2025 Kia Carnival

For a bit of suburban street cred, the ubiquitous SUV goes a long way. But this isn’t necessarily the most practical choice for a large family. You know what is? The minivan. For those not wanting to surrender fully to the “polo shirts and Crocs” lifestyle, though, Kia has made the Carnival — a minivan that looks like it might be an SUV.

And not just any minivan. The Carnival is a well-thought-out and well-executed vehicle. Our owner reviews praise the space, looks, and features. To that we’ll add how impressed we’ve been with the driving experience, the technology, and the class-leading warranty. We’d be even more bowled over if it offered all-wheel drive — like the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica — but the Honda Odyssey is another great minivan and that’s exclusively front-wheel-drive as well.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of minivans, including the Kia Carnival.

The biggest story this year is the introduction of the Carnival Hybrid, providing a direct alternative to the Toyota Sienna. Having launched for the 2022 model year, the Kia Carnival is still quite young, yet it has received some styling updates this year, bringing it more into line with even fresher models like the company’s EV9 electric SUV. Highway Driving Assist 2 becomes available, the infotainment system receives updates for greater ease of use, and the latest Digital Key 2.0 allows access for several users.

The Kia Carnival is the most affordable minivan. The Honda Odyssey, hybrid-only Toyota Sienna, and Chrysler Pacifica all start higher than the Carnival, around the $40k mark. The Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid starts at over $50k. The hybrid-powered Kia Carnival starts at $41,895, which is pretty close to the starting price of the Sienna.

Before buying a new Carnival minivan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. In terms of resale values, the Carnival comes in behind the Sienna and the Odyssey. Recouping more money when you sell a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on your next one.

Developing 287 horsepower, the Kia Carnival’s V6 engine has all the muscle it needs (even when fully laden) and delivers it in a refined manner. For comparison, the Honda Odyssey has 280 horses, so not far off.

We’ve also found that the Carnival’s automatic transmission shifts gears sweetly, the steering is easy yet precise, and the brakes feel confident without being too sharp. In addition, the suspension performs the tricky task of keeping everyone comfortable while limiting body roll (which helps keep travel sickness at bay). We’ve driven the Carnival full of children on short around-town trips and longer journeys alike, and have been impressed by its abilities as a family hauler.

This year sees the addition of Highway Driving Assist 2, the latest version of Hyundai’s excellent semi-autonomous driving system. Under the right conditions and within reason, the Carnival can practically drive itself down long stretches of open highway or through stop-and-go traffic. Just keep a hand on the wheel and your wits about you. In our experience, these systems from Kia (and Hyundai and Genesis) work exceptionally well.

Fuel Economy

The regular Carnival achieves 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which is one mpg worse than the Honda Odyssey and non-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica. The new Kia Carnival Hybrid returns 33 mpg combined. That’s very good, but the even more efficient Sienna gets up to 36 mpg combined.

We’ve tested the Kia Carnival with child car seats and can confirm that they’re easy to install. At either end of the lineup, the LX and SX Prestige models accommodate seven. The EX and SX trims have seating for eight as standard. Every version has sliding second-row seats, along with reclining third-row seats that also fold into the floor.

Interior space is generous. A 6-footer could sit in any of the three rows, and accessing the third row doesn’t require major contortions. Just one minor gripe: The screens of the optional second-row entertainment system create a bit of an obstacle when climbing into or out of the third row. Seven USB-C ports are standard across the lineup.

Luggage space behind the rearmost seats is a generous 40.2 cubic feet. Remove the second row, fold down the third, and there’s 145.1 cubic feet to fill. The Honda Odyssey isn’t quite so lavish with cargo space, but both minivans offer considerably more than a typical midsize 3-row SUV.

Revamped styling this year evokes Kia’s futuristic approach with its new EV9 all-electric 3-row SUV. Both vehicles get the thumbs-up from us. The Carnival is distinct from other minivans because of this SUV-like look, yet it still has practical minivan aspects like sliding side doors. And the kind of ride height that makes strapping a child into their special seat much easier than hoisting them up into a higher SUV. It’s little day-to-day details like these that help to make the Carnival such a great family vehicle.

Hands-free sliding doors
Powered sliding passenger doors on both sides are standard with every new Carnival. And they employ hands-free operation. Just be nearby with the Smart Key to make them open automatically.

Hands-free tailgate operation
Parents always have their hands full with something, so an automatic tailgate is pretty much a necessity. This becomes standard in the EX trim.

Quiet Mode
From the EX level and up, the audio system has a Quiet Mode, piping sound through just the front speakers, which is great when little ones (or even big ones) are napping in the back.

Intercom
When the occasion arises to communicate with rear passengers, the cabin intercom (also standard in the EX) relays the driver’s voice to the back speakers.

Dual displays
The SX comes with two 12.3-inch displays — one for driver information, the other controlling the infotainment system — integrated into a single unit. This kind of setup used to be the preserve of luxury vehicles only a few years ago.

Slide-Flex seating
The 8-seater EX and SX models have this feature. The center seat in the second row can slide forward, making it easier to reach a child sitting there from the front row. When not used to accommodate someone, this seat also has the ability to turn into a table when needed.

VIP lounge seats
The SX Prestige comes exclusively with a second-row VIP lounge setup, featuring heated/ventilated seats that slide, recline and activate leg extensions — all at the push of a button or a voice command. It’s known as relaxation mode. Keep in mind these particular seats aren’t removable, though.

The 2025 Kia Carnival uses a 3.5-liter V6 that generates a muscular 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque — figures that nearly mimic those of the Chrysler Pacifica. This drives the front wheels (all-wheel drive is not offered) through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Kia Carnival is rated to tow a maximum of 3,500 pounds.

The new-for-2025 Carnival Hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor to create 242 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

Kia’s warranties are among the best in its class. Bumper-to-bumper coverage is five years or 60,000 miles, whichever happens first — this includes roadside assistance. Powertrains are covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

Although once named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), updated tests have downgraded the Carnival in its most recent testing. It took top scores of Good in most crash-test categories, except for front overlap and side impact scenarios, which were deemed Marginal and Poor, respectively. Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, plus blind-spot monitoring.