Got a Big Family? These Mega MPVs are here to Save the Day

Got a family as big as a football team? Don't know if you can find an MPV that can move all of them for a holiday in comfort and style? Here are three candidates for you to consider!

Let’s face it – travelling with the family is part of the road trip experience. While many have a small to medium sized family, some of us are blessed with more members, and travelling with the whole bunch can be stressful if you don’t have a vehicle large enough.

Back in the day, the only option we had was to rent or borrow a van every time the need to move the whole family arose, but fortunately, all that has changed with the rise of decent, comfortable, practical, and somewhat luxurious large MPVs that can fit between eight and 11 occupants.

So, if you’re looking for one right now, below are three options for you to consider:

Kia Grand Carnival – From RM179,888

The Grand Carnival has not three, but four rows of seating, and it can accommodate between 6 to 11 people – which is impressive considering it has a wheelbase that’s roughly 15 to 20 centimetres longer than other Japanese 7 seater MPVs.

Overall length is also not too extreme at 5,115 mm – just 40 cm or so longer than 7 seater offerings. The width also stands at around 20 to 30 centimetres wider than more conventional MPVs, which makes its size somewhat “normal” and not too big.

The configurations are also pretty flexible, allowing you to balance occupancy and storage space. For maximum space, there is the 6-seat setup that collapses the fourth row and takes away the centre seats in the second and third rows for a 2 + 2 + 2 setup – which in turn means each row has an almost captain-chair like setup, with room for luggage.

What’s the price for all of this people-carrying ability? A surprising RM 179,888 is the starting price. You also get a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that puts out a not insignificant 200 PS and 400 Nm of torque to make sure you have reasonable performance even when you’re carrying a lot of passengers.

On top of all of these, the Kia Grand Carnival is arguably the best looking model here.

Find one in Carlist.my here.

Hyundai Grand Starex – From RM163,888

It may not be as visually appealing or refined as the Kia Grand Carnival, but the Hyundai Grand Starex is cheaper, and certainly more spacious. One of the coolest features of the Grand Starex are the seats, where you can adjust the second and third row seats to face each other, or leave them as they are in standard configuration.

A downside however, is that only one out of the two sliding doors are powered, and leather seats are only available as an option.

Powering the Grand Starex is a 2.5 litre turbodiesel engine that churns out 170 PS and 441 Nm of torque, paired to a five-speed automatic transmission (with Shiftronic) that sends power to the rear wheels.

Standard features include a touchscreen infotainment system, a rear top-mounted monitor display, six speakers, cruise control, rear view camera, automatic lights, parking sensors, four airbags, ESC, BAS, traction control and ABS.

Find one in Carlist.my here.

Weststar Maxus G10 – From RM135,825

After making ambulances, school buses, and other commercial vehicles for a long time, Weststar made its entry into the passenger vehicle segment with the G10 MPV. Among all three models here, the Maxus G10 has the least number of seats – 10.

On the exterior, key features include HID Xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps, front/rear fog lamps, chrome accents, 16-inch alloy wheels, and two sliding rear doors.

Inside, you get leather seats, dual-zone auto climate control, rear air-conditioning, cruise control, a panoramic roof, and a seven-inch display that is hooked up to a DVD player, six-speaker audio system, keyless entry with push-start and a reverse camera.

Under the hood, power comes courtesy of a 2.0 litre turbocharged GDI engine that outputs 225 hp and 345 Nm, paired to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with manual mode. The Maxus also happens to be the only petrol-powered model here.

Where safety is concerned, there are two airbags as standard, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

Find one in Carlist.my here.

So there you have it – three impressive and affordable 10 and 11-seater MPVs for those with large families. Depending on what you need, one of them will certainly fit your needs. Plus, now with the sales tax exemption and rebates thrown in by manufacturers, it is a good time to get your hands on one.