Common wisdom says old-fashioned people-movers like the Kia Carnival are a dying breed, and less-practical but higher-riding SUVs are what people really want.

Clearly somebody forgot to forward that advice to Kia, because its long-serving eight-seater Kia Carnival has been racking up huge sales for years. This current model hit our shores at the end of 2014, and since then the Kia Carnival has owned almost 50 per cent market share across its life cycle. 

A more upmarket new model is coming, with a more upmarket cabin and a new look designed to appeal to buyers hungry for SUVs.