Flashy supercars and sports sedans might be a lot of fun but they’re not the most practical cars available. Kia’s Carnival MPV aims to offer maximum practicality, comfort, luxury, and even a little fun. We’re about to drive the brand-new 2024 edition and we’re ready for your hardest questions.
MPV stands for multi-purpose vehicle (aka minivan) and to that end, Kia sees this as a people mover, a stuff mover, and sometimes both. Its somewhat unconventional styling and its classification as an MPV is an intentional attempt to lean toward the SUV-loving public. This isn’t just a minivan in a fancy dress though.
Inside the cabin of our SX Prestige trimmed Carnival are seven seats including four captain’s chairs in the first two rows. The second-row seats are what Kia calls lounge seats as they recline and have calf support. It also has a second-row entertainment system with dual screens each with its own streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch.
More: Kia’s 2024 Carnival Gets A Price Hike, Now Starting At $34,565
Tech isn’t simply limited to touchscreen features though. The Carnival we’re driving has Kia’s ‘Highway Driving Assist’ driver aid. It incorporates adaptive cruise control and lane-centering technology that uses navigation data to improve smoothness in turns.
Under the hood is a 3.5-liter V6 that develops 290 hp (219 kW) and 262 lb-ft (354 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels only through an eight-speed conventional automatic gearbox. According to the EPA, the Carnival gets up to 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. Those figures are pretty good for a heavy minivan but they do fall short of the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna.
Finally, it’s worth noting that we’re not just driving the Carnival for a day or two. This thing is going to be ours for over two weeks while we take it on a massive 2,700-mile road trip. Keep that in mind as you formulate the questions you have.
With that, hit us with what you want to know about Kia’s coolest people mover.
