On the side, a chrome-like rear pillar is a bigger extension of the Sorento’s corner window oddity, but it’s shaped like the pillars on the Telluride. The Carnival’s squared off rear end with integrated roof spoiler and a fake rear skid plate honor Kia’s SUVs. We give it a 7, with points for interior and exterior. With its light SUV cues applied to a big-box minivan body, the Carnival’s an attractive alternative to a high-riding crossover.
All Carnivals have a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty. The $47,275 SX Prestige model has a twin-pane sunroof, the airline seats, leather upholstery, those twin 12.3-inch screens, metallic trim, and 12-speaker Bose audio. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen are available.
Standard convenience features on the $33,275 Carnival LX include power-sliding doors, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, wireless smartphone charging, and up to nine USB ports. How much does the 2022 Kia Carnival cost? Pricey versions add on adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, and blind-spot cameras that project info in the instrument cluster. The sliding bench second-row seat is better for flexibility, but it doesn’t fold into the floor, rendering the Carnival as useful as the Odyssey and Sienna the paragon’s still the Pacifica.Īll Carnivals earn top crash-test ratings and come equipped with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control. Seven adults can fit inside, and the four or five in front get luxury trappings on the SX and Prestige versions, with heated and cooled leather seats in the second row, as well as reclining airline-style seats with extending footrests. EPA ratings show it holding in place, at 22 mpg combined, but this minivan’s much more pleasant to drive than its predecessor, with a very well damped ride as its hallmark. It passes on the newer V-6 found in the Telluride, and skips the turbo-4 and hybrid powertrains on offer in the new 2021 Sorento. Teamed with an 8-speed automatic transmission, it’s good for acceleration in the happy-medium range, and to tow 3,500 pounds. The Carnival taps a strong-enough 3.5-liter V-6 with 290 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.
We could do without some of the glossy metallic and black trim inside and out the cabin’s handsomely organized and outfitted like the Telluride’s but shiny plastic trim on the doors picks up fingerprints too easily, and glinty metal on the dash in the top trim glares at the driver. The squared-off corners read more like the crossover SUVs across the showroom floor, and it works, with the sliding side doors and the telltale rear end the bigger giveaways of its family-hauler status. (Read more about how we rate cars.)Ī new name, new badge, new tech and safety features, as well as a new design inside and out usher in the new Carnival.
Sharing a platform with the K5 mid-size sedan and the Kia Sorento, the 2022 Kia Carnival sits in the minivan center of the Venn diagram of cars, crossovers, and SUVs.