Kia maintains that the Carnival is not a minivan, yet its features indicate otherwise. The 2025 model intensifies its SUV-like appearance with inverted L-shaped headlights, a common feature in SUVs such as the Telluride and Sorento. Additionally, a new hybrid powertrain option has been introduced.
While the Carnival boasts an attractive exterior, the novelty of positioning it as anti-minivan is fading. Authentic minivan enthusiasts look for interiors that offer flexibility, with seats that are removable or reconfigurable.
- Seating Issues: Although the third-row seats fold flat with ease, the interior doesn’t measure up to real minivans like the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey.
- Second-Row Frustrations: Complicated lever mechanisms and seats that fail to return to their original positions complicate access to the third row.
- Tech Challenges: Rear displays block entry and exit, and adjusting the second row poses a risk of damage to these screens.
The hybrid powertrain promises theoretical efficiency, but in reality, both it and the V-6 achieve similar mpg. The added weight of the hybrid system strains the small 1.6-liter turbo engine, and the Carnival’s ride remains firm without delivering superior handling compared to competitors.
Kia's attempt to redefine the Carnival as a three-row SUV with sliding doors leads to the same challenges faced by the SUV segment it imitates. Its shortcomings in design, efficiency, and functionality highlight this identity struggle.
The 2025 Carnival, assessed during our Car of the Year testing, encounters stiff competition without any significant breakthroughs in efficiency, design, or performance.
Summary: The 2025 Kia Carnival grapples with its identity, trying to be an SUV alternative but falling short in interior functionality and powertrain efficiency. This results in an experience that does not significantly surpass traditional minivans.
