Kia calls the Carnival an MPV or “multi-purpose vehicle.” In a sense, the South Korean manufacturer is correct: The Carnival can be used for multiple purposes, and it clearly has been made to look SUV-ish.
But most people think of the 3-row Kia Carnival as a minivan for two reasons: It has standard power sliding doors that make access to the rear seats easy, and it’s available only with front-wheel drive.
However it’s viewed, the 2024 Kia Carnival shines as a great vehicle, a quiet, comfortable, and roomy family hauler powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower, which is 10 more horsepower than you’ll find in the Honda Odyssey, this Kia’s most obvious competitor. Other Carnival competitors worthy of consideration include the Chrysler Pacifica, available as a plug-in hybrid, and the Toyota Sienna, available exclusively as a hybrid.
Let’s look at the four trim levels of the Kia Carnival, which continues to be built in South Korea.
Prices provided are correct at the time of publishing.
What’s New
The 2024 Kia Carnival is essentially a carryover from 2023, with two minor exceptions: The EX no longer gets automatic up/down power windows, and you can no longer order a Carnival EX without a power tailgate.
Carnival LX
Starts at $33,200 | See listings
- 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower
- 8-speed automatic transmission
- Cloth upholstery/7-passenger seating
- Dual power sliding doors
- Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- 6-speaker audio w/USB ports
- Blind-spot monitor/rear cross-traffic alert
- See more
Carnival EX
Starts at $38,700 | See listings
- SynTex upholstery/8-passenger seating
- Power driver’s seat/tailgate
- Heated front seats
- 12.3-inch infotainment screen with navigation
- 8-speaker audio system
- Wireless smartphone charger
- Smart cruise control/Highway Driving Assist
- See more
Carnival SX
Starts at $41,900 | See listings
- 12.3-inch digital instrument panel
- Heated and ventilated power front seats
- Roof rails/power-folding side mirrors
- Available dual-screen rear entertainment system
- Blind-Spot View Monitor
- See more
Carnival SX Prestige
Starts at $46,300 | See listings
- Leather upholstery
- Two sunroofs
- Heated steering wheel
- 12-speaker Bose audio
- LED interior lighting
- Available VIP Lounge Seats with leg extensions
- See more
2024 Kia Carnival LX: $33,200
The LX trim represents a good value. In addition to second-row captain’s chairs and power sliding rear doors, you get a push-button starter and an 8-inch infotainment system featuring wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and USB ports in all three rows.
Safety is addressed with a lengthy list of standard features. Chief among them are automatic emergency braking, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention warning. The Carnival LX also profits from lane-keeping and lane-following assists, rear parking sensors, rear occupant alert, and safe exit assist.
If you’d rather have an 8-seat Carnival LX with a center bench seat, order your vehicle with the $2,000 LX Seat Package.
Options on the 2024 Kia Carnival LX include upgraded paints, a dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system, carpeted floor mats, and a tow hitch. The maximum towing capacity of the Carnival, incidentally, is 3,500 pounds.
With a starting price of $33,200 and a destination fee of $1,365, the 2024 Kia Carnival LX costs $34,565. Financing for 60 months at 5% interest with $0 down equates to a monthly payment of $652. See 2024 Kia Carnival LX models for sale near you
2024 Kia Carnival LX includes:
Power sliding doors — Yes, these doors shout “minivan,” but they are handy when loading or unloading the Carnival.
17-inch alloy wheels — These alloy wheels are fitted with P235/65R-17 tires, which have taller sidewalls and are therefore smoother on rough roads (and fare better against potholes) than do the 18s and 19s on upmarket Carnivals.
3-row USB ports — The LX comes standard with USB ports in all three rows. Those for the second row are integrated into the sides of the front-row seats.
2024 Kia Carnival EX: $38,700
The EX is the best value in our book. It adds lots of desirable features while keeping the price below $40,000. It has a 3-part center bench seat and seating for up to eight.
While the most notable upgrade might be the SynTex faux leather upholstery, the 2024 Kia Carnival EX also profits from a healthy dose of standard equipment. Highlights include a power driver’s seat, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a hands-free power liftgate, power rear windows, a wireless charging pad, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
Also significant: The EX gets a sizeable 12.3-inch infotainment system with an 8-speaker audio system featuring HD Radio and SiriusXM. With the EX, other cool tech features include an in-cabin camera and Quiet Mode, which lets you shut off the rear speakers when your passengers are asleep. Standard second- and third-row sunshade blinds may also be helpful in this regard.
On the safety front, the Carnival EX benefits from a more advanced forward collision avoidance system with added cyclist detection. The EX also gets front parking sensors (the LX has only rear parking sensors), navigation-based adaptive cruise control, and Kia’s Highway Driving Assist. This semiautonomous driving system blends adaptive cruise control with active lane-centering.
Options are few. Notables included upgraded paint colors (Snow White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, Ceramic Silver, Astra Blue) for $495 and a tow hitch for $575.
With a starting price of $38,600 and a destination fee of $1,365, the 2024 Kia Carnival EX costs $39,965. Financing for 60 months at 5% interest with $0 down equates to a monthly payment of $754. See 2024 Kia Carnival EX models for sale near you
2024 Kia Carnival EX includes:
8-passenger seating — The Carnival EX comes standard with a center bench and seating for up to eight people.
Power driver’s seat — The EX’s 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat also provides 2-way lumbar for some welcome back support on long trips.
Highway Driving Assist — Kia’s semiautonomous driving system, which blends adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance (while leveraging GPS map data), makes highway cruising safer.
2024 Kia Carnival SX: $41,900
We’re starting to delve into the luxury arena with the Carnival SX. While the SX offers many excellent premium features, it does cost $3,100 more than a Carnival EX.
What do you get for the extra money? In addition to heated and ventilated power front seats and satin chrome exterior and interior trim, you get a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, power-folding mirrors, roof rails, LED fog lights, a 115-volt power outlet, and a dual-screen rear entertainment package. Kia’s handy Blind-Spot View Monitor also joins the fray, projecting a video image of your rear 3-quarter blind spot onto the instrument panel whenever you use the turn signal to make a lane change.
Other standard safety features on the 2024 Kia Carnival SX include reverse automatic emergency braking and a handy 360-degree overhead camera view, which enhances safety in tight parking lots and driveways.
With a starting price of $41,900 and a destination fee of $1,365, the 2024 Kia Carnival SX costs $43,265. Financing for 60 months at 5% interest with $0 down equates to a monthly payment of around $816. See 2024 Kia Carnival SX models for sale near you
2024 Kia Carnival SX includes:
Surround View Monitor — This provides a 360-degree overhead view of the immediate surroundings of the Carnival SX, making parking lots and driveways much safer.
Blind-Spot View Monitor — Lange changes are much safer when you can see what’s in the Carnival’s blind spot each time.
Integrated Memory System — Your individual driving position and outside mirror position can be immediately accessed with one push of a button.
2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige: $46,300
The SX Prestige is the top Carnival, the one most like a luxury 3-row SUV.
Leather upholstery is standard, but the real highlight is the optional VIP lounge seating in the second row. Heated and vented, the power-adjustable VIP seats slide and recline while providing leg-extension ottomans that allow you to rest your legs on long trips.
Need more? The 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige also comes standard with a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, dual LED headlights, LED taillights, and LED interior lighting. And, oh yeah, it also boasts a digital instrument panel, a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, a dual-panel sunroof, and an LED cargo lamp.
As on the Carnival SX, Kia’s Blind-Spot View Monitor, roof rails, and power-folding outside mirrors are standard here.
Because the Carnival SX Prestige is so well-equipped, there are few options. They’re reduced to items like upgraded paints and carpeted floor mats, plus the dual-screen rear entertainment system available on all trim levels of the 2024 Kia Carnival.
With a starting price of $46,300 and a destination fee of $1,365, the 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige costs $47,665. Financing for 60 months at 5% interest with $0 down equates to a monthly payment of $900. See 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige models for sale near you
2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige includes:
Leather upholstery — The SX Prestige is the only Kia Carnival graced with a genuine leather interior.
VIP lounge seats — These second-row seats — which slide, recline, and have leg-extension ottomans — offer better comfort than First Class air travel.
12-speaker Bose audio — This premium Bose sound system in the SX Prestige features an external amplifier and a subwoofer.
