It’s been 40 years since the modern minivan was invented, but it has taken until now for an automaker to build one that doesn’t drive like a minivan. The Kia Carnival finally ditches the nose-heavy, bus-driver minivan feel, and, instead, feels like a car … or like a crossover, which has all but replaced what was one of Canada’s most popular segments.
Minivans drive like you’re on top of the front wheels, mostly because you are. Being so far forward imparts an odd sensation from behind the wheel. Along with the feeling of being on top of the front axle, there’s a lot of body roll to contend with from the high seating position.
Through some sort of magic, Kia’s engineers have solved the problem. The Carnival feels well-balanced. The steering wheel is at a normal angle, there’s little body roll, and there’s absolutely none of the usual van feel. It’s a smooth ride with no wallowing over bumps. Soft enough to avoid spilled snacks, firm enough to help prevent car sickness.
Kia has solved one of the other main minivan faults, too. The Carnival is rock-solid inside. Even washboard roads and cranked-up bass can’t rattle the seats when they’re folded or in place. The cavernous compartments of minivans are echo chambers for their own rattles. From seats, plastics, belts, and the detritus of life with kids. Here, the usual minivan sound-amplifying echo is gone too.
Add those key ingredients to the list of typical minivan perks and you have an amazing family hauler. The kind of vehicle I could never have imagined as a 13-year-old stuck in the third row on a family vacation in one of our long string of vans.
Like every other minivan, this is a big box. That’s the most efficient shape, giving you 4,110 litres of space for hockey bags, Ikea runs, or to bring home half of Costco with you.
If you need to mix cargo and passengers, the Carnival is extremely flexible. The middle seats move forward and back. They’re also individually removable, and reasonably light, letting you configure the van exactly how you need it. Only the back-back seats fold into the floor, though, with Chrysler still cornering the market on the disappearing second row.
Kia has loaded up the Carnival with other features that make living with your vehicle easier. An on-screen display that shows you windshield wiper speeds and headlight position are great as seeing the stalk behind the wheel spokes can be tough. It has a cabin intercom that boosts your voice so rear seat passengers can hear you, along with a camera so you can keep an eye out when things get too silent.
The Carnival can even detect when it’s in a tunnel. It switches the HVAC to recirculate while you’re underground so that you’re not breathing in stagnant exhaust until you get back above ground. It’ll do the same when the rear defrost is on, which helps clear all that glass in the back a bit quicker.
A 3.8-litre V6 that makes 290 horsepower is a disappointment. It has plenty of power, but that power comes with a lot of noise. When you’re on the throttle — you will be if you’re loaded with passengers — it’s downright agricultural sounding. The eight-speed is very smooth, though. Quick to downshift and upshift, it gets the best transmission compliment of all: you’ll never notice it.
The Carnival also has one of the most polarizing features around: a front window defrost. Tiny metal lines run down the windshield to clear it in the morning. If you can’t see those lines, you’ll love them. If you can, as I can, they’re miserable. If the Carnival is on your list, make sure to drive it after dark to experience the glare. It’s just how the function works — $100,000 luxury cars aren’t any better — but you need to be aware of the feature before it’s parked in your own driveway.
I know the minivan isn’t cool. That’s a fact that probably won’t ever change, and if you’re that image-conscious, you’ve probably stopped reading long before this point. But when it comes to moving people and their stuff, minivans rule. The Kia Carnival does an incredible job of those tasks. And if you’re fine with the looks of minivans, but hate the way they drive, then Carnival will feel like a party from behind the wheel. All that’s missing is Kia’s hybrid or PHEV technology to match Toyota Sienna or Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. Either of those changes would boost fuel economy, solve the engine noise issue, and really knock this one out of the park.
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