2022 Kia Carnival

MY2022 is the launch year of the KA4 Carnival in the US, replacing the Sedona. Every trim uses the 3.5L V6 at 290 hp, the most powerful engine in the minivan class that year, ahead of the Pacifica (287), Odyssey (280) and Sienna hybrid (245). The 150–550 hp band also has to cover high-output vans, so even the class leader scores low on it.

Peak torque is 262 lb-ft, the same as the Odyssey and Pacifica V6s. As usual for a naturally aspirated six, it peaks high in the rev range.

Car and Driver tested this exact model year and trim at 7.0 s from 0 to 60 mph. That ties the Odyssey and beats the Pacifica and the Sienna hybrid. Edmunds's slower figure comes from a method that doesn't subtract rollout.

The 3.5L V6 is strong, quiet and linear, with no turbo lag. Reviewers rate it among the better minivan engines, and it is quieter under load than the Sienna's four-cylinder hybrid. It falls short of the top band because of a slight delay off the line.

The 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly and kicks down promptly, and it avoids the gear hunting reviewers criticize in the Pacifica's 9-speed. It is roughly on par with the Odyssey's 10-speed.

The 3,500-lb rating is the minivan norm: tied with the Odyssey and Sienna and just behind the Pacifica. It covers small boats and light utility trailers.

Every 2022 trim is front-wheel drive only, with no AWD option. The Sienna has standard AWD available and the Pacifica offers it as an option.

This is a pavement van. Its ground clearance of about 6.8 in is good for a minivan, but there are no skid plates, terrain modes, off-road trim or AWD.

There was one powertrain for 2022: the 3.5L V6 with the 8-speed and FWD. The 1.6L turbo hybrid didn't arrive until the MY2025 facelift, so the 2022 van has no electrified option.

At 22 MPG combined, the 2022 V6 matches the gas Odyssey and Pacifica. No hybrid was offered in 2022.

Without electric assist, a large naturally aspirated V6 gives up the most efficiency in stop-and-go driving, which is where minivans spend much of their time.

At 26 MPG highway, it trails the gas Odyssey and Pacifica by about 2 MPG.

The large 19.0-gallon tank makes up for mediocre economy and gives a mid-pack range of about 418 miles.

This is EPA's published annual fuel cost, from a live fueleconomy.gov pull at EPA's current regular-fuel price assumption. The MPG matches the gas Odyssey and Pacifica.

It runs on regular 87-octane unleaded, with no premium fuel or charging needed.

NHTSA never published 5-Star crash ratings for the 2022 Carnival, the first model year of this generation in the US. Every rating field reads 'Not Rated', so the item takes the framework's never-rated value.

The 2022 Carnival earned a Top Safety Pick under the 2022 criteria, with Good ratings in every original crash test. The award only covers vans with the specific headlights built after March 2021. A later IIHS updated side test of a 2024 LX, which applies back to 2022, rated it Poor, and the second-row seat broke loose in that test. That keeps it out of the top band.

Every 2022 Carnival trim from LX up comes standard with Kia's Drive Wise core suite. It includes forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane keeping and lane following assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, Safe Exit Assist, driver attention warning, and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. Higher trims add cyclist detection and Highway Driving Assist.

IIHS rated both the standard and optional systems Superior in the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime pedestrian tests. No nighttime pedestrian result is published for the 2022 model year, so the night score can't be confirmed, and the 2023 van, which carries the same system, rated only Basic at night.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance are standard on every trim and can brake the van, not just warn. Safe Exit Assist covers the power sliding doors, and the SX Prestige adds the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera in the cluster.

Lane Following Assist is standard and keeps the van centered smoothly on well-marked highways. Reviewers find the default Lane Keeping Assist too eager, and it wanders on faded markings.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard and works across the full speed range. Upper trims pair it with navigation-based speed control and Highway Driving Assist for capable hands-on highway driving. HDA2's assisted lane changes are not offered.

No 2022 Carnival trim offers hands-free driving. Highway Driving Assist requires the driver's hands on the wheel.

IIHS rated the LED reflector headlights on the volume trims Poor, with inadequate illumination on the left side of curves. Only the SX Prestige's LED projector lamps rated Good, so most Carnivals sold have poor lighting. High-beam assist is standard.

The upright seating, large windshield and low cowl give typical minivan forward visibility. The SUV-styled body has a thick D-pillar and high rear beltline that cost some over-the-shoulder view, which the surround-view and blind-spot cameras on upper trims make up for.

The wide power sliding doors make child seats easy to reach, and LATCH hardware covers several rear seating positions. IIHS still rated LATCH ease of use only Acceptable, and the second-row seats cannot be removed.

The volume EX seats eight with the Slide-Flex 2nd row. For 2022 the SX Prestige came with VIP Lounge chairs as standard and seats seven.

Generous front headroom on the volume trim, mid-pack for minivans.

Front legroom is adequate but trails the Odyssey and Sienna.

Second-row headroom is near the top of the minivan band on the volume trim.

A long-legged second row with fore-aft sliding seats.

The third row fits adults, with 35.6 in of legroom and 38.6 in of headroom. Access is through wide power sliding doors. Its 50.4 in of hip room limits three-across adult seating.

Space behind the third row leads the class. The behind-2nd-row figure is competitive.

Maximum volume is large, but reaching it means physically removing the heavy 2nd-row seats.

Strengths are a deep cargo well, a Slide-Flex center seat that slides toward the front row, and a large center console. The 2nd row does not stow into the floor the way Stow 'n Go does, and 115V outlets are limited to upper trims.

Supportive front seats and a roomy 2nd row. The praised reclining, heated and ventilated VIP Lounge chairs are SX Prestige-only, so the volume EX gets the ordinary Slide-Flex bench.

A comfort-tuned suspension that stays level and stable. It is firmer over sharp impacts on 19-in wheels and has no adaptive damping.

Quiet at cruise with a hushed V6. Reviewers note some road and wind noise, and this pre-facelift model lacks the acoustic upgrades of the 2025 refresh.

The volume EX gets tri-zone automatic climate and heated front seats. Ventilated front seats arrive on SX; the heated wheel and heated/ventilated 2nd-row chairs are SX Prestige-only.

2022 was the Carnival's launch year in the US (first year of the KA4 generation, replacing the Sedona). The LX undercut the Sienna LE and Odyssey LX by several thousand dollars; only the Chrysler Voyager started lower.

The EX is the family-buyer volume trim, adding the equipment most buyers want, such as power sliding doors and tri-zone climate. It priced well below a comparable Odyssey EX-L or Sienna XLE.

The 3.5L V6 has an ordinary, minivan-average service schedule, and the 5-yr/60k basic warranty keeps repair outlay low in the first five years. Edmunds' current 2022 TCO is priced for a used buyer (years 5–9), so its higher figure is not the new-ownership window.

The 2022 model held value better than the generation average because it launched into the 2021–2023 used-car price spike. Retention is mid-pack for minivans: behind the Sienna and Odyssey, and ahead of the Pacifica.

This is the longest basic warranty in the minivan segment; Toyota, Honda and Chrysler stop at 3 yr/36k.

This is double the 5 yr/60k powertrain coverage of every minivan rival, and it is the Carnival's biggest ownership-cost advantage.

Kia included no complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US for 2022, which caps this item below 50. Perks were 5-yr/60k roadside assistance and a UVO/Kia Connect trial, better than Honda's 3-yr roadside but behind ToyotaCare on the Sienna.

$39,135 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55% retained, or about $21,524) leaves about $17,611 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,900 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $23,511 in total.

Both major sources rate the 2022 Carnival below average. J.D. Power gives it a 69/100 'Fair' for Quality & Reliability, well short of the 80 'Average' the 2023 earns. Consumer Reports rates it less reliable than other cars of its model year. 2022 is the first US model year of the KA4 generation and carries launch-year teething problems, so it scores just under the Pacifica (49) and well behind the Odyssey (75) and Sienna (83).

Kia has become one of the decade's real dependability turnarounds. It is usually a top mass-market brand in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study and mid-to-upper pack in the Vehicle Dependability Study and Consumer Reports brand rankings. It isn't consistently top-5, and the Hyundai Motor Group recalls a lot of vehicles. The score matches the brand-level score on Kia's other Carnival scorecards.

The 2022 Carnival has six NHTSA recalls, the heaviest record of any Carnival model year. Three of them carry a fire risk: a damaged plastic fuel rail tube, a trailer-hitch harness short that came with a park-outside advisory, and a 2026 campaign for fuel leaking at the fuel pipe-to-rail joint. Two more involve the power sliding doors, one for a door that may not latch and one for doors that may not auto-reverse (9 injuries). Repeated fire and door-safety recalls put it in the bottom band.

The 2022 Carnival has only one powertrain: the naturally aspirated 3.5L Lambda II V6 GDI with an in-house 8-speed automatic, front-wheel drive. The same pairing in the Telluride, Palisade and Sorento V6 has a sound record and avoided the Theta II four-cylinder engine failures. The score is held below the 2023's 80 because the 2022 has two fuel-delivery recalls on that engine (fuel rail tube, fuel pipe-to-rail leak), even though no internal engine or transmission failure pattern has been reported.

The launch-year KA4 cabin, with dual 12.3-inch screens on upper trims, was widely praised as the most upscale-feeling minivan interior for the money, especially in the SX Prestige with its second-row VIP lounge seats. The volume LX and LXS trims use noticeably plainer materials, which keeps it out of the upper 80s.

As the launch year, the 2022 had the most assembly problems of any Carnival. It was recalled for a passenger sliding-door latch, for roof molding that can detach, and for the sliding-door auto-reverse problem, which also drew an NHTSA investigation and a class action. J.D. Power's 69 'Fair' quality score confirms owners reported more defects than for later years, so it sits in the lower part of the mid band.

Kia has about 775 US dealers, so nationwide coverage isn't a concern, and its service satisfaction is around the industry average. The network is still thinner than Honda's or Toyota's, so it trails the Odyssey and Sienna.

Parts pricing and availability are normal. The V6 and 8-speed automatic are shared across Hyundai/Kia's high-volume three-row SUVs, and the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty still covers original owners of a 2022. Minivan-specific hardware such as sliding-door motors and tracks, body glass and trim is lower-volume and mostly dealer-sourced, and the aftermarket is thinner than for domestic or Japanese rivals.

The volume EX gets the 12.3-in navigation head unit; the base LX has an 8-in screen.

Kia's 12.3-in AVN system is logically laid out and backed by physical shortcut keys. It is a generation older than the ccNC unit of the 2025 facelift and slower to boot.

Wireless projection comes only with the base LX's 8-in unit. The volume EX and higher trims, with the 12.3-in navigation screen, are wired-only.

Native navigation, UVO link and Passenger Voice Control are standard from EX up. They work, but most owners default to phone projection.

Six speakers on LX and eight on EX/SX. The Bose premium system is SX Prestige-only.

LX, EX and SX use analog gauges with a 4.2-in TFT. For 2022 the 12.3-in panoramic digital cluster is SX Prestige-only (it spread to SX for 2023).

The AVN head unit gets map and software updates mainly via USB or the dealer. The pre-facelift Carnival has no whole-vehicle OTA.

UVO link offers remote start, climate, lock/unlock and vehicle locate on EX and above. There is no digital key on the 2022 Carnival.

USB ports in all three rows, and wireless charging from the volume EX up. 115V inverters are on upper trims only.

Smart key, push-button start and power sliding doors are available, with a power liftgate from EX and remote start via UVO. There is no phone-as-key.

Rear camera and rear sensors are standard, with front sensors from EX. Surround View Monitor is SX and up, and Blind-Spot View Monitor is SX Prestige-only for 2022.

No 2022 US Carnival trim lists a head-up display.

Power sliding doors and an 8-passenger Slide-Flex 2nd row whose center seat slides forward within reach of the front row. There is 40.2 cu ft behind the 3rd row for strollers. IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable.

Broad standard ADAS (FCA, BCA, RCCA, Safe Exit Assist, rear occupant alert, SCC Stop & Go) and an IIHS Top Safety Pick on original criteria. Offsetting that: no NHTSA rating for 2022 and a Poor result in IIHS's updated side test.

Roomy rows and large luggage space with every seat filled, plus tri-zone climate from EX. Dual-screen rear entertainment and the VIP chairs are SX-and-up.

A smooth V6 and 8-speed, a comfortable ride and standard SCC with Stop & Go make it relaxed in traffic. Its size and light, numb steering are the drawbacks.

V6-only at 22 MPG combined with no hybrid until 2025, so it costs more per mile than the hybrid Sienna or Pacifica PHEV.

A 38.0-ft turning circle is reasonable for the class, and the EX adds front sensors. Surround-view is SX and up, and the body is long.

A 3,500-lb tow rating and up to 145.1 cu ft of cargo cover light hauling. It is FWD only.

A proven V6 and 8-speed, but a family-oriented interior and first-model-year recalls (sliding doors, electrical) leave it unproven for hard work use.

115V power on upper trims, a flat-folding 3rd row and a cargo well. There are no dedicated work packages or upfit ecosystem.

A comfortable, quiet highway cruiser with standard adaptive cruise and Highway Driving Assist from EX. Range is about 420 miles from a 19-gal tank at 22 MPG.

FWD only with about 6.8 in of clearance. It handles graded gravel, a bike rack or a small trailer, and roof rails come on SX.

40.2 cu ft behind the 3rd row, a 3rd row that folds into the floor and 145.1 cu ft maximum. The 2nd row must be removed rather than stowed.

Composed, level and predictable like a big SUV, but less eager than the Odyssey.

Reviews of this generation repeatedly describe light, accurate-enough but numb steering.

Adequate, consistent stopping for a van of roughly 4,500 lb, with a reasonably firm pedal and no notable fade complaints.

The 290-hp V6 and 8-speed automatic are smooth and quick for the class, at 7.0 s to 60 mph in Car and Driver's test.

The naturally aspirated V6 stays muted at cruise and sounds smooth under load, with no turbo-four or CVT drone.

Mid-band for a full-size minivan.

A commanding, SUV-like seat with a good forward view and physical climate and audio controls. Thick rear pillars limit the over-shoulder view, and the shift dial takes some getting used to.

A strong V6 and SUV-like style give it some character, but it is a comfort-tuned FWD van; the Odyssey remains the driver's pick.

The $33.6K LX comes with a 290-hp V6, an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and the Drive Wise driver aids, at the segment's lowest mainstream entry price. Power sliding doors and the 12.3-inch displays only come on higher trims, so the base van is good value rather than loaded.

Content and capability per dollar are strong: the most powerful standard engine in the class, 3,500-lb towing, big cargo space and a 10-yr/100k powertrain warranty, from a low price. The offsets are no AWD or hybrid, fuel economy well behind the hybrid Sienna, and launch-year dealer markups that ate into the paper value.

There are four trims plus the LX Seat Package, spanning about $33.6K–$47.6K, with 7- or 8-seat layouts and VIP lounge seats on the SX Prestige. Every 2022 Carnival is V6 FWD, so AWD and hybrid buyers must go to the Sienna or Pacifica.

Demand outran supply, but chip-shortage-limited volume made it the smallest player in the segment during its 2022 launch year, far behind the Pacifica, Sienna and Odyssey. Sales grew strongly in later years.

Kia's 2021 rebrand, new logo and strong design plus J.D. Power initial-quality results lifted its image quickly. Family buyers still rated it behind Toyota and Honda on resale and long-term reliability reputation.

The 2022 launch coincided with the worst of the semiconductor shortage. Carnivals were scarce and commonly carried dealer market adjustments over MSRP, with few national incentives.

MY2022 is the first US year of the all-new fourth-generation KA4 Carnival, which replaced the Sedona, so it was one of the newest designs in the class with current platform tech. The refresh did not come until MY2025.

Reviewers praised its SUV-like styling, roomy cabin, strong V6 and value, and it picked up family-vehicle honors. Multi-van comparison tests generally placed it third behind the Sienna and Odyssey.