BYD M9 vs Kia Carnival: Which Family Car Should You Actually Buy?

The Kia Carnival has owned the Australian people mover market for years. If you needed eight seats, sliding doors and a sensible price, it was the default answer.

Now BYD wants a piece of it. The new BYD M9 is a plug in hybrid people mover with a 145km electric range, business class second row seats and a five star ANCAP rating under the toughest test rules yet. It is on sale now, with the seven seat Premium arriving first.

So should your family stick with the proven Carnival, or take a punt on the M9? We've compared price, space, running costs, warranty, safety, resale and dealer support to help you decide.

Quick answer: The BYD M9 Premium is the more luxurious, more efficient choice if you can charge at home and want seven seats with lounge style second row chairs. The Kia Carnival is the safer all round buy: it seats eight, has a bigger boot, a longer warranty, a larger dealer network and proven resale. For most families who need eight seats, the Carnival Hybrid is still our pick.

Is the BYD M9 on sale in Australia?

Yes. BYD Australia lists the M9 on its website and is taking orders for the seven seat M9 Premium, with first deliveries due in the final quarter of 2026. An eight seat M9 Dynamic with a smaller battery is listed as coming soon.

The M9 is a large plug in hybrid MPV built on BYD's fifth generation DM-i system. It is aimed squarely at the Carnival.

Price: BYD M9 vs Kia Carnival

Here is how the official pricing lines up as of 3 October 2026.

BYD M9

• M9 Premium (7 seats): $72,990 before on road costs
• M9 Dynamic (8 seats): coming soon. BYD has not yet published its price on its Australian site, but expect it to start in the low $60,000s before on road costs

Kia Carnival (MY27)

Kia Australia's current Carnival range offers a 2.2 litre turbo diesel or a 1.6 litre turbo petrol hybrid. There is no longer a petrol only version listed. Kia's drive away estimates for a private buyer in Sydney are:

• S Diesel: $58,890 drive away
• Sport+ Diesel: $71,340 drive away
• GT-Line Diesel: $79,540 drive away
• S Hybrid: $59,990 drive away
• Sport+ Hybrid: $73,730 drive away
• GT-Line Hybrid: $82,445 drive away

Once on road costs are added, an M9 Premium is likely to land somewhere around $77,000 to $80,000 drive away in New South Wales, depending on the deal. That puts it between the Carnival Sport+ Hybrid and GT-Line Hybrid on price, but with more luxury equipment than either.

If budget is the main driver, the Carnival S Hybrid at just under $60,000 drive away is the value hero here.

Space and seats

Both are big, but they are built for different families.

BYD M9 Premium

• Seats: 7, in a 2+2+3 layout with second row captain's chairs
• Length and wheelbase: 5,145mm long with a 3,045mm wheelbase
• Boot: 470 litres behind the third row, and just over 2,000 litres with the seats folded (BYD's figures)
• Second row: power adjustment, leg rests, heating, ventilation and massage

Kia Carnival

• Seats: 8 on every grade, with a reversible second row centre seat and fold down table
• Length and wheelbase: 5,155mm long with a 3,090mm wheelbase
• Boot: 627 litres (VDA) with all seats up, and 2,827 litres with the second and third rows folded
• Third row: 60:40 split seats that sink flat into the floor

The Carnival is clearly the more practical family hauler. It seats one more person and its boot is about a third bigger with all seats in use. If you regularly carry six kids to sport or need room for a pram with the third row up, that matters.

The M9 is about comfort rather than maximum capacity. The second row captain's chairs are the kind of thing you'd normally find in a luxury MPV, and the Premium adds a fridge, a 15.6 inch fold down ceiling screen and a 12 speaker sound system.

Running costs and fuel use

This is where the M9 pulls ahead, as long as you plug it in.

• BYD M9 Premium: 36.6kWh battery, up to 145km electric range (WLTP), 0.4L/100km (WLTP) with a charged battery and 7.3L/100km once the battery is depleted. Uses 91 RON petrol
• Carnival Hybrid: 5.8L/100km combined (ADR), regular unleaded, with a small 1.5kWh battery that charges itself
• Carnival Diesel: 6.5L/100km combined (ADR)

In rough terms, charging the M9 at home at around 30c per kWh costs about $11 for a full battery. Even if real world range is closer to 110km, that is around $10 per 100km, with zero petrol for school runs, shopping and most commutes. The Carnival Hybrid, at 5.8L/100km and about $2 a litre, works out at roughly $11 to $12 per 100km.

The difference gets bigger with cheap off peak power or solar. But on long trips, once the M9's battery is flat, it uses more fuel than the Carnival Hybrid. Families who drive mostly long distances, or who can't charge at home, will see less benefit.

Charging is simple. The M9 takes up to 7kW on AC, so a home wallbox fills it in about five hours, and up to 73kW on DC, which BYD says takes it from 30 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. It also offers 6kW vehicle to load power for camping or a power outage.

Novated lease buyers should note that plug in hybrids lost the electric car fringe benefits tax exemption from 1 April 2025, according to the ATO. The M9 is treated like any other petrol car for FBT.

Towing

• BYD M9 Premium: 1,500kg braked, 750kg unbraked
• Carnival Diesel: 2,000kg braked
• Carnival Hybrid: 1,000kg braked

If you tow a camper trailer or small caravan, the Carnival Diesel is the strongest option. The M9 sits in the middle.

Warranty, servicing and dealer network

BYD M9

• Warranty: 6 years or 150,000km on the vehicle, and 8 years or 160,000km on the traction battery
• Roadside assistance: 1 year complimentary
• Network: BYD's locator lists more than 120 sales Experience Centres and close to 200 service and repair centres nationally

Kia Carnival

• Warranty: 7 years, unlimited kilometres for private buyers
• Servicing: capped price servicing for up to 8 years when serviced at Kia dealers
• Network: Kia lists 154 dealer locations across Australia

Kia has the edge here. Seven years with no kilometre cap is better than BYD's six years and 150,000km, which a busy family could reach well inside six years. Kia's network is also more established in regional areas.

Safety: both five stars, but not the same test

Both cars carry five star ANCAP ratings, but the M9's is much newer.

• BYD M9: five stars under ANCAP's 2026 to 2028 criteria, announced in September 2026. It scored 100 per cent for post crash safety, and includes child presence detection and driver monitoring. ANCAP noted marginal whiplash protection in the third row, and that many child restraints could not be correctly fitted in the left third row seat. The rating applies to seven seat versions
• Kia Carnival: five stars, first awarded in 2021 against older criteria. The rating covers petrol, diesel and hybrid versions and is due to expire in December 2027

The M9's result is more impressive on paper because it was tested against tougher rules. If you need to fit three child seats, though, check the M9's third row carefully in person.

Resale value

This is the Carnival's strongest card. It has been Australia's default people mover for years, and demand for used ones has historically been strong because there are few alternatives.

The M9 has no resale history in Australia. Chinese brands have generally been harder to predict on resale, especially when new car prices are cut or updated models arrive quickly. Buying an M9 now carries more depreciation risk than a Carnival, and that should be part of your sums.

Not sure which suits your family? Tell us what you need and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used people mover. Already have a quote? Send it to us and we'll check it.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the BYD M9 Premium if: you need seven seats rather than eight, can charge at home, do most of your driving around town, and want the most luxurious second row in the segment for under $75,000 before on road costs.

Buy the Kia Carnival Hybrid if: you need eight seats, maximum boot space, a longer warranty, a bigger dealer network and confidence in resale. The S Hybrid is excellent value, and the Sport+ Hybrid is the sweet spot for features.

Buy the Kia Carnival Diesel if: you tow a trailer or caravan, or drive long country distances.

Our pick: Kia Carnival Sport+ Hybrid for most families. The BYD M9 Premium is the better choice for smaller families who value comfort and low fuel bills over sheer space.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the BYD M9 in Australia?

The M9 Premium seven seater is $72,990 before on road costs. An eight seat M9 Dynamic is coming soon, with pricing still to be confirmed on BYD's Australian site.

Is the BYD M9 bigger than the Kia Carnival?

No. The Carnival is slightly longer, has a longer wheelbase and a bigger boot, and seats eight. The M9 Premium seats seven.

Does the Kia Carnival still come with a petrol engine?

Not as a petrol only model. Kia Australia's MY27 Carnival is offered as a 2.2 litre diesel or a 1.6 litre turbo petrol hybrid.

How far can the BYD M9 drive on electricity?

BYD claims up to 145km (WLTP) for the M9 Premium, and up to 850km combined with petrol.

Is the BYD M9 safe?

Yes. It earned five stars from ANCAP in September 2026 under the latest 2026 to 2028 criteria, for seven seat versions.

Prices are from BYD Australia and Kia Australia, checked on 3 October 2026. BYD prices are before on road costs. Kia prices are Kia's drive away estimates for a private buyer in postcode 2000 and vary by state. Images: BYD Australia and Kia Australia (manufacturer media).