How Much Does the New Kia Carnival (and Its Hybrid Variant) Cost?
A new hybrid powertrain makes this an even better choice for those looking at “not-a-minivan.”
By the time the Kia Carnival we held onto for a yearlong test left our hands back in mid-2023, a few complaints had bubbled to the surface—and everyone on staff agreed the SUV-ish minivan could use better fuel economy. A hybrid option would be great. Well, we didn’t need to wait long, as the 2025-model-year Kia Carnival not only receives an attractive refresh but also adds—you guessed it—a more fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain option. So, how much will the new Carnival and its hybrid option cost?
0:00 / 0:00
Comparing gas-powered 2025 and 2024 model-year Carnivals, the newer van's pricing increases by between $2,030 and $4,330 depending on trim level. The cheapest Carnival, the LX, which comes standard with a carryover V-6 engine, now rings in at $37,895. That's a $3,330 jump over the 2024 Carnival LX. What’s good is that you do get more stuff and the same upgraded look as every other 2025 Carnival.
Well Equipped For Its Standard Price
For 2025, Carnivals get a standard 4.2-inch TFT driver information display between the analog gauges and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. You also get standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with wired options using six standard USB C ports joining two 12-volt power outlets. One new feature that’s usually reserved for luxury cars: voice-activated window opening and climate control adjustments. You’ll have seating for eight—unless you upgrade to the VIP Lounge Seat second row option that reduces seating to seven—with sliding second row seats that are removable and fold-in-floor third-row seats. Wide opening power-sliding side doors with hands-free opening is also standard to make getting into the 2025 Carnival as convenient as possible.
Electrified Performance
As mentioned, the Carnival finally gains a hybrid system. Though unavailable on the entry-level Carnival LX, it can be added to every other trim (LXS, EX, SX, and SX Prestige) for $2,000. Go for the hybrid, and the standard 3.5-liter V-6 (287 hp, 260 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed automatic) is replaced by a turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 paired with a 54-kW motor and six-speed auto. The combination makes less power at just 242 hp (a 45-hp sacrifice from the V-6), but it more than makes up for it with 272 lb-ft of torque—a 12 lb-ft gain over the V-6. These hybrids will also gain aerodynamic features like 17-inch aerodynamic wheels from the LSX trim, active air flaps in the front fascia, and paddle-style regenerative braking control. This allows you to select the amount of regen braking you want by simply pulling one of the two paddles behind the wheel.
How The 2025 Kia Carnival Compares
While this won’t be a deep comparison, this is a good time to briefly look at two of the competitors of the new Kia Carnival: the 2024 Toyota Sienna and the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica. Those minivans are either offered with (Pacifica) or come standard with (Sienna) hybrid power. Honda's Odyssey, another competitor, for now only is sold with a gas-fed V-6.
The entry-level Chrysler Pacifica is the Touring, priced at $40,345—$2,450 more than a base 2025 Carnival. Remember, this Pacifica is starting to show its age, as it’s been mostly the same since 2016 (it received a decent refresh and optional all-wheel drive for 2021). As with the Kia, a gas V-6 engine is standard. Pricing stretches well past $55,000 for a top-level Pacifica Pinnacle (which runs $6,130 over a Carnival SX Prestige), and opting for the gas-electric powertrain pushes that pricing even higher. That said, the Pacifica Hybrid one-ups the Kia (and Sienna) with a plug-in hybrid powertrain offering 30-some miles of EV-only range (if you plug it in).
The Carnival doesn’t offer any quoted all-electric driving range or the ability to be plugged in, but it does come in at $5,795 cheaper than the least-expensive Pacifica Hybrid. It's worth noting that no Pacifica Hybrid offers the gas version's AWD, but even so the top-level Pinnacle model is still nearly $60,000—$3,590 more than the priciest 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige.
When we compare the Toyota Sienna, we must take into consideration that the Sienna not only offers a fully hybrid powertrain, but also offers AWD across all its trims. The Carnival nonetheless beats the 2024 Sienna LE in both passenger space and cargo capacity except for third-row seating, and in price. At $39,080, the Sienna LE is a more expensive entry than the Carnival LX by $1,185, though its hybrid setup delivers strong fuel economy of 35 to 36 mpg combined (depending on front- or all-wheel drive). If we compare the Carnival’s base hybrid, the Hybrid LXS, to the Sienna, the Kia is more expensive by $2,815 but you also gain more equipment. The only upside of the Sienna LE over the Carnival LX is the option of AWD for only $2,000 over the Sienna LE’s standard price.
A fairer comparison, then, is the Sienna Platinum FWD and AWD to the Carnival SX Prestige non-hybrid and hybrid. The top-of-the-line Sienna starts at $54,540 for the FWD version, offering all the bells and whistles that Toyota is willing to pack in this minivan. Even then, the Sienna doesn’t offer all of the amenities that the Carnival has and certainly not for the $2,545 premium over the SX Prestige non-hybrid and the $545 increase over the hybrid version of the high-end Carnival. You’re able to get the Platinum in AWD for an additional $760 over the FWD version, but that just adds that much more cost over the Carnival SX Prestige.
Availability
The 2025 Kia Carnival will hit dealer lots soon as it still has an on-sale dates of “summer of 2024.” With this pricing announcement, the vehicle carriers with new Carnivals will stop off at Kia dealer lots are imminent. We're still waiting on the hybrid's fuel economy figures, too, though we expect them to better the V-6 model's 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
Read More
