 3.5-liter V6 petrol making 200kW and 331Nm or the 2.2-liter all-wheel drive diesel making 130kW and 430Nm. It comes in S, Si, SLi and Platinum versions, all of which can be selected with the same engine as the Staria, but only in front-wheel drive form. Curiously, the Carnival boosts power to 148kW and 440Nm from the diesel, and 216kW and 355Nm from the V6 petrol. 

We will compare the two engines side-by-side with the Staria Elite mid-range petrol engine and the Carnival Si mid-range diesel engine. Prices start at $48,500 for the Staria and start at $51,690 for the Carnival (excluding road costs). 

In terms of design, both engines went against the trend that we thought a family truck should look like – and both in their own unique way. Staria is deliberately designed to look like something out of space with its smooth contours and flat faces. It’s almost like it’s made from a piece of metal. The low headlights are accentuated by the futuristic horizontal thin  LED strip. All the surrounding windows have a panoramic height giving them a lower look. The rear also has a spatial beauty with a vertically integrated LED cluster that occupies almost the entire height of the car. 

Carnival adopts a less boxy and lighter look. It has a fully overhanging hood, to begin with, and it’s 215mm shorter than the Staria. Design cues are taken from Kia’s current design language, but the Staria is in a galaxy of its own. The Carnival’s “tiger nose” front end closely resembles its sibling, the Kia Sorento SUV. The rear is where it looks most like an engine with its large rear doors and side sliding doors. But it’s all modern, with long single LED taillights and a unique “island roof” when the pillars are black or hidden behind glass. 

In terms of size, the Hyundai Staria is a larger car in every way, especially in terms of height and wheelbase. The Carnival has a wingspan of 3090mm between the wheels and the Staria boasts a whopping 3273mm. That means the space inside  Staria is much larger. And its height makes it more like a van than a Carnival, making it easier to find your seat since you can sit more upright inside. The Staria also offers the same high seating position as an SUV. So you have to get on and off like an SUV. When you sit, the seat is much higher than the car, which means your legs don’t have to stretch as much. 

The Staria’s interior layout also benefits from space, offering a huge center console and large drawers. There are four tiers of door racks and transparent cup holders. You get plenty of hard plastic for added durability, however, areas like the door armrests will irritate your elbows during long driving. It’s nice to have rear climate control. But oddly enough, they are placed on the right ceiling instead of in the middle, which is somewhat annoying for the left passenger. 

Kia ​​Carnival is more luxurious and less hard plastic. There are snakeskin brushed metal patterns and glossy black areas with a touch-sensitive climate control panel giving it a prestigious edge over the Staria. However, it is capable of picking up dust and fingerprints easily. Fabric seats are also durable and comfortable for long rides.

At the back, the Carnival’s third row of seats has a unique way of folding the seats into the completely flat floor. Staria’s chair folds down and sticks out. But  Staria clearly has more cargo volume. It offers 831 liters of space when all three rows are upright. Carnival’s is still an impressive 627 liters. 

Both engines benefit from key safety features such as blind-spot sensing, forward collision mitigation when avoiding pedestrians, forward and rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high beams. cruise control, lane departure warning with passive steering assist, active lane keep assist, side exit warning, traffic sign recognition and front and rear parking sensors. 

They also come with wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, satellite navigation, ambient interior lighting, multiple USB ports, and 18-inch alloy wheels,  to name a few. 

Kia ​​outperforms Hyundai with a larger 12.3-inch LCD touchscreen. Staria measures 10.25 inches. But the Staria has more points by offering power-adjustable side and tailgate doors, remote start, automatic rain-sensing wipers, power-adjustable driver’s seat,  wireless phone charging, and front and side cameras (ambient view) and Large spare wheel. When selected with the same engine, the Carnival Si and Staria Elite (both base variants) cost $1,000 less. 

Hyundai offers a solid 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty, 12 months of free roadside assistance, and a limited-price service. However, Kia goes above and beyond with a 7-year unlimited mileage warranty, 12 months of free roadside assistance, and a limited-price service. Service is required every 12 months or 15,000 km into Staria and Carnival.

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