What We Know So Far

Overview

Fresh off the successful launch of the Telluride SUV, Kia is readying its other three-row people mover—the Sedona minivan—for a redesign. Kia has already shown images of the next-generation van, which we expect will adopt the Carnival name. We expect the Carnival will go on sale in 2021 as a 2022 model. From images released by Kia, we can see that the Carnival’s square-jawed styling is updated, giving it a very SUV-like appearance. It’s even more handsome than the current model. Large wheels, a floating roof, and signature daytime running lights that flow into the grille give the van an upscale vibe that somehow reminds us of the modern Range Rover. We expect the Carnival to be powered by a 290-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. We’ll know more closer to the 2022 model’s on-sale date.

What’s New for 2022?

The Carnival will be all-new for 2022, with updated styling, features, and technology to help it better compete with the likes of the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, and newly redesigned Toyota Sienna minivans.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Kia hasn’t released a full list of the 2022 Carnival’s standard or optional features, but we know that a wider range of technology and driver-assistance features will be available. Pricing is speculative at this time as well, but we’ll update this story when Kia reveals more details.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The current Sedona is powered by a 3.3-liter V-6 engine and drives the front-wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2022 Carnival will graduate to a more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 churning out a healthy 290-hp. All-wheel drive, unfortunately, is not on the menu, as the Carnival will be offered only as a front-wheel drive model. The Pacifica has an optional plug-in-hybrid powertrain and the new-for-2021 Sienna comes only as a hybrid, but we don’t expect Kia to offer such a setup on the Carnival, at least not right away.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Fuel-economy ratings from the EPA for the 2022 Carnival are 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined, which are slightly better than the 2021 Sedona’s numbers. When we get a 2022 Carnival in for testing, we’ll subject it to our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test to see how it stacks up against the Pacifica, Odyssey, and Sienna. For more information about the Carnival’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

From photos of the Carnival’s interior, we can see the new van’s dashboard and front seats. From the look of things, it’s receiving a new rotary shift knob, a large center console, and a Mercedes-style dual-screen infotainment system with a digital gauge display. The photo is likely of an upscale SX trim, so it’s shown with leather upholstery; cloth seats are likely to be standard. Kia will likely offer a panoramic sunroof and lounge-like reclining second-row seats with pop-up footrests as additional options. Kia has said that interior spaciousness has been improved on the new Carnival; both the van’s wheelbase and overall length have been stretched to provide more room for people and cargo.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Interior technology and infotainment is expected to take a big leap forward in the 2022 Carnival. We can see from the interior photo that a large dual-screen infotainment setup will be offered, and we now know that the large displays will be optional. The current van offers either a 7.0-inch or 8.0-inch touchscreen but more modern Kias come with larger free-standing displays and modern software. Onboard Wi-Fi will likely be a standard feature, and we expect to see Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and perhaps even Amazon Alexa integration. More details will be available closer to the van’s launch.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

We expect Kia will offer more driver-assistance features this time around and make several items standard to help the Carnival compete with the Pacifica, Odyssey, and Sienna. For more information about the Carnival’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features are likely to include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Available adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Kia’s warranty trumps its rivals’, with a powertrain policy that spans 10 years or 100,000 miles. Unlike the Sienna, though, the Carnival isn’t likely to come with any complimentary scheduled maintenance.

• Limited warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance