Kia Carnival vs Volkswagen ID.4

The 2024 Kia Carnival presented itself as a minivan with a clear aim to capture SUV enthusiasts. It featured a prominent grille, slab sides, and a pronounced hood, all of which gave it a decidedly SUV-like appearance. Despite these SUV-like attributes, its sliding doors and lack of ground clearance marked it unmistakably as a minivan. Close inspection revealed intricate styling elements, such as a slightly concave grille with disco-ball-like trim and tail lights with filament-like lighting elements. Our test car, an SX Prestige trim level, showcased optional 19-inch wheels that fit seamlessly into the wheel wells without appearing flashy.

Inside, the Carnival carried the SUV theme with chunky switchgear and a substantial shifter, geared to appeal to image-conscious dads. The controls, including the large buttons and knobs, were both rugged-looking and user-friendly. The SX Prestige trim felt robust and well-constructed, utilizing materials that seemed up to the challenge of a family vehicle’s wear and tear. Depending on the trim, varying upholstery options were available—from cloth seats on the base LX to real leather on the SX Prestige, with heated and ventilated first and second-row seats. However, much of the interior was composed of plastic, even in the high-end trims, including diverse textures and patterns that added a visual variety to the interior surfaces.

In comparison, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 adopted a much more conservative and timeless design approach typical of Volkswagen vehicles. The AWD versions boasted standard 20-inch wheels, while the S Plus trim featured a 21-inch design. The lineup was divided into two models: ID.4 and ID.4 Pro, differentiated primarily by the battery size—62-kWh for the ID.4 and 82-kWh for the ID.4 Pro. The traditional Volkswagen look with incremental upgrades provided a polished and straightforward aesthetic.

Inside, the 2024 ID.4’s interior received updates aimed at increasing functionality and comfort. The transmission selector was moved from its pod near the digital instrumentation to a stalk on the steering wheel’s right side. Controls for various features were simplified and relocated to improve ease of use. Notably, the Pro trims introduced a new 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a more intuitive user experience. The interior color options provided a choice between Cosmic Black and Galaxy, depending on the trim.

Comfort elements received an upgrade as well, with ventilated front seats in the Pro S and Pro S Plus trims. Features like heated front seats, steering wheel, and side mirrors, climate control, and USB-C charging ports aimed to enhance occupant satisfaction. Rear passengers were afforded appreciable legroom and seating comfort, signifying thoughtful design considerations for overall practicality and everyday use.

Focusing on performance, the 2024 Kia Carnival kept it simple with a single powertrain option—a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and FWD. This engine delivered 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, just slightly more than its main competitor, the Honda Odyssey. The Carnival’s driving dynamics were comfortably balanced; its steering offered sufficient feel and precision, making the vehicle easy to navigate. Coupled with a softly-sprung chassis, the ride quality was smooth, and interior noise levels were kept low. The V6 engine and automatic transmission combination provided a refined driving experience with seamless and swift gear changes.

Contrastingly, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4, particularly the Pro models, offered enhanced performance with the introduction of a new rear electric drive motor. This motor delivered 282 horsepower and 402 lb-ft of torque, accelerating the ID.4 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds—a notable improvement over the previous model year. The dual-motor AWD powertrain on Pro models pushed the horsepower up to 335, with torque remaining at 402 lb-ft, providing increased acceleration and traction. The 0-60 mph sprint was reduced to 4.9 seconds in AWD models.

Regarding efficiency, the ID.4 Pro models offered substantial driving ranges—291 miles with RWD and 263 miles with AWD. Charging capabilities were advanced, with compatibility for 11-kW Level 2 home charging stations and rapid DC fast charging. Both battery sizes—62 kWh and 82 kWh—had efficient recharge times and commendable charging rates, ensuring practicality for long-distance travel. During testing, the ID.4 Pro S exhibited excellent acceleration and handled varied driving conditions with ease, from city streets to mountain roads, proving itself capable and energetic.

The 2024 Kia Carnival excelled in passenger and cargo configurations, with the base LX trim featuring seven-passenger seating and all other trims standardizing in an eight-passenger setup. Second-row captain’s chairs and VIP Lounge seats with footrests elevated comfort in higher trims. Power-sliding rear doors and a power liftgate on higher trims augmented convenience. While headroom and second-row legroom were competitively aligned with rival minivans, the Carnival did have slightly less third-row legroom, although it was negligible among its peers.

Kia Carnival’s cargo space was substantial, offering 40.2 cubic feet behind the third row, largely due to a deep cargo well. With the second and third rows folded, cargo space expanded to an impressive 145.1 cubic feet, outperforming its closest competitors like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Despite lacking fold-flat seating arrangements like the Pacifica’s Stow ‘n Go, the Carnival’s interior was thoughtfully engineered for ease of access and functionality. Upfront, storage and control layout was practical, though it missed the under-console storage nook featured in some rivals.

In comparison, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 catered to passenger comfort and practicality with an array of improvements. The transmission selector’s new placement and restructured control layout enhanced usability. The spacious and well-padded front seats provided excellent visibility and included various heating features. The rear seats offered decent legroom and were designed for comfort with supportive seating angles and additional amenities like USB-C ports and air vents.

Cargo capacity in the ID.4 stood at 30.3 cubic feet with rear seats up, expanding to 64.2 cubic feet when folded. This was considerably lower than the Carnival’s cargo space, highlighting the ID.4’s compact SUV nature versus the minivan’s larger capacity.

Technological enhancements in the 2024 Kia Carnival covered a wide spectrum. The base LX trim level started with an 8-inch touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims advanced to a 12.3-inch touchscreen alongside a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, though these only accommodated wired versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The top-trim level also included a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. Bluetooth voice recognition and a Wi-Fi hotspot were standard on all levels, supplemented by USB ports across all three rows of seating. The infotainment system was intuitive, with a user-friendly interface and helpful features such as the dedicated surround-view camera button.

Additionally, the Carnival boasted an interior camera system that displayed a live feed of the second and third rows on the central touchscreen, aiding parental supervision. The available intercom system allowed front-row passengers to communicate with those in the rear seats, and Quiet Mode disconnected the rear speakers if needed.

On the other side, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 saw significant technology updates with a new 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system standard on Pro models. While it may not have had the most visually striking graphics, it improved overall user experience. This system featured an always-visible strip for climate controls and newly illuminated touch-sliders for volume and temperature adjustments at night.

Further, the ID.4’s tech incorporation included standard navigation with a battery preconditioning feature, benefiting long-distance travel by preparing the battery for fast charging. High-end trims featured a Harman Kardon premium sound system, and the infotainment setup allowed easy pairing and wireless operation of Apple CarPlay. The ID.4 also supported gesture control and included three years of complimentary Plus Nav and Plus Speech services, the latter featuring a digital assistant.

Volkswagen also offered five years of access to Car-Net services, enhancing remote capabilities and safety features, along with an optional Wi-Fi hotspot and Plus Online Radio Package.

The 2024 Kia Carnival’s safety ratings from the IIHS were mixed. The minivan achieved top “Good” ratings in several crash tests but fell short with “Marginal” and “Poor” scores in the updated moderate-overlap front and side tests, respectively. While the SX Prestige model’s headlights were rated “Good,” other trims received a “Poor” rating. Front-crash prevention systems performed well in daylight conditions but lacked efficacy in nighttime scenarios. Moreover, the vehicle scored only “Acceptable” for child-seat anchor ease of use.

Standard safety features on the Carnival included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, a driver attention monitor, automatic high beams, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, Highway Driving Assist, a surround-view camera system, and a blind-spot camera.

Conversely, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 came with a robust set of safety features under the IQ.Drive suite. A standout was the post-collision braking system designed to bring the vehicle to a halt as soon as possible after an airbag-triggering incident, minimizing secondary collision risks. The IQ.Drive package also included Travel Assist and Emergency Assist, the latter intervening in case of an unresponsive driver.

Travel Assist facilitated smooth distance and lane management during our test drive, demonstrating its capability in traffic handling. Another noteworthy feature was the semi-autonomous parking assist system with Memory Parking, capable of memorizing and autonomously performing parking maneuvers. The ID.4 received favorable ratings from NHTSA in crash tests, although IIHS evaluations were still partial at the time.