2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid First Drive: More Competitive Than Ever

• Kia Carnival is refreshed for 2025 with fresh looks.
• Kia also added a hybrid powertrain option for the new model year.
• New infotainment makes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard features.

How does the Carnival drive?

The hybrid comes with a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine paired with a six-speed transmission that Kia says delivers 242 horsepower combined between the gas and electric motors. That’s 45 fewer horsepower than you’ll get on the V6-powered Carnival. Power gets sent exclusively to the front wheels, and no Carnival regardless of powertrain has the option for all-wheel drive. The hybrid’s improved torque (271 lb-ft) may help you pull away from stoplights quicker, but make no mistake, the Carnival Hybrid is a slow vehicle. 

Getting up to highway speeds while going up an incline taxes the powertrain, but in routine driving you won’t notice too much engine noise in the cabin. While the hybrid isn’t a powerhouse, it does operate smoothly. It uses a traditional six-speed transmission instead of a continuously variable automatic that hybrids from so many other automakers use, but there are clear benefits to the more traditional way the Carnival swaps cogs. It never feels like the minivan is confused about what gear it should be in, and that means power is always readily available. 

The Carnival has never been enthralling or interesting to get behind the wheel of — it drives like a minivan because it is one, regardless of what Kia wants you to call it — but we were left wanting a little more in terms of ride comfort on the road. Over smoother pavement ride isolation is excellent, but the same can be said for nearly anything with wheels. The ride is much less refined on bumpy, pockmarked roads. It’s not uncomfortable, but you’ll certainly notice if you’re regularly driving on roads that could use a bit of repaving.

Thankfully, wind noise is kept to a minimum, which is impressive given the Carnival’s boxy shape. The front seats are also comfortable, something that's always been a high point of the Kia. Ventilated front seats are standard on the top two trims (SX and SX Prestige). To get heated and ventilated second-row seats, you need to upgrade to the top-of-the-line SX Prestige trim. Heated front seats are standard on all but the base (gas-only) LX trim. 

If you want something sporty and fun to drive, there are SUVs that fit that bill. But if you’re looking for van-loads of utility without tremendous compromise, the Carnival Hybrid is more than up to the task of hauling you, your family, and all of their gear without too much fuss.

New inside, new tech, too

The refresh for 2025 also brings with it some new tech. The pre-face-lift Carnival has some tech features that lacked refinement. But 2025 brings with it a thoroughly reworked dashboard layout, slicker-looking screens, and a totally new operating system for the infotainment. You can finally use wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on every trim too.

The new pair of 12-inch screens are, for the most part, easy to use. Kia's infotainment has always been menu-heavy, but the learning curve is short and buyers will likely get the hang of the new screens quickly. Top-trim Carnivals come with a head-up display that can help with navigation too. 

Unfortunately, the Carnival still has a touch bar underneath the screen that functions as a control for both the climate and audio. That means you may need to press on the bar to switch between the climate and audio menu before making any other changes. This can be challenging while driving, and I wish Kia would do away with it completely. 

Kia makes getting into the back row easy, which is a blessing because sometimes folding yourself behind a second row feels like you need to make a trip to REI for climbing gear beforehand. The second row has two levers and an underseat handle that makes it easy to slide them forward. The third row can fit a couple of adults during brief drives. Headroom is an issue in the third row for taller adults, though the fact that it reclines is a nice touch that helps, if only a little.

How’s the Carnival’s storage?

Kia says you can fit 40.2 cubic feet of goodies behind the third row. And if you remove the second row and stow the third, that expands to 145.1 cubic feet. Storing the third row is manual, using a lever or pull-tab. This can be a bit cumbersome, as the chairs are quite heavy. But when the third row is folded down, it creates a flat space that makes loading cargo very easy. 

The storage space behind the third row beats the other minivans on the market by a few cubic feet, and the Carnival narrowly edges the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica in total cargo space. There are plenty of places to store small items, too. The cupholders were also increased to 95 millimeters (3.74 inches) in diameter, so toting around your giant influencer-y water bottle is easier than ever. 

Kia wants to meet buyers where they are. That’s why the Carnival is styled like a boxy SUV and not like a traditional minivan. But everything that makes the Carnival useful for families goes back to its minivan roots. If you want a minivan for its utility but are put off by its styling, the Carnival is a logical choice and the hybrid powertrain only bolsters its case as a real challenger to the Sienna's top spot. 

The base LX trim, only available on non-hybrid Carnivals, starts at $37,895 including destination. The lowest-level hybrid Carnival, the LXS trim, starts at $41,895 and builds up to the SX Prestige trim ($53,995). The non-hybrid Carnival SX Prestige is $2,000 cheaper than its hybrid counterpart.