2025 Kia Carnival..It's more competitive than Toyota Siena
Jun 25, 2025
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In addition to Korea, Carnival, which is actively targeting the North American market, was tested on overseas automobile media Autoblogs. We are trying to figure out what are the advantages and disadvantages of Sienna, the most popular model in North America. How much I hated minivans as a teenager, they felt huge, soulless and unattractive.
Many parents seemed to shout "They used to love cars until they had children, but now they drive minivans because they are bored and value practicality over pleasure" At the time, I told myself "I'll never buy a minivan in the future".
But it was only after I drove the 2025 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid myself that shook the idea.Prejudice in the past became a little more firm when I tested the Toyota Siena before that.The Siena had a large body and was uncomfortable to drive. The interior design was insufficient and it was difficult to secure visibility.
Kia Carnival was fascinated by style for now. Large windows, two-tone interiors, funky matte black wheels, and even unique style with an SUV feel were certain.I fell in love at first sight, and I liked it enough to say "I need to switch to this car right away" in 20 seconds after I picked the kids up and left the driveway in reverse.
Currently, only four types of minivans remain in North America: the Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Chrysler Pacifica.Prices range from the late $30,000 (about 40.8 million won) to the mid-$50,000 (about 68 million won).
The most expensive car is the Toyota Sienna model.The recommended consumer price of the platinum AWD HEV model we tested was $70,000 (about 95.3 million won) and just under a few hundred dollars.
Toyota and Kia can be composed of HEV, and Pacifica can be composed of PHEV.Odyssey is the only vehicle with no hybrid or AWD selection. Carnival is also available as a hybrid, but AWD is not possible.The price of the SX Prestige, a Carnival front-wheel-drive hybrid model, was just over $55,505 (about 75.6 million won).
The gasoline model, which is equipped with a V6 engine and an electric motor instead of a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder, costs between $38,235 (about 52 million won) and $52,335 (about 71.2 million won). I felt that the most expensive Siena was lacking in technology as well.
The Carnival has a dual-screen configuration. A digital gauge is displayed on the screen behind the steering wheel and a power distribution, navigation, or travel summary can be displayed. In addition to being technically ahead, it felt cost-effective and luxurious. The SX Prestige Hybrid is also equipped with 'VIP Lounge Seat'.
It is a comfortable chair with a foothold. When row 3 is not in use, the cargo space behind row 2 is much larger than that of Sienna.The Kia Carnival ranks first among the four types when comparing the cargo space behind the third row.
Toyota Sienna Hybrid
Siena was very uncomfortable in the third row. I had an air conditioner vent, cup holder, and charging port, but the third row window was awful.The front seats were quite high, so people who had to sit in the third row had limited visibility.
The third row of carnival was as comfortable as the second row. The window was big enough to have its own sunshade, charging port, cup holder, and air conditioner vent. The third row also had a sunroof.If passengers in the third row felt motion sickness while traveling long distances, they were able to open the second row sunroof to let light and air in.
The regroom was pretty much the same. Both minivans can move the second row seats along the rail to widen the legroom.In addition, both models were able to fold and tilt the seats in the second row, so they could easily board the third row even when the car seat was fixed.
When the sheet was folded, the third row sheet touched the floor flat, widening the space behind the second row.With the optional cargo mat, every space looks more spacious. There's a lot of storage space everywhereOverall, the interior feels very sophisticated. The combination of navy blue and off-white leather seats stood out.
If you don't like the bright interior, you can also choose Black and Tan, Tan and White, or All Black colors.If you invest a little more, you can also have an ambient light option. Wheels are unique regardless of which trim you choose or whether you choose a V6 engine instead of a hybrid engine. The rival Siena Wheel looks rather boring.
While Kia intentionally made the carnival look more like an SUV than a traditional minivan, the body roll and tilt were firm without being too much.Rather than a large minivan, it felt more like a mid-size SUV like the Subaru Forester or the Toyota Raab 4.
We liked the fact that the Siena felt as big as the real size.It was very difficult to enjoy driving except for the smooth ride on the highway.The Kia Carnival was also very soft, and the hybrid's fuel efficiency easily exceeded 16.15km/l thanks to its front-wheel drive.
The driving mode can be adjusted to general, eco, sports, and smart.The smart mode automatically switches the available driving mode according to the driving method.Kia is programmed to prioritize efficiency, so it usually alternates between normal mode and eco mode.
The New Carnival
Also, the width of the car is quite wide, so there seems to be little risk of overturning.Carnival's big downside is not having the AWD option, but I don't think it's a necessary option to be honest.It's enough to fit a dedicated snow tire or a winter tire with studs in the winter.
Siena's large space, versatility, and variety of functionality have helped her understand why children buy minivans after they are born.But the carnival helped people understand the joys of driving and owning minivans.
In terms of price, Carnival's $55,000 (about 74.8 million won) is quite expensive, but much cheaper than Siena's $69,000 (about 93.8 million won).In addition, there were a lot more features that we liked and wanted to have.Removable seats, plenty of loading space, and passenger view were some of my favorite cars I've reviewed so far.
The North American market can be said to be the original market for minivans. Currently, the most popular model in the market is the Toyota Sienna. With the addition of hybrids, Kia Carnival is also being evaluated not only in Korea but also in North America. As Hyundai Motor Group is developing a next-generation high-power hybrid power train, attention is also focused on the future direction of Carnival's development.
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
