Kia Carnival vs Volkswagen Crafter

The Kia Carnival starts from $50,570 before on-road costs, while the Volkswagen Crafter opens at $70,990. That makes the Kia Carnival the more affordable entry point by $20,420.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $55,627 and $78,089 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Volkswagen Crafter by roughly $1,565 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Kia Carnival features a 12.3-inch touchscreen paired with a 4-inch digital dash, while the Volkswagen Crafter gets a 10.4-inch display and 10.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Kia Carnival stands out with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging and power tailgate that you will not find on the Volkswagen Crafter. The Volkswagen Crafter counters with Apple CarPlay. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Kia Carnival uses a Petrol producing 216kW and 355Nm of torque, sent through a automatic to a FWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.1 seconds.

The Volkswagen Crafter responds with a Diesel I4 Bi-Turbo TDI making 130kW and 410Nm, paired to a 8-speed automatic w/ torque converter driving the front wheels.

The Kia Carnival has the clear power advantage at 216kW vs 130kW. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Kia Carnival measures 5,155mm long on a 3,090mm wheelbase, 831mm shorter than the Volkswagen Crafter at 5,986mm (3,640mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Volkswagen Crafter generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 627L in the Kia Carnival and 2530L in the Volkswagen Crafter, giving the Volkswagen Crafter a 1903L advantage. The Volkswagen Crafter seats 12 vs 8.

For towing, the Volkswagen Crafter leads with a 2,500kg braked capacity vs 2,000kg. That 500kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,736/year for the Kia Carnival and $2,423/year for the Volkswagen Crafter. That is a $313 annual difference in favour of the Volkswagen Crafter.

Estimated annual total: $2,736 (Kia Carnival) vs $2,423 (Volkswagen Crafter). The Volkswagen Crafter saves you roughly $313 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 7 years / 999,999km (Kia Carnival) vs 5 years (Volkswagen Crafter). The Kia Carnival has longer coverage.