I drove the Kia Carnival 1.6 SX+ Turbo Hybrid to Baguio during the Daily Tribune company outing at Baguio Country Club. We stayed for two days and three nights. The trip included Manila traffic, expressways, mountain roads, city driving in Baguio, and the drive back to Manila.

I was already at SM North EDSA when I had to return to Makati to pick up Windsor Genova, our World section editor. At the office, several colleagues asked if I could also take their luggage. Around five travel bags and a golf bag filled with clubs went into the rear. 

I folded the third-row seats and still had a lot of space left. Nothing needed rearranging. The digital rearview mirror remained usable even with the cargo area full.

Once we headed north, the Carnival felt comfortable in traffic. Uneven roads in Metro Manila before reaching the highway did not bother the cabin. Steering felt lighter than expected for something this size. It cruised easily on the expressway.

The Carnival measures 5,155 mm long and 1,995 mm wide, with a 3,090 mm wheelbase. It is larger than most three-row crossovers. On the road, the size did not make driving harder. Lane placement felt easy, even on narrower sections.

The hybrid system pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Output is around 240 horsepower. It did not slow down on long climbs. Passing slower traffic was easy.

The ride felt the same on different road surfaces. Expansion joints and patched pavement did not change the ride. Cabin noise was low. Conversation was easy, with little noise from outside.

Temperatures in Baguio were around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Heated front seats helped during our early morning drive. The heated steering wheel was heaven-sent. Both worked right away. On the drive back to Manila, the ventilated seats became useful again.