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Video: Drag race – 2023 Toyota Camry vs 2023 Kia Carnival

160kW 2.5L hybrid versus a 216kW 3.5L petrol V6

It’s an answer to the question nobody asked, what would win in a drag race between a 2023 Toyota Camry and a 2023 Kia Carnival V6? We thought we’d find out anyway.

These are perhaps two of the most humble vehicles on sale today. Zooming in on the specs though suggests they offer very similar performance. And, in this specification, they are priced extremely close.

So what are we racing here? It’s a 2023 Camry SL with the 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, up against the 2023 Carnival S with the 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine option. Both are front-wheel drive, with the Toyota using a CVT auto and the Kia going with an eight-speed auto.

Power outputs differ significantly. The Camry produces 160kW while the Carnival V6 generates 216kW. However, the Kia is much heavier, weighing in at 2090kg against just 1580kg for the Camry (tare). That leaves a very similar power-to-weight ratio for both.

The Camry works out to be 101kW/tonne and the Kia is a fraction higher at 103kW/tonne. Where they obviously differ the most, aside from cabin size, is fuel consumption. In the Camry the official average is just 4.5L/100km while the Carnival with the V6 chews a hefty 9.6L/100km.

Place your bets. What do you think is quickest? You might be surprised by the results. We’ve measured both vehicles with the Vbox across 0-100km/h and the quarter-mile. Full results are shown at the end of the video. Check it out below.

Brett Davis

Brett started out as a motor mechanic but eventually became frustrated working on cars that weren't his. He then earned a degree in journalism and scored a job at Top Gear Australia back in 2008, and then worked at Zoom/Extreme Performance magazines, CarAdvice, and started PerformanceDrive/PDriveTV in 2011 with Josh Bennis, and ran it for 12 years. He's now the owner and managing editor here at Driving Enthusiast.

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