2025 Kia Carnival

2025 is the KA4 mid-cycle facelift year, and the 3.5L V6 that powers the volume gas Carnival makes 287 hp, slightly down from the 290 hp of the 2022–2024 van. That ties the Pacifica's V6 for the most in the class and beats the Odyssey (280 hp), but a 150–550 hp band still places it low.

The V6 makes 260 lb-ft, peaking high in the rev range as naturally aspirated engines do. That is level with the Odyssey and Pacifica (262 lb-ft). The optional hybrid makes more torque, and makes it lower down.

Tests of the facelifted V6 van are slower than the 2022 model's roughly 7.0 s. Car and Driver measured 7.8 s, which puts the Carnival behind the Odyssey and Pacifica and about level with the Sienna hybrid. Kia publishes no official 0–60 time.

The naturally aspirated V6 is smooth, quiet and linear, with no turbo lag, and is quieter under load than the Sienna's four-cylinder. Off-the-line response is a little soft, and the hybrid's engine-start transitions are less seamless than Toyota's, so it stays out of the top band.

The V6's 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly, kicks down promptly and does not hunt, which compares well with the Pacifica's busy 9-speed. The hybrid's 6-speed automatic avoids CVT drone but can hesitate at low speed.

The V6 is rated to tow 3,500 lbs with trailer brakes, the class norm and the same as the Odyssey and Sienna. The hybrid is rated lower, at 2,500 lbs.

Every 2025 Carnival trim is front-wheel drive with either powertrain, and the facelift did not add AWD. The Sienna and Pacifica both offer AWD; only the Odyssey shares this gap.

At 6.8 in, the Carnival's ground clearance beats the Pacifica and Odyssey. It has no AWD, skid plates, terrain modes or off-road trim, so it is built for pavement.

2025 adds a 1.6T hybrid alongside the 3.5L V6, giving buyers two distinct powertrains. That is more choice than the single-powertrain Odyssey and Sienna, though less than the Pacifica, which offers a plug-in hybrid and AWD.

fueleconomy.gov lists a single gas configuration for 2025, the 3.5L V6 with the 8-speed automatic, rated at 21 MPG combined. That trails the gas Odyssey and Pacifica (22 MPG). The hybrid is scored separately.

A heavy van with a naturally aspirated V6 and no electric assist loses the most in stop-and-go driving.

At 26 MPG highway, the Carnival is about two MPG behind the gas Odyssey and Pacifica.

The 19-gallon tank makes up for the modest fuel economy and gives a mid-pack range of about 400 miles.

This is EPA's current annual fuel-cost estimate for the 2025 V6 at 15,000 miles a year on regular fuel. It is high for the segment because of the 21 MPG combined rating.

The V6 runs on regular 87-octane fuel and has no premium requirement. There is no plug-in or charging to plan for.

NHTSA's 2025 Carnival FWD listing carries only the frontal (4 stars: driver 5, passenger 4) and rollover (4 stars) results with overall and side marked Not Rated; the facelifted 2024 'Later Release' Carnival — the same refreshed body the 2025 shares, citing the same frontal test — earned 5 stars overall with 5-star side, so that is the latest overall rating for this configuration.

No IIHS award for 2025. The Carnival is Good in both small-overlap tests, but its updated moderate-overlap result is Marginal (rear passenger head/neck and chest Marginal) and the updated side test is only Acceptable even after 2025 B-pillar, door and rear-seat-rail reinforcements (rear passenger torso Marginal). That is a weak result in the updated protocols, though in line with a segment where rivals also struggle on rear-passenger protection.

Every 2025 Carnival trim from LX up gets AEB with car/pedestrian/cyclist detection, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Lane Keeping and Lane Following Assist, navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Highway Driving Assist — the full AEB/ACC/LKA/BSM/RCTA list is standard across the range.

The system covers vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists on every trim, with junction-turning and lane-overlap scenarios added on SX and up, but IIHS has not published a pedestrian or updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention grade for the 2025 van, and its last pedestrian evaluation of the Carnival rated nighttime performance only Basic.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic systems intervene with braking rather than alerting only, and Safe Exit Assist is standard on every trim; SX and SX-Prestige add the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed and reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist are standard and tied into Highway Driving Assist, giving steady centering on well-marked highways; reviewers generally rate Kia's tuning as smooth, though the lane-keep intervention can be intrusive and it hunts on faded markings.

Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard on every 2025 trim, combined with Highway Driving Assist, and SX and SX-Prestige step up to Highway Driving Assist 2 with assisted lane changes — a well-integrated, full-speed-range package by mainstream standards.

No hands-free driving mode is available on any 2025 Carnival trim; both HDA and HDA 2 are hands-on systems requiring steering-wheel input.

LX through SX use LED multi-focus reflector headlamps and only SX-Prestige gets projector LEDs; IIHS rated the Carnival's reflector lamps Poor and the projectors Good in its last evaluation, so the volume trims are on the weak lamp. High Beam Assist is standard throughout, and IIHS has not yet published headlight results for the facelifted 2025.

Upright seating, a tall glasshouse and a low cowl give good forward sightlines, while the SUV-styled rear pillars leave a larger rear-quarter blind zone than a traditional minivan; volume trims rely on the standard rear camera and parking sensors, with Surround View and Blind-Spot View Monitors only on SX and up.

Wide power sliding doors, a tall cabin and an 8-passenger layout on most trims make car-seat installs straightforward, but IIHS grades the LATCH hardware only Acceptable and the heavy, non-removable second-row seats limit flexibility versus the Odyssey.

The volume LXS/EX trims seat eight, the segment maximum.

Front headroom on the volume trims is generous and ahead of most minivan rivals.

Front legroom is on the short side of the band but close to Odyssey and Sienna.

Second-row headroom is excellent without the sunroof and still adequate with it.

Second-row legroom is plentiful, and the sliding seats can trade some of it with the third row.

Adults fit in the third row, which has 35.6 in of legroom and 38.6 in of headroom. Power sliding doors and sliding 2nd-row seats make it easy to reach. It is among the roomiest third rows in the class.

The deep well behind the third row and large space behind the second keep it competitive with Pacifica and Sienna.

Kia claims class-leading maximum cargo room. Reaching it means removing the heavy 2nd-row seats, which don't stow in the floor the way Stow 'n Go does.

Storage includes a deep rear cargo well, a large center console and bins in every row. Power comes from six USB-C ports, two power outlets and two 115V inverters. On LXS/EX the 2nd-row center seat is removable and slides forward. There is no in-floor seat stowage like Pacifica's.

Reviewers find the front seats supportive. The available VIP Lounge 2nd-row recliners with leg rests stand out, though the regular 2nd-row bench is flatter.

The ride is mostly stable with minimal body roll. Larger bumps shake the cabin more than in the Odyssey, so it is composed rather than plush.

Acoustic laminated glass keeps road noise down. Some wind noise comes off the large side windows at highway speed.

Tri-zone climate is standard and heated front seats arrive with the LXS. Ventilated seats, a heated wheel and heated/ventilated 2nd-row VIP seats sit on EX and above.

The LX opens the 2025 Carnival range at $36,800 plus $1,435 destination, which is the lowest entry price among mainstream minivans. It undercuts the Sienna LE, Odyssey and Pacifica Select by several thousand dollars. The MY2025 facelift brought a price rise, but the Carnival is still the class price leader.

We treat the EX as the volume trim: it is where power sliding doors, heated seats and the fuller convenience kit come together. It lands below a comparable Odyssey EX-L or Sienna XLE. Kia does not publish its trim mix, so the choice of volume trim is our judgement.

Scheduled service on the direct-injected 3.5L V6 is conventional, and Kia's 5-yr/60k basic and 10-yr/100k powertrain warranties cover most repairs in the first five years. We put the total about $1,000–$1,500 below the minivan average, between the Sienna and the Odyssey.

Carnival residuals now run slightly better than the minivan average, but still clearly behind the Sienna. Some of the van's low purchase price comes back out as depreciation.

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

The 10-yr/100k powertrain warranty is double what Toyota, Honda and Chrysler offer, and it is the Carnival's strongest ownership-cost advantage. It applies only to the original owner.

Kia includes no scheduled maintenance in the US, which keeps this item below 50 under the scoring guidance. What it does include is 5-yr/60k roadside assistance and a complimentary Kia Connect trial. That rates above Honda's roadside-only package but well below the Sienna's ToyotaCare.

$42,435 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (54% retained, or about $22,915) leaves about $19,520 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $24,020 in total.

J.D. Power rates the 2025 Carnival 76/100 for quality and reliability, which is Average and a step down from the 2024's 80. Consumer Reports still predicts it will be more reliable than the average new car, but that prediction rests on 2024 data and the brand score, not on the facelifted car. 2025 is the first year of the facelift, with new curved-display hardware and the first North American hybrid, so it scores below the mature 2024 (74), the Odyssey (75.4) and the Sienna (82.8).

Kia is now a regular top mass-market finisher in J.D. Power IQS and sits mid-to-upper pack in VDS and the Consumer Reports brand rankings. It stops short of 'consistently top-5' because its CR placement moves around from year to year and the Hyundai/Kia group carries a heavy recall load. This is a brand-level judgment, so it is kept consistent with the other Kia Carnival years and Kia scorecards.

The 2025 Carnival has two recalls. 26V-232 is serious: high-pressure crossover fuel-pipe nuts on the V6 can loosen and leak fuel, a fire risk, and it covers Carnivals across the whole generation. 26V-046 is a software fault that can blank the instrument-panel display, including the speedometer and warning lights, and is fixed over the air. With the generation's earlier sliding-door auto-reverse campaign (23V-236) added in, this is the bottom of the typical band: below the 2024 (60) and the Odyssey, but well above the Pacifica.

The scored gas volume trim uses the naturally aspirated 3.5L Lambda II V6 GDI with Kia's 8-speed automatic. That is the same proven V6/8AT family as the Telluride and Palisade, and none of the Theta II four-cylinder failures apply to it. It scores a few points below the 2024 (80) because the 26V-232 fuel-pipe recall is a production defect on this V6's high-pressure fuel plumbing. The 1.6T hybrid that debuts this year is not the scored configuration.

The 2025 facelift gave the cabin a dual 12.3-inch curved panoramic display and kept the SX Prestige's quilted leather and second-row VIP lounge seats. Reviewers regularly call it near-luxury for minivan money, the best-presented cabin in the class. It falls short of the 90s because the volume LX and LXS trims use noticeably plainer materials.

Assembly at Kia's Sohari (Gwangmyeong) plant on a body in its fourth US year is consistent and draws no recurring panel-fit criticism. It scores a little below the 2024 award-winner (78) because the first-year facelift brought new display electronics, which needed the 26V-046 software fix. The fuel-pipe recall is officially attributed to a 'production deviation', and owners keep reporting scattered rattles and sliding-door complaints.

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

The V6 and 8-speed automatic are shared across Hyundai/Kia's three-row models, so mechanical parts are plentiful and reasonably priced, and the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty covers expensive failures. Minivan-specific hardware, such as the sliding-door motors and tracks and the new facelift trim and glass, is lower-volume and mostly comes from dealers.

The 2025 refresh makes a 12.3-inch touchscreen standard across the range.

The ccNC system is quick and logically laid out. The shared touch-switch strip for climate and media draws some complaints.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come with the standard 12.3-in screen on every trim.

Native navigation is standard, and voice commands go as deep as the VIP seat controls. The maps are functional rather than great.

Base audio is adequate, EX gets eight speakers and SX gets a 12-speaker Bose system. Good, not class-leading.

Lower trims pair a 4.2-in TFT with analog gauges. The full 12.3-in digital cluster is limited to upper trims with the panoramic display.

The ccNC system takes over-the-air updates for infotainment, maps and some controllers. Feature-adding whole-vehicle OTA is limited.

Kia Connect provides remote start/climate, lock and locate. UWB Digital Key 2.0 with key sharing is available.

Six USB-C ports are standard throughout the cabin, plus two power outlets and two 115V inverters. EX adds wireless charging.

Smart-key entry and push-button start are standard, as are power sliding doors. A hands-free liftgate and phone-as-key Digital Key 2.0 come on higher trims.

A rear camera and sensors are standard. Surround View Monitor, Blind-Spot View Monitor and reverse collision-avoidance are only on SX and SX Prestige.

A full-color HUD with navigation is available but only on the top trim.

Power sliding doors, eight seats, a removable sliding 2nd-row center seat and an adult-size third row make family logistics easy. LATCH ease is rated only Acceptable.

Broad ADAS, including Safe Exit Assist, is standard on every trim. IIHS rates the updated moderate overlap Marginal for the rear passenger, though, and no 2025 minivan earns a TSP.

Every row is adult-size, and 40.2 cu ft behind the third row holds the luggage. USB-C and 115V reach all rows. Dual 14.6-in rear screens and VIP recliners are available.

The V6 and 8-speed are smooth and responsive, and adaptive cruise with Stop & Go is standard. Its 203-in length makes it feel big in traffic.

At about 21 MPG combined, the gas V6 is average-to-weak against hybrid rivals and the Carnival's own hybrid. It runs on regular fuel and is covered by Kia's warranty.

A tight 37.7-ft turning circle and big windows help. At 203 in long on a 121.7-in wheelbase, though, it needs care in garages, and surround view is only on SX.

The 3,500-lb tow rating leads gas minivans, and with the 2nd row removed the cargo room is huge. It is still a FWD people-mover suited only to light work.

The interior is family-oriented and has no fleet track record. The proven Lambda V6 and 10-yr/100k powertrain warranty offset some of the risk.

Two 115V inverters and a big cargo floor help. There is no upfit ecosystem, and the heavy 2nd-row seats must be removed for bulk loads.

Laminated glass keeps it quiet, Highway Driving Assist is standard (HDA 2 on SX) and the VIP recliners are available. Expect roughly 400 miles per tank, with some wind noise.

With FWD only and 6.8 in of clearance it stays on pavement and gravel roads. The 3,500-lb tow rating, roof rails from EX and 115V outlets help for camping.

The deep well and fold-into-floor 3rd row, with 145 cu ft max, swallow bulky gear. The 2nd-row seats have to be lifted out rather than stowed.

Handling is stable and secure for its size, with minimal body roll. It is not as tidy as the Odyssey.

The steering is accurate and well weighted with 3.0 turns lock-to-lock, but it gives little feedback.

Reviewers report strong stopping power and a predictable pedal for a roughly 4,600-lb van.

The 287-hp V6 and 8-speed automatic are smooth, with unobtrusive shifts and good mid-range response.

The V6 is refined at cruise and audible but inoffensive when worked hard.

The turning circle is tight for a minivan on a 121.7-in wheelbase.

The driving position is tall and SUV-like with good forward sightlines, and LXS adds a power driver's seat. The thick D-pillars and the touch-switch strip are minor demerits.

The strong V6 makes it more willing than most vans, but it is still a pleasant appliance.

The $38,235 LX is the cheapest mainstream minivan, yet it comes with dual power sliding doors, tri-zone climate, the 287-hp V6 and Kia's Drive Wise driver-assist suite (forward collision avoidance, blind-spot avoidance, lane-following assist). The facelift's dual 12.3-inch curved displays start further up the range. A Sienna or Odyssey equipped to the same level costs several thousand dollars more.

It offers the most content per dollar in the class: a standard V6, a 10-yr/100k powertrain warranty, a big cabin and an upscale facelifted interior, all from the lowest entry price. Dealers commonly sold below sticker. The main offset is resale, which trails the Sienna's.

There are five well-spaced gas trims, and the new 1.6T hybrid is offered on four of them, so the range now offers two powertrains. Seating comes in 7- or 8-passenger form, and the SX Prestige adds VIP lounge seats. The one gap is drivetrain: every trim is FWD-only, while the Sienna and Pacifica both offer AWD.

2025 was a record year for the Carnival, with US sales up about 45%. That made it the biggest gainer in Kia's lineup and the fastest riser in a growing segment. In absolute volume it still sits fourth, behind the Pacifica and Sienna, which each sold over 100,000.

Kia's image has improved a lot through design leadership, strong J.D. Power initial-quality results and its long warranty. With family-van buyers it still trails Toyota and Honda on reliability reputation and resale, so the brand helps a little but carries no halo.

Gas Carnivals have regularly sold several thousand dollars under MSRP, and Kia runs national APR and cash offers. The Sienna, by contrast, sells at or near sticker. Hybrid trims were supply-constrained at launch and discounted less.

2025 is the fourth-generation KA4 Carnival's mid-cycle facelift year. It brought new front and rear styling, a dual 12.3-inch curved-display interior and the first hybrid powertrain, on a generation launched in the US for MY2022. With no replacement close, it is the freshest mainstream minivan alongside the Sienna, and much newer than the Odyssey and Pacifica platforms.

The 2025 Carnival and Carnival Hybrid won a Car and Driver Editors' Choice award, and reviewers praise their space, cabin quality and value. It loses ground for having no AWD and for second-row seats that come out rather than stowing. No 2025 minivan qualified for an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and the Carnival rated Marginal in the updated moderate-overlap test.