This review first appeared in the June 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."
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Sacramento, California -- One thing about the car-reviewing game ... You gotta speak the language. Know the lingo.
Take the Kia Carnival, for example. With that long body and sliding doors on either side, observers seeing it for the first time are likely to call it a full-on minivan in a New York minute.
Kia calls it a multi-purpose vehicle.
Let's start with the look.
Yes, there's a long minivan-like body, but the front end is a decidedly sport-utility vehicle piece of sculpture.
Inside, there's plentiful room for even jumbo-size adults.
Got cargo? The Carnival can be configured to carry a bunch of it, with a smart power liftgate to ease the loading process.
Driver comfort is enhanced by plentiful comfort/convenience features within easy reach ... very luxury passenger car-like.
Perks on the tester included tri-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch panoramic screen display and heated/ventilated front seats.
And I'll confess to liking those sliding side doors, great for long family road trips as the kids can easily move in and out of the vehicle (and yes, there are remote door triggers on the key fob).
The tester's road manners were good -- firm on the freeways and just a slight bit of expected sway in hard corners.
Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain rated at nearly 250 horsepower. That proved to be more than adequate for virtually all driving conditions in the Sacramento Valley, but I did have to lean on the accelerator during steep hill climbs in the Sierra Nevada.
With the hybrid system, fuel mileage is an admirable 34 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
The Carnival also excels in connectivity, including a thoughtful available feature for the rear seat crowd.
Kia’s Connected Car Rear Cockpit (ccRC) Rear Entertainment System features dual 14.6-inch monitors and full-HD resolution for streaming of multiple platforms. Cool.
Kia has made huge strides over a generation, giving motorists the kind of perk-laden vehicles they crave. This Carnival is a prime example of that. Back in the day, I would have crawled on broken glass to have a substantial, long-haul vehicle (with entertainment for the kids) like this Carnival.
Just don't force it into the minivan category.
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