2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid: What's It Like to Live With?

• We just added this Kia Carnival Hybrid to our One-Year Road Test fleet.
• We'll be testing it for 12 months and 20,000 miles.
• Minivans might've fallen out of fashion, but we're out to prove that they're still plenty cool.

What did we get?

We got a top-of-the-line Kia Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige in Astra Blue. That gets us all the bells and whistles, like cooled front seats, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.

We also sprung for the Seat package, which transforms the second-row captain's chairs into, as Kia explains, "VIP Lounge seats with integrated footrests." These seats are also heated and cooled. Who says only kids are allowed to nap in the back of a minivan? The as-tested price of this Carnival, including destination, is a cool $55,285. That's a pretty penny, though only a couple grand more than the Sienna we tested five whole years ago. 

Edmunds often purchases vehicles for our One-Year Road Test fleet, but Kia loaned us this one for a year of evaluation. 

Why did we get it?

Minivans may have fallen out of style, but we maintain they're often the best tool for the job — if the job is schlepping around a bunch of kids and their stuff, anyway. The modern SUV is the go-to choice for Americans whether they've got a pair of kids or a pack of dogs, but the humble minivan may be a better choice depending on where you're going. 

And that brings us to the Carnival. We've owned every other minivan, so it's time to see where the Kia fits into that competitive field. Join us for a year and 20,000 miles to find out if the Carnival is a true contender and a worthy option for you and your family.

Photos by Keith Buglewicz