The Kia Carnival Hybrid

The Kia Carnival Hybrid is the non-minivan minivan. There. We’ve said it. These past few decades haven’t been kind to the apple of Lee Iaccoca’s eye. (Who is Lee, also known as Lido? Google him!) Our feelings at Napleton News have never wavered: We still have a love/hate relationship with them. That was until we stumbled upon the Kia Carnival Hybrid.

You’re probably wondering if we love or hate it more. Read on to find out.

What is the Kia Carnival Hybrid?

The Kia Carnival Hybrid is an eight-passenger vehicle that reminds us more of an SUV than a Minivan. We think the same thing is happening with many others who view the Carnival. That’s a good thing because sales are robust for this vehicle that just finished a mid-cycle refresh.

New this time around is a set of wheel options, reshaped head- and taillights, a new grille and something that customers have been asking for quite a while: A hybrid powertrain. And some mighty impressive mileage.

The Kia Carnival Hybrid is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and six-speed automatic transmission. Combined, the pair deliver 242 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. Power is delivered to the front wheels, exclusively although we hear from customers who would like the AWD drive option, especially those living in snowbelt states.

How does the new Kia Carnival PHEV look?

There’s no denying the Carnival’s minivan roots but Kia played it smart by adding a longish nose. The result is a look that resembles the hood of an SUV rather than the short and sloped look of the typical minivan. It’s a successful execution on Kia’s part, and one that doesn’t compromise. As a result, it gets rid of some of the stigma associated with that form of conveyance.

The new Carnival, fresh from its day at the spa, now features a wider grille set and a great stance. That means it hunkers down like a Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) hot rod. Even though it is a minivan.

How about inside the Carnival? What’s up with that?

The interior of the new Carnival PHEV features the brand’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit and an available Connected Car Rear Cockpit (ccRC). These features and more make the Carnival a much more inhabitable space.

Drivers will find a curved panoramic display field that is essentially two 12.3-inch screens melded together side-by-side. Our tester was equipped with a full color head-up display and a full display mirror. That’s the mirror that allows you to flick a lever to show what the rear camera is seeing.

There’s a “Hey Kia” function that makes the Carnival an Alexa on wheels. Or is it an iPhone? Either way, the computer in your Carnival takes control as long as you utter the phrase Hey Kia!

Electronics aside, the interior of the Kia Carnival Hybrid is good enough for the long haul. We managed a trip from West Palm Beach to Miami and arrived relaxed and refreshed as a couple of daisies. That’s not always the case, though, as we have seen in other test vehicles.

The one thing that was missing on our tester were the executive reclining seats. Optional in the middle row, they allow those passengers to kick back, recline their chairs and have ottoman-style cushions to lift your legs from the floor.

At 145.1 cubic feet, the Carnival has best-in-class cargo space behind the first row seats. In the way-back, fold-in-floor third row seats remain one of the Carnival’s strong selling points.

Behind the wheel of the Carnival PHEV.

Turning on the Carnival Hybrid starts a panoply of space age sounds. These apparently are to let pedestrians around you know that this nearly silent vehicle is on a roll. Gear selection duties are handled by a knob that does its best to take up just a little bit of space on the console. Kudos to Kia designers for engineering an extremely quiet interior.

Acceleration is surprisingly spritely, especially when getting onto the highway. The transition from electric to gasoline-powered is seamless. In fact, you might never even notice it. What you will notice at the end of the day, though, is that this thing barely sips gas. For example:

When we first stepped in to the Carnivale, we noticed a range of 560 miles to start. A week later, and following a trip to Miami and back, it still reads around 342 miles. That’s thanks to the Carnival’s hybrid-electric powertrain. Forget that it’s a minivan. Instead, think of it as a high-mileage road tripper.

2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid Specifications