In actuality, Kia’s 2022 Kia Carnival is a cutting-edge minivan dressed as an SUV, despite the company’s claims that it is a multipurpose vehicle. The spacious third-row seating, which so many SUVs lack, and the traditional sliding side door are what identify it as a minivan. Additionally, the Carnival only has front-wheel drive while the majority of SUVs have all-wheel drive.
Nevertheless, the Kia Carnival is a fantastic people mover that can accommodate up to eight passengers comfortably. Additionally, each model is loaded with cutting-edge driver aid safety features and technology. When parents pull up to drop off a group of kids and their equipment at the sports field, its sleeker-than-most-minivan design might even help them avoid the outdated soccer mom and dad reputation.
The second row of the top-of-the-line Kia Carnival Prestige SX boasts seats that resemble those in business class; they are the most comfortable way to travel in any car under $50,000. The fit and finish of the cockpit is also on par with the level of luxury found inside high-end automobiles from manufacturers like Audi, BMW, and Lexus. More importantly, even the cheapest Carnival has a comprehensive selection of safety technology. It satisfies every requirement that the recently retired Kia Sedona minivan could not quite meet.
The Chrysler Pacifica, the minivan segment’s current best-selling vehicle with sales accounting for 40% of the segment through April 2021, will be closely followed by the 2022 Kia Carnival. The Toyota Sienna (32%) and Honda Odyssey follow in its wake (24 percent ). Since buyers abandoned the market in favor of SUVs five years ago, every top-selling minivan has undergone a redesign to stay competitive. But together, their sales have decreased from 1.1 million in 2005 to slightly over 270,000 in 2020.
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What is the Kia Carnival’s typical cost?
Low Base Prices: When the costly Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is excluded, the starting MSRP for a base Carnival is $32,300, which is around $2,000 less than usual for the segment. A top-trim Carnival also starts at $46,300, which is $4,000 less than the segment average for fully loaded competitors.
Is buying a Kia Carnival worthwhile?
The brand-new Kia Carnival boasts a number of appealing features. It sports unique appearance, a wealth of standard amenities, plush seats, and an excellent guarantee. It falls short of becoming a home run due to a lackluster driving experience and some crude technological features.
A Kia Sedona or Kia Carnival, exactly?
The Kia Sedona is a popular choice among consumers for 2021, but did you know that there won’t be a 2022 model? That does not imply that Kia won’t provide a minivan for the following model year. In actuality, the Kia Carnival will take the position of the Sedona in 2022.
Is the Carnival trustworthy?
Consumer Reports scored the 2022 Kia Carnival high marks after examining the normal measurements for a decent vehicle. It ranked first among minivans with a score of 79 out of 100 overall and 89 out of 100 on the road test. Despite the Carnival’s opposition, the vehicle qualifies as a minivan. It took the place of the mediocre Kia Sedona minivan. The Kia Carnival leaves a lasting impression.
The reliability score was three out of five, but the anticipated owner satisfaction score was four out of five. Customer Reports described it as “The spacious, luxurious, and Kia Carnival. The Carnival MPV, which replaced the previous Kia minivan in the range, is attractively designed and excellent for families. The smooth powertrain, the brakes, the interior space, and the controls are some of the positives mentioned. It won the coveted award “suggested label, likewise.
How reliable is the Kia Grand Carnival?
The 2011 Kia Carnival (SLi) has been a dependable family vehicle ever since it was purchased used. With all the modern conveniences, the automobile is incredibly comfortable to drive and has enough space for a big family. The vehicle has excellent handling and enough power to accommodate all passengers.
Why is the Kia Carnival flawed?
Certain 2022 Carnival vehicles are being recalled by Kia Motors America (Kia). The passenger-side power sliding door’s remote controller assembly could be broken, making it impossible for the door to latch firmly.
What you ought to do is
Dealers will completely replace the remote controller assembly’s drum and holder for the passenger-side power sliding door release actuator. On December 16, 2021, owner notification letters were sent out. Call 1-800-333-4542 to reach Kia customer support. The recall number for Kia is SC221.
Additionally, owners can visit www.nhtsa.gov or call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).
A safe vehicle, the Kia Carnival?
In North America, Kia debuted the Carnival, a well-liked MPV, in 2022 in February. In the US market, the Kia Sedona is replaced by the Kia Carnival. The 2022 Kia Carnival is the first Kia product in the US to carry the new Kia logo, and the business is doing all in its power to ensure that the Carnival is a huge success by providing a ton of space, a variety of features, decent performance, and a nice overall package.
More details
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, or ANCAP, has awarded the fourth-generation Carnival a 5-star safety rating.
The Carnival received scores of 90 for protecting adult occupants, 88 for protecting children, 68 for protecting vulnerable road users, and 82 for providing safety aids. A full-speeding Carnival was made to crash into a wall during the full-width test. The MPV’s front bumper and engine compartment completely absorbed the force of the collision, protecting the occupants.
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The airbags that were released at the scene of the incident also provided support for the dummy passengers. The fourth-generation vehicle’s robust components protected the occupants during the side impact when a swiftly approaching vehicle struck a resting Carnival.
Despite the motionless Carnival shifting a few inches away, the impact was minimized.
Official statement
Carla Hoorweg, chief executive officer of ANCAP, commented on the performance of the Kia Carnival by saying, “Safety is crucial in the People Mover class given the major function of these vehicles in moving a large number of passengers. It’s encouraging to see that the Carnival and other more recent model releases in this market include safety as a basic component of their design and specification. The level of safety here should not be compromised.
Specs and safety features
A 3.5L V6 petrol engine with 290BHP and 355Nm of peak torque is housed under the hood. It drives the front wheels of an 8-speed automatic transmission. To help the driver, it contains 12 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) capabilities.
Will a Kia Carnival travel off-road?
This may not be to your taste, but in the case of family automobiles, this is what peak performance looks like.
- So simple to enter into, feel at ease in, and move around in
- Excellent boot space in particular
- A laser-like concentration on usefulness is quite effective.
- Gremlins in the infotainment system have dulled the experience somewhat.
- Catching biscuits in the seat tracks
- Cleaning efforts are somewhat hampered by the second-row floor mat.
The 2021 Kia Carnival’s main advantage is that it’s not an SUV. The bones of the Carnival prioritize internal room above all else, staying true to its form as a people mover despite having matured to the point of shrugging off some of that bad connotation.
The Carnival is not only low to the ground, but also broad and shaped like a loaf of bread. These days, a streamlined loaf is the epitome of pragmatism pure and simple.
Spending time with the 2021 Carnival serves as a reminder to me once more that although SUVs are obscenely popular, their design has problems that prevent them from being successful.
This is what peak performance looks like, which you may not like. Specifically when it comes to family vehicles.
We’ve left the Carnival’s third row stowed away most of the time and enjoyed the enormous amount of room on offer because the second row of the Carnival is used the most during our daily trips.
Yes, our family of four definitely doesn’t need a vehicle of this caliber, but it’s simple to become used to having so much space in both the second row and trunk. The capacity to eat bicycles and strollers whole is a recurring pleasure that I didn’t anticipate I would value or enjoy as much.
The middle seat in the second row’s reinforced backrest serves nicely as a table and cupholders, accommodating any number of drinks, wipes, toys, and other items we frequently find ourselves lugging around.
And when we’ve crammed in more people than just our own delegation of four, I removed the middle seat of the second row and found the third row’s newly-acquired access to be a blessing. Baby seats are not in the way when you walk into the back. Perfect.
And let me tell you, this Carnival offers more space and comfort in the third row than SUVs can even imagine.
The Carnival’s lack of a rear-mounted spare tire, a pumped-up ride height, or a rear differential means that even with all three rows of seats in use, there is still a ton of deep, practical boot room available.
The basic ergonomics, air conditioning, sun blinds, and power outlets have all been excellent. And in case you didn’t already know, children adore sunroofs. The two generously sized specimens on this Carnival can be opened up to deflect attention and put an end to unrest.
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I’ve long since learned that it’s better to stay away from snacks that melt, spread, or liquefy in any way while driving a car that you care for or don’t own. So, we turn to items like dry biscuits and spill-proof bottles when the unavoidable appetites need to be satisfied.
With continued use, there is a slight issue, though. It can be difficult to remove smaller biscuits and biscuit pieces that have become stuck in the seating track. The only thing I can think of to use as a vacuum cleaner in that space is a chopstick and some patience.
However, most surfaces, including floor carpeting and seat perforations, clean up pretty readily.
The second-row floor mat, which has a complicated design and a symbiotic interaction with the second-row chairs, is a minor complaint. I just left it in place and vacuumed it as well as I could because it’s hard to remove out and clean quickly.
Another is the electric boot, which instead of using gesture control just requires a brief period of time spent standing behind the vehicle. A procession of flashes and beeps may be seen as well as the boot opening automatically while casually strolling towards the back of the Carnival with the key. It’s convenient when you need it, but occasionally you don’t. I once had to stop the Carnival from colliding with another object.
We’ve noticed that the quality of phone calls isn’t excellent, with people on the other end of the line hearing a kind of feedback in which they can hear themselves on repeat. We haven’t noticed this on any other vehicles, so it might have something to do with the phone rather than the car.
Another was that our infotainment system’s display would not even turn on. No one was home, but the music was on and the phone kept ringing. The issue vanished after being locked and switched off for a bit.
The infotainment system is effective when it isn’t malfunctioning. Ours continuously plays Spotify or a digital radio station on a smartphone while being drama-free.
Spending more time with this Carnival over the past few weeks has only made my admiration for Kia’s people mover grow and increase, problems apart (which will be updated with subsequent installments).
And it has confirmed my conviction that, whenever possible, we should acquire cars that are especially good at one or a select few areas rather than attempting to maintain a passing grade in every area. It cannot tow, pop gutters, travel off-road, or traverse ski slopes. But the Carnival is unmatched as a family vehicle that can easily swallow passengers and packages.
As for this midnight purple Carnival, call me crazy, but don’t you think it would look fantastic slammed?
What makes a Carnival different from a Sedona?
Compared to the Sedona, the Kia Carnival has a marginally higher price range. On the other hand, its extensive onboard equipment and more potent engine make it well worth the price.
- Price range for the 2022 Kia Carnival: $36,460 to $50,260, 5 models
- Price range for the 2021 Kia Sedona: $34,205 to $44,705, 4 variations
In terms of engines, the 2022 Kia Carnival defeats the Sedona thanks to its 3.5 L V6 engine’s 290 horsepower. That outperforms the 276 horsepower, 3.3 L V6 engine of its predecessor. Their combined towing capacities, which are 3500 pounds for both models, are unchanged.
The Carnival nevertheless offers higher fuel economy than the Sedona despite having greater power, with city/highway ratings of 12.0/8.9 L/100 km compared to 12.7/10.0 for the Sedona.
Although the size of their exteriors is quite comparable, the Carnival once again has the advantage. The Carnival’s load volume, which varies from 1,139 to 4,110 L depending on whether the rear seats are folded down or not, is its strongest asset. This measurement for the Sedona spans from 960 to 4,022 L.
Is the Kia Sedona the same as the Carnival?
In America, there aren’t many minivan options, but Kia just made the brave decision to introduce its own minivan model. Kia has discontinued the Sedona and replaced it with the Kia Carnival for the 2022 model year.