2025 Kia Carnival MPV Adds Hybrid Power and Fresh Style

• The 2025 Kia Carnival MPV is adding a hybrid powertrain that combines a turbocharged 1.6-liter I4 with a 54-kW electric motor to make 242 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque.
  

• Kia’s refreshed minivan will still offer its 3.5-liter V6 for non-hybrid models.

• The Korean automaker is also adding more driver-assistance features as standard equipment for 2025.

It looks like the party isn’t slowing down for Kia’s Carnival MPV. Once called the Sedona in the United States, Kia pivoted its people mover to the Korean market’s name in 2020. Now carrying the Carnival badge, Kia is throwing some updates at its big people mover for 2025. The updated minivan is adding a hybrid powertrain option, getting some revised styling, and more for 2025.

Diving in under the hood, the Kia Carnival’s new powertrain is interesting. While the 3.5-liter V6 is still around, and basically unchanged, the new hybrid powerplant gives some diversity to minivan shoppers.

Kia opted to rely on the turbocharged 1.6-liter I4 for the internal combustion side of the hybrid powertrain, which will work with a 54-kW electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Together, this powertrain sends 242 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. This system should seem familiar if you’ve seen the Kia Sportage or Sorento hybrid models.

The styling updates are admittedly subtle. At the rear, the Kia design team moved the license plate housing to the lower part of the tailgate. The biggest change from the current Carnival is the new front fascia, which also sports new headlamps, as well as a new set of taillights. The hybrid variant will get a special set of 17-inch alloy wheels that not only help set it apart from the standard Carnival, but Kia claims they’re more aerodynamic.

On the inside, the Carnival gets a revised dashboard and a rotary gear selector. Like other recent Kia models, Kia will offer a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that’s paired with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Both screens are set behind a single curved piece of glass.

The standard dashboard sports a 12-inch infotainment screen and a 4.2-inch display set in a traditional instrument cluster. There’s also an available Full Display Mirror that replaces a traditional rear-view mirror with a display that relays a wide-vision rear camera feed. Of course, the seating remains the same, and the VIP Lounge Seat package stays on the option list.

Kia says you can expect to start seeing the new Carnival MPV hit the roads this summer. Pricing is still locked in an office at Kia HQ, but a small bump in price is almost a certainty. Currently, you can snag a Kia Carnival for $34,995 for the entry-level LX trim.

As for the Carnival Hybrid, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Kia to set it behind the EX trim like the Sorento Hybrid, and feature a starting price in the $40,000 range. However, official pricing should come closer to the Carnival’s formal launch.

Do you think the minivan still has space in the market? Tell us your thoughts below.