Kia Carnival vs Ford Tourneo: Hybrid or Diesel People Mover
The Carnival S HEV costs less and uses less fuel, while the Tourneo Active tows much more and carries more with the seats folded.
By Uzzi · 17 October 2026 · Every figure comes from each car's own page on CarSorted.
$56,310
RRP excl. on-roads
Price tracker
Standing price
$56,310 RRP before on-road costs
We check the manufacturer's published price regularly and record every change here.
RRP before on-road costs, as published by the manufacturer.
$75,522 drive-away
RRP $68,990 excl. on-roads
Price tracker
Standing price
$68,990 RRP before on-road costs
We check the manufacturer's published price regularly and record every change here.
RRP before on-road costs, as published by the manufacturer.
Who the Kia Carnival suits
The Carnival S HEV suits a family that wants a People Mover with 8 seats without paying top dollar, at $56,310 (RRP excl. on-roads). Its hybrid setup is rated at 5.8L/100km, and it comes with a 7-year warranty with unlimited km. It makes sense if your towing needs stay within 1,000kg braked.
Who the Ford Tourneo suits
The Tourneo Active suits buyers who need to pull a bigger load, with a braked towing figure of 2,500kg. It also has 8 seats, a 4,683L load space with the seats folded and a listed payload of 837kg. You pay more for it, at $68,990 (RRP excl. on-roads), and it runs on diesel.
What decides it
1. Price
The Carnival S HEV is $56,310 (RRP excl. on-roads) and the Tourneo Active is $68,990 (RRP excl. on-roads). That makes the Kia about $12,680 less on the same basis. Ford's figure in Victoria is $75,522 (drive-away, VIC), but we have no drive-away figure for the Kia to compare it with.
2. Towing
This is the Tourneo's big win. It is rated to tow 2,500kg braked, against 1,000kg for the Carnival, a gap of 1,500kg. If you have a caravan or a decent boat, this figure may settle it on its own.
3. Fuel use
The Carnival S HEV is a hybrid rated at 5.8L/100km combined. The Tourneo Active is a diesel rated at 7.4L/100km. On paper the Kia uses 1.6L/100km less.
Running costs
On the official combined figures, the Carnival S HEV uses 5.8L/100km of fuel and the Tourneo Active uses 7.4L/100km of diesel. Both have a 12 months service interval. Ford lists a capped servicing figure of $2,145 (capped-price servicing total) for the Tourneo, while we have no capped servicing figure for the Carnival. The Kia's warranty is 7-year with unlimited km, against a 5-year warranty for the Ford, and the running-cost chart below lays the costs side by side.
True Cost of Ownership (5 Years)
$5,394
per year to run
$83,280
total 5yr cost
$1.07
per kilometre
Where the 5-year total goes
About $5,394/year to run, or $26,970 over 5 years including fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres and registration.
* Estimates based on your parameters. Servicing uses each manufacturer's capped-price schedule where we have it, and tyres scale with your weekly km. A guide only, not a quote.
True Cost of Ownership (5 Years)
$5,577
per year to run
$96,877
total 5yr cost
$1.24
per kilometre
Where the 5-year total goes
About $5,577/year to run, or $27,885 over 5 years including fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres and registration.
* Estimates based on your parameters. Servicing uses each manufacturer's capped-price schedule where we have it, and tyres scale with your weekly km. A guide only, not a quote.
Practicality
Both are People Movers with 8 seats. Seats up, the Carnival has a 627L boot and the Tourneo has 672L, so the Ford is 45L bigger, and with the seats folded the Tourneo has 4,683L against 2,827L. The Tourneo is shorter at 5,050mm versus 5,155mm, but taller at 1,959mm versus 1,785mm, so check your garage. It also has a tighter turning circle, 10.9m against 11.8m.
Will it fit in the boot?
May fitExample sizes only - measure your item before relying on this.
Volume check only (seats up)
Item box about 166L (26% of the volume). Litres don't describe shape, so this can't confirm a fit.
Kia doesn't publish boot dimensions for this car, only 627 litres. Litres can prove something won't fit, but never that a rigid item will - so the best this car can score is "May fit".
Based on the manufacturer's published boot volume.
Cost to tow
The real fuel/energy cost once you hitch up. Pick a trailer and trip.
Estimate only: consumption rises as range falls; real use varies with terrain, wind and load.
Will it fit in the boot?
May fitExample sizes only - measure your item before relying on this.
Volume check only (seats up)
Item box about 166L (25% of the volume). Litres don't describe shape, so this can't confirm a fit.
Ford doesn't publish boot dimensions for this car, only 672 litres. Litres can prove something won't fit, but never that a rigid item will - so the best this car can score is "May fit".
Based on the manufacturer's published boot volume.
How quick is it?
How quick is it?
0-100 times as published and held in our records. Counts cover on-sale cars with a figure and refresh daily.
How quick is it?
No manufacturer 0-100 time is held for this car, so it isn't ranked.
Safety
The Carnival has a 5-star ANCAP rating from 2021. The Tourneo has no ANCAP rating on record in our data.
The figures side by side
| Kia Carnival | Ford Tourneo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $56,310 (RRP excl. on-roads) | $68,990 (RRP excl. on-roads) |
| Drive-away price (VIC) | No data | $75,522 (drive-away, VIC) |
| Powertrain | HEV | ICE |
| Fuel | Hybrid | Diesel |
| Drive | FWD | FWD |
| Transmission | Automatic | 8-Speed Automatic |
| Power | 132.4kW | 125kW |
| Combined system power | 180kW | No data |
| Torque | 367Nm | 390Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 9.3 seconds | No data |
| Fuel use (combined) | 5.8L/100km | 7.4L/100km |
| Fuel tank | 72L | 70L |
| Battery | 1.5kWh | No data |
| Body | People Mover | People Mover |
| Seats | 8 seats | 8 seats |
| Boot (seats up) | 627L | 672L |
| Boot (seats folded) | 2,827L | 4,683L |
| Length | 5,155mm | 5,050mm |
| Width | 1,995mm | 1,999mm |
| Height | 1,785mm | 1,959mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,090mm | 3,100mm |
| Ground clearance | 172mm | No data |
| Turning circle | 11.8m | 10.9m |
| Kerb weight | No data | 2,333kg |
| Towing (braked) | 1,000kg | 2,500kg |
| Towing (unbraked) | 750kg | No data |
| Payload | No data | 837kg |
| ANCAP rating | 5-star (2021) | No rating on record |
| Warranty | 7-year | 5-year |
| Warranty distance | unlimited km | No data |
| Capped servicing, 5 years | No data | $2,145 (capped-price servicing total) |
| Service interval | 12 months | 12 months |
The verdict
For most families the Carnival S HEV makes more sense, being cheaper, using less fuel and carrying an ANCAP rating, unless you need the Tourneo's towing.
Pick the Kia Carnival if
you want the lower price, lower fuel use, a longer warranty and a car with an ANCAP rating on record, and you tow no more than 1,000kg.
Pick the Ford Tourneo if
you need to tow up to 2,500kg braked or want the most cargo space with the seats folded, and you are fine paying more.
Put them side by side yourself
Every figure, feature and running cost for both, in our live comparison table.
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Ask about these two cars
- Kia Carnival S HEV
- Ford Tourneo Active
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Questions buyers ask
Is the Kia Carnival cheaper than the Ford Tourneo?
Yes. The Carnival S HEV is $56,310 (RRP excl. on-roads) and the Tourneo Active is $68,990 (RRP excl. on-roads), a gap of about $12,680 on the same basis.
Which tows more, the Kia Carnival or the Ford Tourneo?
The Tourneo Active is rated to tow 2,500kg braked. The Carnival S HEV is rated at 1,000kg braked.
Does the Ford Tourneo have an ANCAP rating?
Our data has no ANCAP rating on record for the Tourneo. The Carnival has a 5-star rating from 2021.
Which uses less fuel, the Carnival hybrid or the Tourneo diesel?
On the official combined figures, the Carnival S HEV is rated at 5.8L/100km and the Tourneo Active at 7.4L/100km.
Which has more boot space, the Carnival or the Tourneo?
The Tourneo has 672L with the seats up against 627L for the Carnival. With the seats folded, it is 4,683L versus 2,827L.