Kia’s Carnival Hybrid – PARTY ON!

Kia’s Carnival Hybrid

PARTY ON!

We have three adults, one teenager, luggage for five nights and roughly 300 miles each way. It’s an in-state vacation beginning in Santa Clarita – 30 miles north of Los Angeles – and ending in Monterey, which (you’ve already guessed) is about 330 miles north of Los Angeles. And if packing that much for that long while wanting real flexibility once we land, who you gonna’ call? I’m calling Kia, with hopes of getting the company’s Carnival Hybrid for most of a week. 

Kia’s Carnival, of course, isn’t new. In fact, when txGarage presented Car, Truck and SUV of the Year Awards in 2023, owner/publisher Adam Moore nominated the then-new Carnival. Adam admitted that he had not yet reviewed the Carnival – but he had bought one! And is there a more credible vote than putting your money where your laptop is? 

I haven’t bought one, but I’m consistently proactive in borrowing one. As I’ve noted previously and repeatedly, most large SUVs could and should be replaced by a midsized minivan. Carpool lanes would be shorter – ‘cuz minivans are shorter than Suburbans – and the kids inside would be both more comfortable and (ostensibly) safer. The access to a minivan’s interior makes it easier for both shorter kids and older adults to get in, and the flexibility of seating provides a chance to max out both the soccer game and Home Depot runs. Years ago we sodded a portion of our backyard with a minivan – Mazda’s MPV – trip, and as this is written we’ve made a Monterey run. 

The Kia Carnival is an aggressive update of Kia’s previous minivan, the Sedona. In this more recent guise Kia has waded into an almost SUV architecture, with a titch higher ride height and a greenhouse that speaks fully to both Sport and Utility. The sliding doors are a clue to its minivan roots, as is the abbreviated nose relative to what Suburbans and Expeditions are wearing. And with the addition of a hybrid drivetrain, you can suddenly carry up to eight people while still netting 30+ miles per gallon.

On the driveway the impression is decidedly upscale, underscored by the Carnival’s footprint…this ain’t a ‘mini’ van, boasting a wheelbase of almost 122 inches underpinning an overall length of 203 inches and a width of 78.5 inches. But then, that footprint encloses some 160 cubic feet of passenger volume and 40 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the third row! The four of us made a concerted effort to fill it…and we came close. But if packing for an up-the-coast caravan or cross-country trip, the Carnival’s the one to call. 

Inside, our top-of-the-line SX Prestige offers leather seating, the upward ‘mobility’ of dual sunroofs, heated and ventilated front seats (perfect for the Central Coast’s cool mornings and warm afternoons) and Bose Premium Audio. For updates on the kiddos, adults will benefit from a passenger view in-cabin camera and, should you want to communicate verbally (without shouting!), you’ll enjoy the in-cabin intercom. 

We also had the VIP Lounge Seat package, which replaced the midsection buckets with true limo-like luxury. The seats have leg extensions, the lighting is ambient, and there’s dual-screen rear seat entertainment. So if traveling up the California coast you needn’t gaze at the California coast!

All of it suggests state-of-the-art comfort while necessarily compromising utility, as those limo-like seats can’t be removed. The SX Prestige would be great for livery companies, but falls short if called upon for the Home Depot run. Base LXS and one-step-up EX trims give you the best bang, with stickers starting at roughly $43K to $45K, with destination. 

Of course, the game changer is the Carnival’s hybrid drivetrain, which delivers that 32 Combined highway miles-per-gallon. With a 1.6 liter turbocharged four in combo with a lithium-ion battery pack and 6-speed automatic, acceleration is brisk and highway capability – even at 80 miles per hour! – remains comfortable. We were loaded, and in Carmel Valley the Carnival handled the grades easily. Coming from the Genesis GV60 EV the previous week, the transition seemed stark in the early going, but within a day the Carnival seemed impressively quick within the context of, you know…a minivan. 

Beyond the powertrain is the Carnival’s composure. Steering is connected, braking secure and cornering relatively flat. This isn’t a sport sedan, but given its significant footprint and prodigious capacity, the Carnival is surprisingly nimble.

While still wishing some OEM built a minivan closer to the earlier Odysseys and Siennas (or those current minivans available in Europe or Asia), there doesn’t seem to be any urgency to do so. But if wanting to embrace Van Life in this current iteration, you won’t be disappointed by the Carnival Hybrid. 

Party on, people.