2025 Kia Carnival: Feeding a Shrinking Space

Kia’s Carnival might be better known as Sedona in the United States. However, as the brand launched its minivan’s fourth generation back in 2020, Kia pivoted the van to its Korean Domestic name: Carnival. For ’25, Kia gave its Carnival a once-over – updated styling and a new powertrain. Kia moved the license plate mount a little lower and added a dark edition to the lineup. More importantly, Kia also added a hybrid powertrain to the Carnival. This hybrid system blends a 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 with a 54 kW electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Kia says that this hybrid Carnival is good for 242 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque and 33 mpg combined. The 3.5-liter V6 is still available for those who want extra displacement, which makes 287 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the ’25 Kia Carnival and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the ’25 Carnival and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Carnival, minivans in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the Carnival special.