Hello, this is Stick. Today, I am test-driving the Carnival Hybrid vehicle, and I would like to share some useful points to know before using the test drive program offered by the manufacturer, as well as my brief impressions of the Carnival Hybrid. Most manufacturers conduct test drive programs aimed at promoting their vehicles and boosting sales. While there are people like me who are simply interested in cars and want to try out various vehicles, many people will likely participate in these test drive programs for different reasons. However, if you go to such a program without any thought or preparation, there is a high chance that the experience will be forgettable. 

Looking at most manufacturers' test drive programs, the total duration is about 40 minutes, during which you typically drive an average course of about 20 to 30 minutes on city streets and highways. However, this time is far too short to thoroughly examine the vehicle's features.

Because of this, I believe that if you check the following details before the test drive and participate in the test drive program, it will be a more memorable experience. I recommend confirming the buttons you will use most frequently during driving before you start. Nowadays, after the COVID-19 pandemic, some manufacturers offer contactless test drives. When the test drive begins, some manufacturers will hand over the car keys after filling out the necessary paperwork and send you off on your own, while others are very friendly and provide hand signals to guide you with the vehicle. In the first case, since there are no staff around to assist you, it’s easier to adjust your seat position and check the buttons you will use frequently, such as the air conditioning, audio buttons, and heated seat or ventilation buttons. However, in the latter case, there are often instances where drivers start without properly adjusting their seat position due to the presence of staff giving hand signals. At this time, while it may feel a bit awkward, it's important to take your time to ensure that your seat position and rearview mirror are set up safely.

While adjusting the side mirrors and other settings, it is a good idea to check if the buttons you frequently use are in a comfortable position and if their operation is convenient. This is important because these are the buttons I will really use often, even if I purchase the vehicle later. In my case, since I am already driving a Kia, I am familiar with the buttons for the air conditioning and audio in the Carnival Hybrid. Therefore, I only checked the positions of the buttons for frequently used features such as the seat and steering wheel heating, the Around View Monitor activation button, and the Auto Hold button before proceeding with the test drive.

Recently released vehicles have such a wide variety of options that it can be overwhelming to list them all. However, if you spend the test drive looking for and trying out each of these options, a 30-minute test drive will be over before you know it, leaving you with nothing memorable in your mind. Therefore,

I recommend focusing on a few options that are the reasons I want to purchase this vehicle and experiencing only those. For various other options, it would be wise to check the vehicle's website, where they provide detailed information for promotional purposes, as well as experience videos and photos through various media such as YouTube or blogs. In my case, I primarily looked at about three features, particularly the Around View Monitor, in the facelifted Carnival with the new HDA2 system. The vehicle is quite large, and while the display information was diverse, the clarity felt diminished due to the rain and overcast weather. However, once you try it, it's hard to resist the options, so I felt the addition of the HUD in this model was quite beneficial. Next, regarding HDA2, there are HDA1 and HDA2, with the former being representative.

If we talk about the differences, there is an automatic lane change feature. This feature may be interesting to use the first few times, but when actually purchasing and operating the vehicle, it seems that drivers often prefer to change lanes themselves rather than waiting for the car to do it. Therefore, how well the vehicle maintains its position in the lane while driving on the highway is a very important factor in purchasing a car. Even with HDA 1, there are recent models equipped with the latest programs, like the new interior design of the Kia Carnival, which maintain lane centering very well. However, there are times when even HDA 2, despite having the latest program, feels different, and in such cases, it’s true that there doesn’t seem to be much difference from HDA 1 when excluding the automatic lane change feature. In the case of the Carnival Hybrid, it is equipped with HDA 2, but it uses a torque detection method rather than the latter's feeling of HDA, which means that the inconvenience of torque detection is experienced every time.

For me, there was a bit of a disappointment. Next, regarding the around view, it was enjoyable to see various angles displayed on a large, clear monitor, including a 360-degree view of the surroundings. It was fun to rotate the view. The top view, which I look at the most, had cleanly aligned connection points, and it displayed the distance to the side of the vehicle on the monitor, making it very convenient to check the surroundings when parking a large vehicle. 

Next, during the test drive of the vehicle, I think the most important aspect is the driving feel. Various options for the vehicle can be sufficiently checked online, and when it becomes your own car, you may find it interesting to try out different functions at first. However, since it is a car you will be driving every day, I believe you should properly experience the driving feel, even if it means setting aside the exploration of other options. I drive my daily vehicle...

The vehicle is a Niro Hybrid, equipped with a hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine with an electric motor. The total weight of the vehicle is approximately 1.8 tons, around 170 km. Currently, the vehicle has been driven for about 40,000 km, but recently, I've been feeling occasional small jolts when the power engages or disengages. Personally, I suspect that this could be related to the clutch, which is responsible for connecting the power. The weight of 1,800 kg is quite heavy, and with such a substantial weight, it would be somewhat taxing on the powertrain to rapidly engage and disengage the clutch. Therefore, the clutch would likely engage and disengage slowly. However, as time passes and the mileage increases, it seems natural that the clutch would wear out, resulting in a change in driving feel. In the case of the Carnival Hybrid, its weight is 2.2 tons.

Due to the close proximity of vehicles, the 1.6L hybrid powertrain is paired with a 6-speed transmission that does not have tightly spaced gear ratios, resulting in an overall feeling of instability in both the powertrain and the transmission. Consequently, during city driving, when stopping and going repeatedly, I felt that the clutch engaged too slowly, with the sensation of the clutch lasting too long. Even when I pressed the accelerator, the vehicle hesitated to move during the prolonged clutch engagement, leading to a situation where it would accelerate sharply one or two beats later. This was quite inconvenient for me as I have to commute daily. On the highway, driving at a consistent speed of about 100 km/h was comfortable, and I had no issues using the HDA2 feature.

I was satisfied. Another thing is that after about 30 minutes of driving, the Ergo Motion seat, which I didn't even know was equipped, started to massage, which helped alleviate some of the fatigue from long-distance driving. This is very positive. Since the Carnival Hybrid vehicle is designed for families, the comfort in the back seat is also very important. When going over speed bumps, the feeling from the driver's seat is not bad, but when the rear wheels go over the speed bumps, it feels like the back of the vehicle jolts like a one-ton truck. This is similar to the vehicle I use at work, which is the same Carnival Hybrid model as the test drive vehicle. I often ride in the back seat of that vehicle, so I am well aware of the comfort over speed bumps. The feeling I experienced in the front seat of the test drive vehicle was the same.

If the family is sitting in the back seat, it seems that we would go over speed bumps even more slowly. So far, I've talked about things to know before the test drive and shared my impressions of the Kia Carnival Hybrid. Now that I have a family of four, I am considering a larger vehicle, and the Carnival is one of the cars on my purchase list, making this test drive even more meaningful. This concludes the video. If you found it helpful, please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications. Bye-bye!

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