From basic people carriers, the Toyota Hiace and Kia Carnival can now ferry crowds in cosseting cabins. 

For Toyota's Hiace, it sheds its commercial van roots in its chrome-wearing and fully loaded Hiace Super Grandia Elite form. This top-of-the-shop Hiace wears sports a spiffy grille, LED lights front and back, a dash of chrome exterior bits, and special 17-inch wheels. 

Inside, while the Hiace Grandia Elite seats 10 occupants like lesser Hiace vans do, the former swaps the latter's fabric seats for leather-lined perches across four rows. And like its Alphard stablemate, the Hiace Grandia Elite uses captain chairs — with ottomans — on the second row. The third row also gets captain chairs, while the rearmost cabin gets a bench-type seat for two. 

Lending more classiness to the cabin are interior illumination whose color and brightness can be adjusted, leather and faux wood that adorns some corners of the cabin, and Nano-E air purification system that promises fill the cabin with clean and refreshing air. Meanwhile, passengers can store their refreshments in the Elite's 21 cup holders. 

Moving on to the Carnival, Kia has given it a look that befits the minivan's new premium image, which replaces the predecessors' mainstream positioning. The Carnival's LED headlights that blend into the grille, one-piece taillamps, and wraparound rear windscreen are minimalist. To classy things up, though, there are silver trimmings on the C-pillar, door sills, and on the fore and aft bumpers. 

The Carnival's cabin, which can be accessed via keyless unlocking of doors, is for seven people only. This means there's more room to stretch inside the Carnival, particularly in the second-row leather business class relaxation seats, which offer reclining adjustment and ottomans. With these seats' ventilation feature, they can be cooled or heated depending on the outside temperature. 

The Carnival's rear sunshade blinds and three-zone automatic climate control system can also maintain a cool cabin, too. But when passengers want to enjoy the sunlight, they will just need to open the dual sunroofs. 

Up front, the Carnival's driver and passenger are as spoiled as the passengers with a driver's power-adjustable seat with a memory function. Both the pilot and shotgun seats can be cooled or heated when needed. 

Now, considering all of their style and features, which of these premium "people-cosseting" chariots do you prefer? Luxury does equal to convenience, after all, and so the spec sheets of the Hiace Super Grandia Elite and Carnival SX are just a quick scroll below. 

Toyota Hiace Super Grandia Elite 2.8L Diesel AT

Kia Carnival 2.2 SX 7-Seater AT 

2.2L In-Line 4 Cylinders CRDI VGT

Maximum Power Output (ps/rpm)

Six-Speed Automatic  Transmission 

Eight-Speed Automatic  Transmission 

Front: MacPherson Strut With Stabilizer

Body Color, Electric Adustable and Folding 

Body Color, Electric Adustable and Folding 

Second Row: 4-Way Captain Seats: Reclining, with Ottoman

Fourth row: Bench Type 50:50 Split Sinking

Driver: 8-way Power + 4-way Lumbar Support with memory and cooling;

Passenger: 8-Way Power with cooling

Second Row: Relaxation Seats: Power Reclining, Cushion and Leg Rest; Manual Long and Lateral Sliding; Armrest; Cooling

Third row: Reclining, Folding, 60:40 Split Sinking

Instrument Panel and Center Cluster

Manual Tilt and Telescopic 

Audio, Multi-Information Display, Phone, Cruise Control

Audio, Multi-Information Display, Phone, Cruise Control

Driver and Front Passenger; with Mirror and Lamp

Driver and Front Passenger; with Mirror and Lamp

Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Hold 

 Leather and Wood with Plating

Soft Touch Molded Trim with Leather

2 pcs. at Front Console, 2 pcs. at Second Row Center Console, 2 pcs. at Third Row Side Trim

Rear A/C Vent Duct

Display Audio AM/FM Radio, MP3 w/ USB Ports 

8” Touchscreen, AM/FM Radio, MP3 w/ USB Ports 

 Bluetooth Handsfree with Voice Control, Apple Carplay and Android Auto

Bluetooth Handsfree with Voice Control, Apple Carplay and Android Auto 

AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB

AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Driver, Driver's Knee Front Passenger, Front Side, Curtain 

Driver, Front Passenger, Front Side, Curtain 

Front: Three-point ELR with Pretensioner and Force Limiter (x2)

Front: Three-point ELR with Pretensioner and Force Limiter

Isofix (x2) and Tether Anchor (x2)

Isofix (x2) and Tether Anchor (x2)

Luxury Pearl Toning, Gray Metallic, Black 3, White Pearl Crystal Shine Snow White Pearl

Snow White Pearl, Astra Blue, Aurora Black Pearl

 P3.58 million (Luxury Pearl Toning)

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines, Kia Philippines  

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy