2025 Kia Carnival

Kia for 2025 gives its competitively priced Carnival minivan exterior design updates and a hybrid variant. The Carnival comes with a long list of driver-assistance features and styling cues to make it look more like an SUV than a minivan, but all-wheel drive (AWD) is not available.

Pros

Good value, especially considering the warranty
Equipped with many safety features and driver aids
Available hybrid powertrain with solid fuel economy

Cons

All-wheel drive isn't an option
Slightly lower fuel economy than direct rivals

Blue 2025 Kia Carnival rear three-quarter view. Kia

2025 Kia Carnival Trim Levels

Kia offers the gas-only Carnival in LX, LXS, EX, SX, and SX Prestige trim levels. The Carnival Hybrid matches up for the most part but isn't available in a base LX trim. The standard engine is a 3.5-liter V6 making 287 horsepower matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Hybrids use a gas-electric powertrain with 242 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Carnival LX gets 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, hands-free power sliding side doors, and a manual liftgate. Inside, the LX features seven seats, cloth upholstery, triple-zone automatic climate control, and a 4.2-inch driver display. The 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and plays music through a six-speaker stereo. The base Carnival also has lots of driver-assistance features.

LXS

The LXS can transport eight people and receives synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats with power adjustability for the driver, and Kia's "free mode" second-row middle seat (that can double as a table). Gas-only LXS models don't have navigation, but it's standard in models with the hybrid powertrain.

The EX improves on the LXS with 19-inch wheels and a power liftgate with hands-free operation. A 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard, featuring built-in navigation, a wireless phone charger, and an eight-speaker stereo.

The SX gets a power sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, ventilated front seats, a surround-view camera system, and a camera-based blind-spot monitor. You can option the SX with a dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system and a package that includes leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.

SX Prestige

The SX Prestige features everything in the aforementioned SX option package and is available in a seven-seat configuration with Kia's second-row VIP Lounge chairs. They're power adjustable and feature heating, ventilation, and an extendable ottoman-style leg rest.

The feature content is identical in hybrid and gas-only models that share the same name, with the exception of the LXS trim. The hybrid LXS includes features that the gas-only version doesn't, such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, HD Radio, and satellite radio.

Dashboard and steering wheel of 2025 Kia Carnival Kia

2025 Kia Carnival Cargo Capacity

With all the seats in place, both the gas-only 2025 Carnival and the hybrid option offer 40.2 cubic-feet of cargo space. Maximum cargo capacity for all Carnival models totals 145.1 cu-ft.

2025 Kia Carnival Fuel Economy

The gas-only Carnival V6 returns 21 mpg in combined city and highway driving. The hybrid Carnival does much better, achieving a combined fuel economy rating of 33 mpg.

Front view of blue 2025 Kia Carnival Kia

2025 Kia Carnival Safety Ratings and Features

As of this writing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn't assigned an overall safety rating to the 2025 Kia Carnival. Still, the minivan received four out of five stars for frontal crash protection and rollover resistance.

Kia's minivan also received a "Good" rating (the highest) in the small overlap front crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, the minivan received only an "Acceptable" rating (the second-highest) in the IIHS's updated side crash test and a "Marginal" rating (the second-lowest) in the updated moderate overlap front crash test.

The 2025 Carnival comes standard with safety features such as active blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The options list includes a camera-based blind-spot monitor; a surround-view camera; and front, rear, and side parking sensors. The Carnival offers two levels of Kia's Highway Driving Assist, a hands-on-the-wheel system that eases highway driving through lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and other features.

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Warren Clarke

Warren Clarke is an automotive journalist who specializes in vehicle reviews and consumer advice, and he loves helping car buyers make informed decisions. In addition to Capital One Auto Navigator, he's written for outlets such as Credit Karma, J.D Power, U.S. News and World Report, and Car and Driver.