2026 Kia Carnival Reviews

The Kia Carnival GT-Line Hybrid could be as close to perfect as big family cars come, the Berry family found after four months living together

Kia's Carnival now comes in a petrol-electric hybrid variant and it's lived with the Berry family for two months - find out what it does best and what it could do better.

In the past the Kia Carnival really only did one thing we didn't like and that was use too much petrol, but now that the hybrid variant has arrived does this mean it's perfect? Well, the Berry family will find out because Kia Carnival GT-Line Hybrid has come to stay for three months.

The flagship GT-Line ($70,680 petrol, $72,910 diesel) sits atop the Kia Carnival range in Australia, and such builds on the other models’ equipment list with dual-projection headlights, a heated steering wheel, a 12-speaker BOSE sound system, ventilated seats up front, a big head-up display and a digital rear-view mirror, along with a slightly better interior treatment and the return of the auto window and powered seat to the passenger side of the car.There is seating for up to eight, and at 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.The petrol engine is what I reckon is the lesser of the two ICE options — a 3.5-litre petrol V6, producing a rev-happy 216kW and 355Nm. The better option, I think, is the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel, which makes 148kW and 440Nm, and just suits the nature of the car a little better.Both pair with an eight-speed automatic, and send their power to the front tyres.

The GT-Line Lite is the second-from-top variant in the Carnival range, sitting below only the flagship GT-Line.As such, the GT-Line Lite ($66,350 petrol, $68,580 diesel) is fitted with bigger 19-inch alloy wheels, scores LED interior lighting, gets a dual-pane auto sunroof and some chrome embellishments on the exterior. The trade-off, though, is that the powered windows are now for the driver only, as is the powered front seat. It also gets the twin 12.3-inch screens taking care of multimedia and driving info duties.The key practicality perk here, though, is space, and lots of it. At 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.Part of the change package for this update Carnival is in its safety kit, some of which simply wasn’t available when Kia launched its predecessor.Which is why every model now gets a centre side airbag, Forward Collision Assist AEB, Rear Occupant Alert, Trailer Stability Assist and front parking sensors, joining the rear ones that were already there.Sport+ Models and up now add a Blind Spot View Monitor and rain-sensing wipers, as well as rear AEB through the Parking Collision Avoidance function.Also standard are Lane Keep Assist, with Lane Follow Assist, multi-collision braking, a speed-limit warning (which you will turn off) and a reversing camera.

The Sport + is exactly middle-order in the Kia Carnival range, above the S and Sport and below the GT-Line Lite and GT-Line.The Sport+ ($62,380 petrol, $64,610 diesel) gets a whole host of new safety equipment, including a Blind Spot View Monitor and rain-sensing wipers, as well as rear AEB through the Parking Collision Avoidance function. It joins the rest of the new stuff across the range, including a centre side airbag, Forward Collision Assist AEB, Rear Occupant Alert, Trailer Stability Assist and front parking sensors, joining the rear ones that were already there.You also get a powered tailgate, automatic sliding doors and auto windows, and heated seats in the first and second rows. It also ups the tech, with twin 12.3-inch screens taking care of multimedia and driving info duties.The petrol engine is what I reckon is the lesser of the two ICE options — a 3.5-litre petrol V6, producing a rev-happy 216kW and 355Nm. The better option, I think, is the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel, which makes 148kW and 440Nm, and just suits the nature of the car a little better.Both pair with an eight-speed automatic, and send their power to the front tyres.The key practicality perk here, though, is space, and lots of it. At 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.

The Sport ($56,050 petrol, $58,280 diesel) is the second-cheapest way into the Carnival family — though all models are now more expensive — sitting just above the entry-level S.It builds on the S model’s LED headlights and DRLs, heated mirrors, cloth seats, smart key with push-button start, and integrated 4.0-inch driver display, and a new 12.3-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, linking with an eight-speaker sound system, now with a surround-sound function.It adds 18-inch alloys, rear LED combination lamps, a leather steering wheel and shifter, and dual-zone climate up front with single-zone temperature control in the second row. New for this updates are AeroBlade wipers, wireless charging and artificial leather seats. The petrol engine is what I reckon is the lesser of the two ICE options — a 3.5-litre petrol V6, producing a rev-happy 216kW and 355Nm. The better option, I think, is the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel, which makes 148kW and 440Nm, and just suits the nature of the car a little better.Both pair with an eight-speed automatic, and send their power to the front tyres.The key practicality perk here, though, is space, and lots of it. At 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the second row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.

The Kia Carnival range opens with the entry-level S ($50,150 petrol, $52,380 diesel), which scores 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and DRLs, heated mirrors, cloth seats, an electronic parking brake, and a smart key with push-button start, which is new for this update.On the tech front, there is a new integrated 4.0-inch driver display, and a new 12.3-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, linking with an eight-speaker sound system, now with a surround-sound function.The petrol engine is what I reckon is the lesser of the two ICE options — a 3.5-litre petrol V6, producing a rev-happy 216kW and 355Nm. The better option, I think, is the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel, which makes 148kW and 440Nm, and just suits the nature of the car a little better.Both pair with an eight-speed automatic, and send their power to the front tyres.The key practicality perk here, though, is space, and lots of it. At 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.

Kia's Carnival has been refreshed for the 2025 model year, and with the updated model comes new tech, new safety, new driving dynamics... and new and more expensive pricing. So is this still the pick of the family haulers? We put it to the test to find out.

Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Carnival vs Nissan Pathfinder - which does family duties best? Two parents put these eight seaters to the ultimate test