Yahoo Autos The 2025 Kia Carnival: SUV Vibes In a Hybrid Minivan With Lots of Space and Great New Tech
As I waited for my ride to the test drive for the 2025 Kia Carnival, which has had a substantial makeover for 2025, I asked the greeter what sort of car we were waiting for.
“A Kia,” he said. “The big SUV.” “Oh, the Telluride,” I said.
“Yeah, the one with the sliding doors.” I couldn’t blame this nice gentleman for confusing the Telluride with the Kia Carnival. Finally, there’s a minivan that looks like an SUV with a tall stance, boxy shape and commanding presence. And for the 2025 model, those details have been further chiseled and enhanced with some impressive tech firsts for Kia, new features, old favorites and a hybrid powertrain that delivers 33 MPG.
This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. No AI was used. Additionally, I was Kia’s guest for this test drive but all opinions are my own.
Why Can’t Minivans Have Sliding Doors? 2025 Kia Carnival Is the Best Of Both Worlds
This is the question so many buyers have: does a minivan have to look like the family pod it is? Must it have a bulbous rear end that belies the comforts inside? Couldn’t it have the bold, muscular shape of an SUV? Kia’s designers took this idea to heart when designing the Kia Carnival, and for 2025 further refined the idea.
The new look of the 2025 Kia Carnival, which is priced from $36,500 to $50,600, and adds $2,000 for the hybrid option, starts with an updated front end that indeed takes its inspiration from the Telluride. Like the best selling SUV, the Carnival has an elongated grille flanked by amber daytime lights and stacked cube headlights. On the rear end the tail gate is even more chiseled and bold adding to the SUV appeal. If you didn’t know this was a minivan you wound’t guess that it is.
Read: Move Over, Minivans: The 2022 Kia Carnival Is Redefining the Family Car
A New Hybrid Powertrain Gives Buyers an Option
For 2025 Kia added a hybrid powertrain option, so now buyers have a choice between a V6 gas-only powertrain that generates 287 HP, 260 lb.-ft of torque and 21 MPG, or a 4-cylinder turbo hybrid that generates 242 HP, 271 lb.-ft of torque and 33 MPG.
While the hybrid option will add $2,000 to the price, that’s not the only consideration: The hybrid also generates a lot of torque, making it pretty peppy for a minivan, but the V6 gas model may deliver more confidence on the road, especially when the Carnival is fully loaded with passengers and cargo.
Read: The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse Redesign: Why This Family SUV Is the Best Yet
A Kia First Makes Its Debut in the Carnival: “Hey Kia” Voice Assistance
For the 2025 model, Kia rolled out a new multimedia system that features a 12” main display and a 12” driver display on a single panoramic screen. This screen may look familiar; it’s similar in size and scale to the screens in the last model, but the software, graphics and functions are all new.
And then, there’s this: The Kia Carnival is the first to feature “Hey Kia” voice activated assistance. You can turn it on by toggling on the function in the Setup menu— just tap ‘voice recognition.’ This is one of my favorite features, and in the Kia it’s really good: The system has multiple microphones throughout the cabin and can recognize which seat in the car the request is coming from. So, ask for an adjustment to the cabin temperature from the 3rd row and it knows to turn up the A/C there, not in the front seat. How cool is that?
Also new for 2025 is the addition of a head up display and video rear view mirror to the top of the line SX Prestige model. What isn’t new but is still awesome is the family camera system that allows you to see rear seat passengers on the front screen.
Read: A Mom’s Take on Why the Toyota Sienna Minivan is so Popular
A Climate/Entertainment Toggle Bar Take Getting Used To
This is something Kia has rolled out in many of its redesigned cars and SUVs, and now, the Carnival has it, too: A toggle bar that holds both climate an entertainment functions. If you’re looking for the radio volume dial, this is where you’ll find it; it doubles as the temperature setting dial. The toggle bar is just under the touch screen and above the new rear selector, a dial with textured metal and a glass top that add an elevated feel to the Carnival.
On the bar, just tap the arrow or the fan on the panel to toggle between climate an entertainment settings. This system is pretty easy to use and while the idea of consolidating functions is admirable, this will take some getting used to.
The Best Seating in the Biz
Buyers who have had to choose between captains chairs and a center row bench get the best of both in the Kia Carnival. This isn’t a new feature, but it’s a great one: The middle seat in the center row is removable, creating captains chairs (though, not ones with a center arm rest) and a pass-through to the 3rd row.
Actually, all 3 center row seats can be removed. For families who need access to the 3rd row and want to remove an outboard rather than middle seat can do that, too.
And then, the middle seat, which acts as a center console when folded, is on a very long track that allows it to push back all the way to the 3rd row—a great feature for separating kids *so they’re not touching* when that fun little family discussion comes up. The center row outboard seats also slide and tilt forward, and can do that with a forward facing car seat installed.
There is an executive seating option for the top SX Prestige model, too; this has center row captains chairs that recline a center console. While it’s a nice luxury, it limits 3rd row access (due to the lack of a center pass through) and may not be ideal for families who need the 3rd row.
Configuring Seats, and Kids Car Seats
The ability to move the center row seats forward and back give an incredible amount of space for rear facing car seats, and the wide center row allows space for 3 seats to be installed across the center row. I measured the distance between the driver’s seat (set for me, I’m 5’8”) and the center row seat behind it (pushed all the way back) and found about 33”. But you could actually add another 6 of 8 inches to that measure in the center row middle seat.
The Carnival also has 5 full LATCH sets: 3 in the center row and two in the 3rd row. All seats have head rests and the middle seat in the 3rd row has a lower tether for securing a car seat.
The lower tethers in the 3rd row are a bit hard to reach, though; because of the handles that are used to stow the 3rd row in the car floor, the tethers are set at the bottom of the seat.
Lots of Nice Features, Even for Rear Seat Passengers
Even in the lower trim levels, 3rd row comforts aren’t ignored, and in higher trims, there are more. Standard across all models is a 3-zone climate control with a rear seat control panel and air vents, leatherette seating, cup holders and USB ports for all seats. More premium details are in some or all of the other trims:
Leather seating in upper trims
Sun shades for center and rear windows
A household outlet
Rear seat camera
Dual sun roof
Household outlet
Highway Drive Assist Adds to Driver Assist and Safety Features
Kia is proud of its driver assist systems, most of which are standard, including highway drive assist, which is essentially adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist. The system will let you take your hands off the wheel when it senses all the required information—a limited access highway with lane markings and no interrupted signals to the system.
The adaptive cruise control with automatic lane change assist (a premium feature) worked well for the most part. Just tap the turn signal when the system is active. However, the system declined the request to change lanes on a curve or when the system didn’t have all the required information to make the change.
What It’s Like to Drive the Kia Carnival
We spent the day driving the hybrid Kia Carnival through Southern California and found it to be a pleasant ride. In fact, I spent the first couple of hours in the rear seat while my drive partner took the wheel and found the seats and ride to be comfortable. In the hybrid model, Kia has added electronically controlled motion control designed to make bumps in the road and sudden lane changes less noticeable. I’n not sure this feature was noticeable, but even the smallest bit of motion-damping is a welcome thing when you have kids who get car sick.
Behind the wheel I found the hybrid powertrain to be confident and comfortable, as was managing the Kia Carnival on the road despite its 203” length. It drives more like a car than a van. I also liked that in Eco mode I could set a higher level of regenerative braking by pulling the left paddle; a little icon on the lower right side of the driver display indicates if you’re in 1, 2 or levels of regenerative braking.
The One Thing That’s Missing in this SUV-Esque Minivan
All wheel drive. While that one addition would add another $1,500 or so to the price, it would make it the perfect minivan: flexible seating for 7 or 8, great technology, a modern look and sliding rear doors.
However, that’s the one thing Kia left out, the one thing we hope they’ll add next time, and the one thing that would make this the first SUV with sliding doors — something many of us have been dreaming of for a long time.
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