Kia has sold minivans in the U.S. for more than two decades and, while it’s technically an all-new model, the Carnival is now in its fourth generation since the company dropped the Sedona nameplate and made a slew of major changes for 2022. Available in nine trims with seven- or eight-passenger seating, the front-wheel drive Carnival brings the most SUV-like styling in the minivan segment, along with Kia's long warranty, lots of standard technology and driving assist features, and some class-exclusive features, such as reclining "VIP lounge seats" in the second row. A gas-electric hybrid powertrain is also available, and known as the Kia Carnival MPV Hybrid.
The Carnival competes with the Chrysler Pacifica, the Honda Odyssey, and the Toyota Sienna. Minivans, however, have a harder time measuring up to mid-size and large SUVs, and the Carnival is frequently outshined in the sales charts by the Kia Telluride and the Sorento, both of which have three rows of seats. But the Carnival's long, boxy shape pays dividends for passenger comfort, especially for adults seated in the last row and cargo capacity. Its low step-in height, relatively light curb weight, smaller engines, and prices that start below $40,000 are major advantages over truck-based SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. That said, low towing ratings and the lack of all-wheel drive may push buyers into such larger SUVs. For most shoppers, a modern minivan like the Carnival represents an excellent choice for large families.
Kia Carnival: Cost, Reliability, and the Best Years to Buy
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Pros and Cons
- Kia Carnival Generations
- Kia Carnival Current Generation (2022-Present)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Kia Carnival years are the best?
The Carnival is currently in one generation and using powertrains and technology from previous Kias that have proven reliable. That said, we would recommend models from 2023 or later to avoid any first-year hiccups.
Which Kia Carnival years are the worst?
None are really "worst". The Carnival's predecessor, the Sedona, was quite poor in its first and second generations. For this model, any year is shaping up to be a good year.
Is a used Kia Carnival a good deal?
Given the amount of space inside and its sub-$40,000 starting price, the Carnival is a good deal. The best value is from the middle-to-top trims, such as the EX and SX; they might cost more than the base LX version, but they pack in far more features.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Stylish design
- Powerful engine
- Excellent value for money
Cons:
- Mixed safety ratings
- No all-wheel drive
- Kia doesn’t make folding the seats easy
Kia Carnival Generations
Kia Carnival Current Generation (2022-Present)
Like its corporate cousin, Hyundai, Kia is no longer interested in conforming to conservative or traditional car designs. The new Kia is like the old Peugeot and Citroen—outlandish, striking, and sometimes grotesque, but always unconventional. That philosophy worked well for the Carnival, because minivans have never been stylish. This one, among its three direct competitors, certainly looked the most aggressive, angular, and modern.
A refresh for 2025 (there are no changes for 2026) introduced a wider, longer grille, vertically-stacked headlights, amber daytime-running lamps with turn signals that resemble giant hooks, revised taillights, new bumpers, new wheels, and a redesigned dashboard with updated infotainment screens. In both functionality and style, we prefer the original (2022-2024), but either versions presents a much sportier, SUV-like exterior than anything from Toyota, Honda, or Chrysler.
Most Carnivals had a 3.5-liter V6 engine shared with the Telluride, with specs of 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission with multiple driving modes is standard. For 2025, Kia added a gas-electric powertrain shared with the Kia Sorento Hybrid, which, in typical Kia fashion, didn’t drive like a typical hybrid (it had a turbocharger and a six-speed transmission). The Carnival Hybrid was nearly as powerful as the V6, with its 1.6-liter turbo inline-four and small electric motor producing 242 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. Fuel efficiency dramatically improved, at least on the EPA test cycle, to 34 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined compared to the V6 model's 18/26/21 rating.
In our tests of a 2025 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid, we found the cabin and engine to be louder than those of competitors. The hybrid system, at low speeds, also wasn’t as smooth when swapping between gas and electric operation as the Toyota Sienna. We liked the ability to adjust brake regeneration with the shift paddles, along with the interior quality, a comfortable ride, body control, and direct steering. Still, we’d recommend the V6 Carnival for more consistent performance at a lower price.
For pre-refresh models, Kia made very minor changes in each model year. For 2023, SX trim levels added a 12.3-inch touchscreen display and an identically sized digital instrument panel, while the SX Prestige trim made the reclining second-row captain's chairs optional instead of standard. For 2024, the EX trim level added a power tailgate but removed the auto up/down power windows. The Kia Carnival LXS trim was removed for 2023 and 2024 and returned for 2025 and 2026.
There are nine Kia Carnival trim levels in total. At the time of writing, the 2026 Carnival started at $37,000 MSRP for the LX trim level, which included a standard seat package of second-row captain's chairs, tri-zone climate control, remote start, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, parking sensors, power sliding rear doors, and safety features such as forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection and smart cruise control. The LXS, at $39,000, added a power driver's seat, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a second row bench with a center seat that slid fore and aft to make a baby car seat more accessible to the driver and passenger in the first row (Kia calls it slide-flex seating). The EX, at $41,000, brought a wireless charger, sound-insulating front glass, sunshades for the second and third rows, power front passenger seat, 19-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, power tailgate, an in-cabin intercom system, and an in-cabin camera—which Kia calls “passenger view”—to monitor the back rows.
The SX ($46,000) had dual sunroofs, an upgraded digital instrument panel with more functionality, 360-degree surround view monitor, a blind-spot view monitor with live camera feeds of the vehicle's sides when activating the turn signals, fog lights, ventilated front seats, smart keys that can operate the vehicle from phones, and enhanced safety features and driver assistance such as side parking sensors, evasive steering assist, and semi-automated driving. The top SX Prestige ($51,000) had gloss black alloy wheels and trim, digital rearview mirror, upgraded lights, Bose audio system, leather seat trim, heated steering wheel, head-up display, and optional "VIP Lounge" seating that adds heating, cooling, extended recline, and power leg rests to the second row. A rear seat entertainment package is available on this trim level. Hybrid versions were available with every trim level except the base LX for a $2,000 premium.
Used Carnival models are holding their resale value. On CarGurus, many are in the $25,000 to $35,000 range for 2022 and 2023 midrange trims with 50,000 miles or more.
