Will Kia PH bring hybrid version of the Carnival?
Kia PH studying bringing new powertrain options for existing models
A few weeks ago, Kia Philippines distributor ACMobility officially launched the refreshed Carnival. Sporting a more dynamic look along with a more tech-laden cabin, the updated people carrier is not only sleeker but now also comes with intelligent driver aids as standard on the top-of-the-line SX variant.
One thing that we noticed, however, is the fact that Kia Philippines carried over the 2.2L Smarstream turbo-diesel engine that's mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It's been available since the pre-facelift version and makes 202 PS with 440 Nm of torque which is more than enough to propel the MPV.
Over in Indonesia, Kia also recently launched the updated Carnival and it's being offered with a 1.6L turbo-gasoline hybrid (HEV) alongside the 2.2L turbo-diesel. Thanks to an electric motor and a battery pack, the electrified MPV makes 245 PS with 367 Nm of torque and is paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
With tariffs for hybrids now at zero, we're curious as to why Kia Philippines has yet to bring the hybrid version of the recently updated Carnival. Speaking with an anonymous source, we asked if Kia would soon offer the turbo-hybrid version of the MPV.
According to our insider, the company is currently studying available options, particularly for electrified powertrains. There is no exact timeline yet as to when it could be offered but our source mentioned that they are working hard to hopefully bring them in the future should they fit the Philippine market.
With the company already confirming that the Kia Sorento PHEV will be making its way here soon, perhaps the Carnival HEV is already in their cards but has yet to be officially offered to the Philippines. Hopefully, the automaker will be able to bring it soon since the zero tariffs on hybrids will only be good for several years.
