The pros: With style; excellent technology; cheat second row seat options
Disadvantages: No hybrid or all-wheel drive options; Third row relatively small
The 2023 Kia Carnival is guaranteed to stun you in the minivan segment. And no, Kia doesn’t call it a minivan — it uses “MPV,” which is basically the European word for minivan — but everything about the carnival feel, ride, and handling screams minivan. And that’s okay! The minivan is cool and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Not only are they cool, but the Carnival is the coolest with wild features like second row VIP lounge seating. Show up in the drop-off line in one of the carnival outfits in the photos above, and you’re sure to turn some curious heads.
Of course, utility is still king when it comes to carnival. Its boxy shape leaves you with an abundance of cargo space and rear-seat legroom that’s similar to or more than many of its competitors. If you don’t want fancy VIP seating, Kia offers the unique “Captain Kirk” seat in the eight-passenger Carnival. Opt for the higher trims and the interior is packed with eye-catching trim, massive screens and plenty of tech.
We’re disappointed that Carnival doesn’t offer powertrain options to compete with alternatives like the hybrid-only Sienna and Pacifica PHEV. They have a huge fuel economy advantage that might be reason enough to choose one of those over the big Kia. Additionally, Carnival doesn’t offer all-wheel drive like Toyota and Chrysler do. However, if fuel economy and AWD aren’t priorities, the Carnival deserves a spot on your short list. It might even look enough like an SUV to convince van naysayers to give it a shot, too.
Interior & Technology | Passenger and cargo space | Performance and Fuel Economy
What is it like to drive | Price and cut levels | Crash ratings and safety features
What’s new for 2023?
Kia doesn’t change much for 2023, and all the minor changes happen inside. The SX trim ditches the 12.3-inch full digital instrument cluster that was previously exclusive to the SX Prestige. Additionally, the SX Prestige gets a new standard seating configuration. Instead of VIP Lounge reclining seats being standard, the regular model’s 8-seat configuration is the standard configuration. You can optionally add VIP seats if you want them now.
How are the Carnival’s interior and in-car technology?
The carnivals featured on this page represent the best you will find. Both the SX and SX Prestige (pictured above) are top-of-the-line models, and with them you get improved materials quality and a lot more equipment. Keep that in mind before you expect to see multiple big screens and VIP Lounge seating in a $33,000 base van — you can’t get those on the regular SX either, they’re only optional on the Prestige. Still, there’s not as much of a dip in terms of quality and ambience as you’ll find in various Toyota Sienna trim levels, and any Carnival looks and feels more premium than the Honda Odyssey in terms of equipment. We should also note that while most of Carnival’s “wow” features are available in other mini-areas, none offer the same number of them in the same location.
The standard infotainment setup consists of traditional analog gauges and a user-friendly 8-inch touchscreen, which feels a little cheap in a housing clearly meant for something bigger. That would be the 12.3-inch infotainment screen that comes with the EX model. The gauges are swapped out for the all-digital instrument cluster on the SX and SX Prestige only. Both SX trims come with in-seat touchscreens (just like the Chrysler Pacifica) that include Netflix and YouTube apps, plus Kia’s Sounds of Nature white noise programs (parents of young children will know why this is a chore). large). Carnivals with the 8-inch screen include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but those with the 12.3-inch screen require a wired connection. Every trim except the base LX gets access to a wireless charger, while every trim has multiple USB ports for each row of seats. The SX and SX Prestige have 115-volt inverters—one in the rear of the center console and one in the rear of the cargo area—for accessories with a standard two- or three-prong outlet.
How big is the carnival?
Buyers choose between seven- or eight-seat configurations, like all other minivans, but that’s where the comparisons stop. The eight-passenger configuration we examine in more depth here (pictured above, below left and right) features a unique center seat that slides far forward and up to the third row and beyond. This can be useful when trying to cram as many car seats on board as possible, or simply to create unique seating and cargo configurations. Then there are two seven-seat configurations. The first essentially removes the middle eight-passenger seat and adds in-board armrests to the remaining captain’s chairs. The second, exclusive and optional on the SX Prestige (pictured above, top left and right), are called VIP saloon seats because of their large reclining backrest and pop-up footrests. This would be an excellent choice for families with older children.
The Carnival has a smaller third row than its rivals. Legroom is just 35.6 inches, which is about 2 inches less than the next-smallest, the Toyota Sienna, and 3 inches less than the Pacifica, which is the clear winner for full-house comfort. This third row is still quite acceptable, and although the others are wider, you might not notice.
Kia cites the best cargo capacity in the business at 40.2 cubic feet behind the third row. The Kia also (barely) boasts the most overall interior space at 145.1 cubic feet, but the Odyssey is nearly tied. Unfortunately, you can’t have the VIP seats and all that cargo room, as those seats don’t fold down and can’t be removed either. Slide them forward, and you still have a large, flat space, but it’s a real useful downgrade compared to other vans with more flexibility. If you need space, skip the VIP seats on the SX Prestige. The eight-passenger SX is shown below with its unique middle seat pushed all the way back.
What are the fuel economy and performance specs of the Carnival?
Kia keeps it simple with the Carnival and only offers one engine configuration. It comes with a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This is sent through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels. The Carnival has more horsepower than the other minivans, but not by a huge margin. All-wheel drive is not available.
Fuel economy is respectable at 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. That’s on par with the rest of the V6-powered minivans out there, but you’ll burn a lot more gas than if you choose a hybrid-only Toyota Sienna or a plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica. Kia has a great hybrid engine available in the Sportage and Sorento. It’s a shame Kia can’t do something similar at Carnival.
How is the carnival to drive?
On the road, the engine feels torquey and is happy to spin the front wheels from a full-throttle stop. The engine sounds good, too, mostly quiet in normal operation but emits a controlled rumble under hard acceleration. The Carnival feels fast and never let us down when merging onto a busy freeway with a short on-ramp.
It steers confidently, with a nice weight that grows on the steering wheel through corners. The suspension is a little on the taut side, giving good road feel, with the downside of transmitting more road noise into the cabin – it’s a big box and sounds like one. You might have more fun rolling it than a comparable SUV, but the Sienna is still the best minivan. Long highway trips are enjoyable because Autoway Drive Assist does most of the work for you, and the Bose audio system is great at masking road noise that seeps into the cabin. The Carnival will leave you feeling refreshed after covering a ton of ground, which is exactly what a van should do.
What other Kia Carnival reviews can I read?
2022 Kia Carnival First Drive Review | The stylish one
Our first experience behind the wheel. We provide initial impressions and all the details about the van you might want to know.
The eight-passenger 2022 Kia Carnival has a ‘Captain Kirk chair’
An in-depth review of the eight-passenger Kia Carnival and the unique sliding second-row middle seat we call “Captain Kirk’s chair.”
2022 Kia Carnival vs Other Minivans | How do they compare on paper?
If you like specs, here’s where you’ll find the Kia Carnival compared to all other minivans.
What is the price of Carnival 2023?
Pricing for the 2023 Kia Carnival can be found below, broken down into available LX, EX, SX and SX Prestige trim levels. All include the $1,335 destination charge.
- LX: $34,235
- EX: $39,735
- SX: $42,935
- SX-Prestige: $47,335
For family tasks that pull a lot of people around, the LX and EX are excellent values. The LX includes a lot of essentials, and the added luxury of the EX is worth the extra coin. Notable features for the EX include 19-inch alloy wheels, rear sun visors, eight-passenger seating, leather seats, long-slide rear seat rails, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power liftgate, three -zone climate control, and most importantly of all, many of Kia’s regular tech features in the cabin. These include the cabin camera (view of the rear rows on the screen), Intercom in the cabin, Quiet Mode (turn off the rear speakers for sleeping passengers) and adaptive cruise control with Kia’s sublime highway assistance.
The SX Prestige adds all the high-end luxury features – VIP seats are a free option if you prefer to have them over the 8-passenger plan. The only paid package on the SX Prestige is the available Rear Seat Entertainment Package for $1,000.
You can find a full overview of features, specifications and local pricing here Autoblog.
What are the safety ratings and driver assistance features of the Carnival?
Most important features come standard on the 2023 Carnival. Driver assistance features on the base LX include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, blind spot warning with collision avoidance, hazard warning rear cross-traffic alert with collision avoidance, rear parking sensors, rear passenger alert, and a “safe exit assist” feature that watches for cars approaching from behind as they exit the road. Stepping up to higher models unlocks features such as forward collision avoidance for cyclists, automatic rear emergency braking, 360-degree camera, front parking sensors and Highway Driving Assist. The SX and SX-Prestige get the improved blind spot warning system featuring a live camera feed that won our 2020 Technology of the Year award.
The 2022 Carnival (2023 ratings not available at press time) was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It received top marks for its crashworthiness and forward collision avoidance technology. Its standard headlights received a “poor” rating, however, while the SX Prestige received the best possible “Good” rating. Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Administration are not yet available.
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