Kia Carnival vs Toyota Kluger

The Carnival S Diesel is $54,560 against the Kluger GX Hybrid's $62,410, a $7,850 saving for the Kia, and the Carnival gives you an extra seat and more cargo space for that lower price. On purchase price and outright practicality, nothing touches the Carnival. Worth knowing: Kia has dropped the petrol V6, so the S Diesel is now the entry point to the Carnival range.

Running costs used to swing hard to the Kluger against the old petrol Carnival, but the diesel changes that. The Kluger's petrol hybrid sips 5.6L/100km (about $1,595 a year over 15,000km), while the Carnival S Diesel uses 6.5L/100km (around $1,900 a year at diesel prices). That is roughly a $300 annual difference, nowhere near enough to erode the Carnival's $7,850 purchase saving. The Carnival's 7-year warranty (versus Toyota's 5) and lower entry price keep it clearly ahead on total cost for high-seat-count buyers.

Both are 5-star ANCAP (2021) with the full active-safety suite, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise and rear cross-traffic alert, standard. Both have ISOFIX points and the kind of all-round visibility and parking aids big-family vehicles need. There's nothing to separate them on everyday safety.

The Carnival is the practicality king. Its van-derived body delivers genuinely huge interior space, eight seats with room for adults in all three rows, dual sliding rear doors that are a godsend in tight car parks and for loading kids, and a cavernous boot even with all seats up. For big families, sports teams or anyone who regularly carries seven or eight people, nothing in this comparison comes close.

The Kluger is the more conventional, SUV-shaped choice. It seats seven with a usable (if tighter) third row, rides higher, and adds all-wheel drive for wet-weather and light-gravel security. It looks and feels like a family SUV rather than a people-mover, which matters to buyers who want the SUV image without the van shape. Both are well-equipped and easy to live with.

The Carnival S Diesel's 2.2-litre turbo diesel makes 148kW and a stout 440Nm, and that low-down torque is exactly what you want hauling a full load of passengers, all while using just 6.5L/100km. The Kluger's 2.5-litre hybrid makes 184kW at 5.6L/100km and is the quicker of the two thanks to its instant electric torque, but its fuel advantage over the diesel Carnival is now marginal.

Both tow the same 2,000kg. The Carnival is front-wheel drive; the Kluger adds all-wheel drive for extra grip. If you do mostly city and suburban driving and want to slash your fuel bill, the Kluger hybrid is compelling. If you prioritise outright space, seats and a lower price, the Carnival's diesel does the job with barely a fuel-cost penalty.