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The 2025 Kia Carnival improves on the 2024 Carnival with a refresh and a new powertrain. Find out about all the new features that have been added!
2025 Kia Carnival – kia.com | Shop 2025 Kia Carnival on Carsforsale.com
What’s new for the 2025 Kia Carnival?
If you’ve seen Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, you know that the Kia Carnival gets a nice little mention from Ryan Reynolds. “Technically the Carnival’s not a minivan. It’s an MPV,” Reynolds says in the movie. He’s right. It is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), but of course it was said a little tongue-in-cheek because Kia is trying to make those initials a big deal. It may look more like an SUV than a traditional minivan, but it’s still got the space and utility of a minivan.
Whatever you call it, the three-row 2025 Kia Carnival is only a few years old, but it’s already making some improvements. In our 2024 Kia Carnival review, we said, “If Kia could figure out a way to create a hybrid option, it would be that much better.” Well, that’s exactly what Kia did. The 2025 Carnival has been given a refresh with an available hybrid powertrain, new exterior styling, and an updated infotainment interface. Just like we said before, the Carnival is that much better for those changes.
Carsforsale.com Score
9.25/10
Powertrain
Score
9/10
Interior
Score
9.5/10
Technology
Score
9.25/10
Value
Score
9/10
The Breakdown
Nice refresh, inside and out
Newly available hybrid powertrain
Luxurious seating at top trim levels
Tech-filled cabin
No AWD option
Top trims can get pricey
Not rated by the NHTSA or IIHS yet
2025 Kia Specs
-
- 287 horsepower from internal combustion engine
- 242 horsepower with hybrid powertrain
- 5 trim levels
- 40.2 cu-ft of standard cargo capacity
- Standard 12.0-inch touchscreen
- New evasive driver assistance maneuver
- Great Kia warranties
2025 Kia Carnival Powertrain 9/10
The 2025 Kia Carnival still comes standard with a 3.5-liter V6 making 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque with the help of an eight-speed automatic transmission. It helps the Carnival run smoothly, staying composed around corners and remaining well balanced on the road. In addition to the decent handling, the 2025 Carnival delivers 19 miles per gallon (MPG) in the city and 26 MPG on the highway. There’s no real issue with that set up, so it’s not surprising that Kia left it the same.
New this year is the Carnival Hybrid. The 2025 Kia Carnival hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 72- horsepower electric motor for a combined 242 horsepower. The hybrid system is only available on trim levels LSX and above. The hybrid version also handles well, and Kia says E-Ride and E-Handling systems help an evasive driver-assistance maneuver, too. There’s no Environmental Protection Agency-rated MPG estimate yet. No matter what engine is under the hood, all versions of the 2025 Carnival are front-wheel drive (FWD) only.
2025 Kia Carnival Interior 9.5/10
If you wonder if the 2025 Kia Carnival is a true family van, just take a look at the interior seating. The 2025 Carnival can fit seven passengers or, in the EX and SX trims, eight passengers. In either seating variation, there is a lot of legroom. There are 41.1 inches in the first row, 40.5 inches in the second, and 35.6 inches in the third row. Some of the trims have sliding second-row seats and reclining third-row seats that fold into the floor.
Updates for the 2025 model include a slimmer center stack, climate controls that are now mounted on the dashboard, and the addition of haptic feedback on buttons. Kia definitely gives passengers a taste of luxury with the two-tone seat coloring, leather upholstery in some cases, and even pop-up footrests. There’s a panoramic sunroof for those who want to let a little breeze into the car, too.
2025 Kia Carnival Technology Features 9.25/10
The technology is very much up to date in the 2025 Kia Carnival. Some of the updates may not be as welcome as others, though. There are still physical knobs for the audio system, but the climate controls are now haptic feedback buttons on the touchscreen. A Kia voice assistant allows drivers interface with the climate controls, so the driver and passengers can adjust it without actually touching the control panel. That same voice assistant can also open windows and input navigation when asked.
A 12-inch digital gauge display is standard in this model (instead of the eight-inch screen that was previously used). A 12.3-inch screen is still available. If that little bit of a size difference is important enough to lay down some extra cash. Other new items? The head-up display and a digital rearview mirror. Also, there’s an evasive steering intervention that’s been added to Kia’s Highway Driving Assist 2.
Other infotainment, though not necessarily new with the 2025 model, includes seven USB-C ports, a hands-free tailgate and sliding doors, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a quiet mode that puts out sound through only the front speakers, a handy feature to avoid interrupting naps in the back seats.
2025 Kia Carnival Trims & Pricing
LX – $36,500
The base-level 2025 Kia Carnival LX can accommodate seven passengers. It comes with the standard 12-inch touchscreen, a digital rearview mirror, a cabin intercom, blind-spot monitoring, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. The hybrid powertrain we talked about earlier isn’t available on the LX trim, though. You need to go one step higher for that.
LXS – $38,500
The LXS trim is largely the same as the EX. There are a few additions, though, like artificial leather seat trim, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with four-way power lumbar support, heated front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob.
EX – $40,700
The EX trim has seating for eight and the rear passengers can control the infotainment system by using Kia’s voice control system. There’s also an in-cabin intercom to communicate with the first-row driver and passenger. Another benefit of the EX? The power-operated liftgate.
SX – $45,600
The SX trim also has seating for eight. Additional features at this level include two 12.3-inch displays that are combined into one large, single unit: one for the driver and one to control the Carnival’s infotainment. A rear-seat entertainment system is optional starting at the SX. That system provides 14.6-inch displays that work with Bluetooth-enabled headphones.
SX Prestige – $50,600
At the top of the trim ladder is the SX Prestige with room for seven people. It comes with the option of VIP lounge seating in the second row. That includes heated and ventilated seats that slide, recline, and have footrests. All of that can be activated by pushing a button or by voice command. Leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo are all standard here, too.
2025 Kia Carnival Overall Value 9/10
From the bottom to the top, the Kia Carnival lineup provides a lot for the money. The LX certainly isn’t as features heavy as the other trims, but it at least has the standard elements you’d expect out of a modern SUV, or van. Excuse me, I meant MPV. It would be even better with all-wheel drive, but the Kia Carnival is making progress by offering buyers the option of a hybrid powertrain. From fuel efficiency to amenities to safety features, it’s hard to find a weak spot in the Carnival, even at the base level.
Carsforsale.com Overall Score 9.25/10
2025 Kia Carnival – kia.com | Shop 2025 Kia Carnival on Carsforsale.com
Minivans make sense for a lot of families, but if you’ve read through our Chevy Vans Through the Years or our Ford Minivans Through the Years pieces, you know that many manufacturers have eliminated them from their lineups due to poor sales. Kia seems to have found the right mixture of styling, capability, and affordability with the multi-purpose Kia Carnival and the 2025 Kia Carnival is the best iteration yet.
2025 Kia Carnival FAQ
Does the hybrid powertrain come with all 2025 Kia Carnival models?
No. The hybrid system isn’t available on the base LX trim, but it is available at all other trim levels.
What is the warranty like on the 2025 Kia Carnival?
Kia warranties are impressive! The powertrain warranty on the 2025 Carnival covers 10 years or 100,000 miles. A limited warranty is good for five years or 60,000 miles, too.
How does a used Kia Carnival compare to a new Kia Carnival?
Even though 2020 was the first Carnival model year, we’ve already seen some differences between models. Take a look at our comparison between the 2024 Kia Carnival and the 2022 Kia Carnival to learn about all the differences and updates from just a few years ago.
