It doesn’t seem like long ago that the fourth-generation Kia Carnival hit the market with a dramatic and futuristic design unlike any other MPV available at the time. However, it’s been almost four years and Kia is working on a facelift of the minivan with styling elements inspired by the all-electric EV9 and the recently updated 2024 Sorento.
We had our first opportunity to see the new Carnival testing under heavy camouflage earlier this year and recently, Korean YouTuber channel Shorts Car stumbled across a camo’d 2025 Carnival in a parking garage. This prototype has slightly less body cladding than some we’ve seen in the past, meaning we can get a decent look at some of the key styling changes.
The most obvious difference between the 2025 Carnival and the outgoing model will be the headlights. We can see that these lights have a similar shape to those found on the new Sorento, consisting of LED stripes running horizontally across the base of the hood and LED stripes running vertically down the flanks. The main headlamps are then positioned vertically. Kia’s designers have also created a new grille for the Carnival.
Read: 2025 Kia Carnival Spied With EV9-Inspired Styling On Both Ends
The side profile and overall shape of the new Carnival remains the same but alterations continue at the rear where a set of new taillights are visible.
What about the interior? Unfortunately, a black sheet covers the entire dashboard of this prototype but we do expect the new Carnival to receive the same slim touchscreen display for important HVAC and media controls as found in other Kia models. We can also see that Kia has redesigned the center console and switched to a rotary gear selector surrounded by piano black plastic.
Powertrain details will vary by market but are not yet known. There’s a good chance the 3.5-liter V6 sold with the Carnival in the U.S. will stick around but it’s possible an electrified version could be added to the family, perhaps using the same basic 1.6-liter hybrid setup as either the Sorento Hybrid or Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.
