The 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Family Minivan
What is a Carnival? A Carnival is a family minivan built in the Gwangmyeong, Korea, assembly plant and sold worldwide by Kia. Kia is one of only 4 car companies still selling minivans. The other three are Chrysler, Honda and Toyota. Kia’s first minivan came out in 1998, so they knew they had to bring their “A” game to the 2024 sales table to compete, which they did with the new top of the line Kia Carnival SX Prestige minivan.
The Carnival has the features a growing family really needs for a very fair retail price; rear entertainment, check, seating for 8, check, leather interior, check, safety, tech, comfort, convenience and fuel economy, check. This minivan gets 19 MPG city, 26 MPG highway and 22 MPG in combined everyday driving. Plus the greenhouse gas rating is a 5 and the smog rating is a 5; both out of 10. These are all good numbers for a minivan that can carry up to 8 people with all their gear and still tow a 3,500 pound trailer.
A minivan is like a Swiss Army knife in the sense that it does multiple things all in one vehicle. The Carnival minivan is part car, part cargo van and part pickup truck. You can seat 8 people at the same time while folding down the seats and loading up several 4×8′ sheets of plywood. Or you can take out the seats and put in an air mattress to go camping in. Plus a Carnival can haul a boat, a bike trailer, a camper, or your jet ski’s with confidence and stability.
To prove that point, this week Kia sent me a 2024 Carnival SX Prestige Minivan to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this SX Edition is $46,300. The options on the test minivan are: the pearl paint for $495, the rear seat entertainment package for $1,000, the rear cargo mat for $95, and the carpeted floor mats for $225. The manufactures suggested retail price ( MSRP), including the $1,365 inland freight and handling charge, is: $49,480.
After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your driveway total purchase price came to: $55,665. At just under $56 Grand, this 2024 Kia Carnival minivan can do what most other vehicles wish they could do. Plus it has a 10 year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, a 5 year / 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and it comes with a 5 year / 60,000 mile roadside assistance package at no additional cost. So, not only do you get a great family minivan for years to come, you get peace of mind for expensive driveline repairs for 10 years too.
The 2024 Kia Carnival is powered by a 3.5L direct injected V6 gas engine with 290 horsepower and 262 lb.ft. of torque, bolted to a front wheel drive 8 speed automatic transmission with electronic auto hold.
Driver assistance includes: forward collision avoidance assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist, driver attention warning, high beam assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, parking distance warning in forward and reverse, safe exit assist, highway driving assist, parking collision avoidance assist in reverse, with a surround view monitor and a blind spot view monitor.
The interior upgrades are: dual 12.3″ panoramic display screens with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, smart power sliding doors, smart power rear lift gate, tri-zone automatic climate control, a smart key, push button start, remote start, wireless phone charging, USB chargers in all 3 rows, heated and ventilated power front seats, memory drivers seat, and a rear occupant alert with ultrasonic sensors.
The SX Prestige package includes the 2nd row power VIP lounge seats, heated and ventilated 2nd row seats, 19″ black alloy wheels, LED projection headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, power folding heated outside mirrors with turn signals, a roof rack, rear privacy glass, a rear spoiler, a dual power and tilting sunroof, LED rear combination lights, leather seat trim, LED interior lighting, a leather wrapped heated steering wheel, and a Bose surround sound audio system with 10 speakers.
Call, click or visit your local Kia dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Minivan. And remember that the base price for a new Carnival family minivan starts at only $33,200. Kia – Movement that Inspires.
Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.
This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net