WHEN it comes to segment dominance, there are a few cars in the Australian market quite like the Kia Carnival.

The third-generation PE-series eight seat people-mover – launched in 2015 and after an initially rocky start with ANCAP compliance issues – has sailed on to crush all opposition in its category. In 2018, it’s outsold its main rival, the Honda Odyssey, by a factor of almost three to one.

Kia has decided to give the Carnival a mid-life spruce up and has included a few vital pieces of future-proof tech, but hasn't played with its externals too much. Has it done enough to continue to convince buyers to favour it over all others in the people-mover category?