Minivans, which are arguably the ideal modes of transport for growing families, have gotten a bad rap since their heyday at the turn of the century when 15 minivans on the market combined to generate 1.4 million units delivered. Buyers were enamored with their roomy and comfortable interiors with three rows of seats, clever features, voluminous cargo capacities, and pleasing performance. Large sliding rear side doors, which date back to the full-size vans upon which the original designs were based, made buckling kids into their car seats less of a back-breaking affair. 

Then four-door sport-utility vehicles, with their more-rugged personas, relegated midsize vans to the dreaded “soccer mom” stigma, and both the number of models on the market and units sold took a steep nosedive, with only five model lines remaining from four brands. However, with most of them recently being updated or fully redesigned, and SUV inventories becoming razor thin thanks to pandemic-related production woes, minivan sales are up by an astounding 84 percent in the second quarter of 2021, according to Cox Automotive in Atlanta, GA. 

“Minivans are extremely popular right now – after decades of being in the shadow of SUVs as the cool family-car of choice, the van is back,” says Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader. “We have anecdotal evidence that points toward families being more eager to hit the open road after being cooped up for so much of the last year-plus, and there is no better family road-trip-mobile than a minivan.”

Following a major makeover for the Toyota Sienna, which has been reinvented as a hybrid-powered van for 2021, and mid-cycle refreshes for the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey models, Kia finally drops the aged Sedona and replaces it with the all-new and much improved Carnival as an early 2022-model-year entry.

Wrapped in boxy styling that makes it look more like an SUV, Kia refers to the Carnival as a “multi-purpose vehicle.” However, the vehicle’s sliding rear side-doors betray its true identity as a minivan. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as we recently concluded in a week’s test drive through Chicago’s western suburbs.

The Kia Carnival’s quiet and spacious cabin is terrifically designed and comes well finished in piano black and textured faux metal trim and top-quality materials for an upscale look and feel. It can seat eight passengers across three rows with the standard center bench, or seven with the optional, and highly recommended captain’s chairs. Third-row seat room is sufficient for older kids. If you choose the bench, the second row seat can slide forward enough for easy access to an infant in a rear-facing child seat. It can also convert to a tabletop as needed.

Cargo space is bit more generous than before, with 40.2 cubic feet behind the seats and a maximum of 145.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. 

But the VIP Lounge Seating center-row seats in the top SX Prestige trim are the standouts here. They’re heated, ventilated, and power reclining, with wing-out headrests, and leg extensions that flip up for the ultimate in first-class accommodations. Unlike the other second-row configurations, however, they can’t be removed for added cargo flexibility.

As is the case with the remaining models in the minivan market, the Carnival packs a plethora of clever convenience features. These begin with a built in intercom system that lets Mom and Dan carry on a conversation with the kids without having to shout, as well as a video display to keep an eye on second- and third-row riders, with both zoom and night vision functions. 

A passenger voice-recognition system allows second-row occupants to control various in-vehicle functions via audible commands. An available dual-screen entertainment system can be used to watch videos on You Tube or Netflix, and includes wireless Apple and Android device screen mirroring (ask the kids if you don’t know what that is). A fully functioned infotainment system comes with an eight-inch touch screen and is refreshingly easy to operate. Kia’s UVO telematics system includes real-time traffic navigation routing, weather information, and Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant capability.

As one might expect in a vehicle aimed at families, a slew of driver assist systems come standard to help prevent crashes. These include front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The available adaptive cruise control system uses navigation input to slow the vehicle automatically when approaching a curve and can maintain its speed to be within posted limits.

The Kia Carnival meets all expectations with regard to performance, though it’s certainly no Porsche in this regard. It packs a 3.5-liter V6 engine that sends a nominally more-powerful 290 horsepower to the front wheels via a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, though with more of an exhaust rumble than many drivers (especially those trying to calm a fussy infant with a ride around the block) might appreciate. Fuel economy is at 19/26-mpg city/highway, which is about par for the course, though the hybrid Toyota Sienna and plug-in Chrysler Pacifica vans do better in this regard.

The Carnival is built on the same platform as the midsize Kia K5 sedan, which contributes to better driving dynamics than the Sedona could muster. Steering is easygoing without feeling loose or artificial, and the suspension soaks up most pavement irregularities nicely while remaining poised. Unlike the Chrysler and Toyota models, which offer all-wheel drive, the Kia remains strictly a front-drive minivan.

Like other Kia models, the Carnival comes with a generous five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10-years/100,000-miles of powertrain coverage. If you live in one of the 10 largest U.S. markets, Kia will send a requested Carnival trim to your home with a product specialist who can give a detailed walk-around and enable a personal test drive, though the transaction would still have to be conducted at a dealership.

The base LX trim starts out at $32,100, while the SX we tested carried a sticker price of $41,595 (with the optional Ceramic Silver paint job, but not including the $1,175 destination charge). You’ll pay another $5,000 for the top SX Prestige with leather and other upgrades. That’s about on a par with a Honda Odyssey and less than what the Chrysler Voyager costs.

In all, the 2022 Kia Carnival is a great place to spend time carpooling the kids to school and sports, running around-town errands, and should excel as a long-distance road tripper. It’s definitely a great family friendly alternative to a bona fide SUV for those who don’t need four- or all-wheel drive and who aren’t afraid to drive differently.