2025 Kia Carnival GT-Line Hybrid review

There’s an aphorism that perfectly encapsulates the Kia Carnival. It goes a little like this: People will often act against their own self-interests.

Why apply this to Kia’s people mover? Because the Carnival is the standout vehicle for large families in Australia, and far more practical than any of the large three-row SUVs that buyers are actually drawn to.

There’s a stigma surrounding people movers, with words like 'uncool' and 'daggy' often bandied about when discussing these eminently practical family conveyances. Some people are hung up on sliding doors, which to me is just plain odd. But whatever the reason, and to paraphrase, buyers are acting against their own self-interests when looking for a seven- or eight-seat family hauler and opting for a three-row SUV instead.

And they’re missing out, because the Kia Carnival continues to set the standard for what a family vehicle should be – spacious, comfortable, practical.

And now it’s even better, with the Korean brand adding a hybrid powertrain to the Carnival line-up. For now, it’s only the range-topping GT-Line that benefits from the fuel-saving petrol-hybrid powertrain combination, with Kia promising “we’re negotiating for greater supply and looking to open up more variants in the future”.

So, does adding a hybrid powertrain to what is arguably the most practical solution for larger families sharpen its appeal? Let’s find out.

The Carnival range is an expansive one, with 11 variants across petrol, diesel and petrol-hybrid powertrains. The entry point into the range, the petrol-powered Carnival S, is priced from $50,150, while opting for the most affordable diesel will set you back $52,380. All prices are before on-road costs.

The range-topping 2025 Kia Carnival GT-Line Hybrid we have here is priced from $76,210 plus on-road costs. That makes it the most expensive Carnival your money can buy, some $5530 dearer than the V6 petrol Carnival and $3300 more expensive than the Kia Carnival GT-Line diesel.

As befitting a range-topping model, Kia is throwing everything at the GT-Line, underscored by the fact there are no options, other than a few shades of metallic paint, to be had.

Highlights include 19-inch alloy wheels, projector LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard seats in the second row, a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless and cabled Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB+ radio, 360-degree surround view camera, 12.3-inch digital instrument display, and the full complement of Kia’s safety technologies and advanced driver assist systems.

Our test car was finished in a $695 shade of optional Astra Blue metallic paint for an as-tested price of $76,905 before on-road costs or around $83,055 drive-away in NSW. Final drive-away may vary depending on which state or territory you’re located.

That pricing stacks up well in a segment where choices are few. The top-spec Toyota Granvia VX in eight-seat configuration asks for $77,355 before on-road costs but it’s diesel-powered without a hybrid option.

The petrol-powered LDV Mifa Luxe is priced from $72,990 before on-roads but it’s only available as a seven-seater.

Buyers looking to go fully electric could consider the just-released Volkswagen ID. Buzz which, in seven-seater trim, is priced from $91,290 before on-road costs.

Of course, with buyer tastes being what they are, it’s worth pointing out that a slew of three-row SUVs, such as the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Sante Fe and Kia Sorento, could also be considered as vying for the attention of buyers.

But we have yet to sample a three-row SUV where the third row isn’t compromised in terms of space, nor have we met a large SUV with the same cargo carrying capacity with all three rows in use as the Kia Carnival.

The Kia Carnival is a big vehicle, and yet disguises its dimensions nicely. Measuring 5155mm long, 1995mm wide, 1785mm tall and sitting on a wheelbase of 3090mm, the Carnival’s dimensions are bigger than they look on the road.

Certainly, buyers who might baulk at the sheer size of the Carnival would be well advised to take one for a test drive, because the experience from behind the wheel is no bigger than any number of large three-row SUVs.

It’s a different story in the cabin, however, where Kia’s people mover plays its strongest hand.

Up front, as you’d expect, feels enormous. The leather-covered seats are supportive and comfortable, while the wide centre console only enhances that feeling of spaciousness.

The materials throughout are top-notch with plenty of yielding surfaces, while fit and finish are also excellent. There’s a real feeling of solidity to the interior.

A large single-frame screen curves ever so gently towards the driver. It actually houses two screens, one a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, the other a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. We’ll detail the merits of both later in this review.

Kia has put some thought into ergonomics, highlighted by the clever integration of the climate controls that are accessed via a secondary screen nestled underneath the infotainment screen. It features a pair of dials that can change temperature settings alongside an array of touch controls for airflow and fan speed.

However, the smarts come into it when you press the up-arrow icon that changes the entire interface into a hub for the Carnival’s audio system, including the dials, which transform into volume and tuning knobs. Clever stuff.

Up front, storage amenities abound with generous door pockets, a pair of cupholders, and a handy storage nook in the centre console that is home to the Carnival’s wireless smartphone charging pad. The central storage bin – with a nicely padded lid – is deliciously cavernous too, and more than capable of holding an assortment of your stuff including drink bottles.

It's in the second row where the Carnival really starts to shine. And it begins with entry through the powered sliding doors. Aside from the huge opening greeting second- and third-row occupants, sliding doors make practical sense in the way they eliminate those pesky carpark dings and bingles in tight confines, especially when it’s kids doing the opening and closing.

In terms of space, the second row feels like a loungeroom with ample room for feet, knees, legs and heads. Three across isn’t a stretch, while the outboard seats feature niceties like individual armrests adding to the lounge-like vibe.

Each seat can slide fore and aft individually, while the middle seat can be removed entirely to create a walk-through galley for even easier third-row access. The middle seat can also be folded forward to reveal a pair of cupholders and a nice storage area along with a couple of slots ideal for storing smartphones. There are additional cupholders for the second row located at the rear of the front centre console.

Amenities for second-row passengers are plenty with two USB points (located in the sides of the front seat backs), separate climate controls and air vents, window blinds, and decent-sized door pockets that can take bottles.

One of the key features of the Carnival’s interior comfort is just how easy it is to access the third row. Where some (most) seven- (or eight-) seat SUVs require the flexibility of a champion gymnast to clamber into row three, getting into the third row is easy with the second-row seats sliding and tilting forward to open up a generous aperture.

Once ensconced, there’s enough space for adults to be comfortable, although we’d suggest that three adults abreast is a little tight. Two grown-ups and a child, on the other hand, not a problem.

Amenities in row three include more USB points, four cupholders, air vents (although no separate temperature or fan controls) as well as smaller sunblinds to temper the harshest of the day’s rays.

For those with kids, the Carnival is fitted with ISOFIX child seat mounts on all three seats of the second, while the third row is fitted with a further two. Additionally, a total of five top-tether anchors adorn both rows of passenger seating (three across the second row and two in the third). That means, should you have a family of quintuplets, the Carnival can accommodate all of them.

Opening the huge, powered tailgate reveals another Carnival party trick – the cargo area. With all three rows in use by people, there’s still a very healthy 627 litres of available storage space. Kia has achieved these via a deep cutout in the boot floor that serves two purposes.

One, it can be filled with bags and suitcases and the like, or two, the third-row seats can be folded and flipped to fit into the space to create a nicely flat floor area and reveal a cavernous 2827L of cargo space, according to Kia.

It’s a massive area, one that eclipses what even the largest of SUVs can muster, and only then if both the second and third rows are stowed away. In the Carnival, five people can ride in comfort along with all their luggage, school bags, prams, camping equipment or whatever accoutrements modern families take with them on drives.

One downside of the Carnival hybrid is the lack of a spare wheel, with only a puncture repair kit on hand to get you out of a flat-tyre bind. Non-hybrid Carnivals score a space-saver spare.

Two screens housed inside a single wide-frame serve as the Carnival’s technological nerve centre.

A 12.3-inch touchscreen hosts the Carnival’s infotainment system, which features the usual array of goodies including wireless (and wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and the full breadth of radio wavebands (AM/FM/DAB+).

It’s a slick system, intuitive to use and responsive to inputs. Apple CarPlay, both cabled and wireless, worked faultlessly during our time with the people mover.

A 12-speaker premium Bose audio system plays tunes with a rich depth of sound, even when opting for the curious but strangely soothing Sounds of Nature tracks bundled into the system.

New for this iteration of Carnival is Kia’s Connect Telematics, which offers not only over-the-air updates but also remote access via a smartphone app for functions such as setting climate controls, locking and unlocking the doors, or even providing a visual feed from the Carnival's 360-degree cameras.

Augmenting the infotainment screen, another 12.3-inch screen houses the Carnival's digital instrument display. It’s not as configurable as some set-ups in other brands but all the vital functions – such as a digital speed readout and engine revs – are on display. There’s also the facility to toggle through a variety of information screens providing trip information, energy use and the like.

And the GT-Line is also fitted with a new 11-inch head-up display that projects critical driving information, including navigation route guidance, directly onto the windscreen.

The Kia Carnival hybrid remains “unrated” by Australia’s independent safety body ANCAP. But for context, the Carnival range – both petrol and diesel but explicitly excluding this new hybrid model – was awarded a five-star safety score when it launched in 2021.

It scored highly for both adult (90 per cent) and child occupant (88 per cent) protection, while its safety assist systems were scored at 82 per cent. Vulnerable road user protection was rated at 68 per cent.

An impressive array of safety technologies is bundled into every grade of Kia Carnival including this new hybrid model.

Standard across the entire range are autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, rear occupant alert, speed-limit assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

But, as a range-topping GT-Line, the hybrid adds a blind-spot view monitor that projects camera images from the Carnival’s blind spot into the digital instrument display, rear autonomous emergency braking, a 360-degree camera and side parking sensors.

We had little issue with the calibration of the various systems which, for the most part, didn't feel overly intrusive, bar a couple of exceptions.

As is the case in almost every new car, the speed limit assist, which sounds an audible warning once you exceed the sign-posted limit, is more than a little irritating when it detects the incorrect speed limit. Of particular note, driving along a motorway at the signposted 110km/h, the system will detect an off-ramp limit of 60km/h and then initiate its volley of audible alerts even though your actual speed is at, or under, the signposted 110km/h limit.

Similarly, the driver attention monitor can be a touch trigger-happy in determining whether your attention is wandering, and begin its series of alerts that are actually more distracting than anything that may have distracted you in the first place.

Both systems can be switched off or muted; however, it’s worth noting they default back to ‘on’ every time you restart the Carnival.

A full complement of airbags – including the relatively new centre airbag that protects against head clashes between front seat occupants in the event of an accident – covers all three rows.

Kia covers the Carnival hybrid with its standard seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which remains among the strongest in today’s automotive landscape, the majority of its mainstream rivals offering five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranties.

A word to the wise on servicing, however. Scheduled maintenance intervals for the Carnival hybrid are shorter than for regular petrol or diesel models, with Kia asking you return the Carnival hybrid to the workshop every 12 months or 10,000km. Non-hybrid Carnivals see those distance intervals stretch to 15,000km, which is largely the norm.

That means if you drive your Kia more than 10,000km per year you’ll be visiting the workshop more than once per year – not only a time inconvenience, but also a hit to the hip pocket.

Kia offers a capped-price servicing program for the Carnival hybrid that runs to $1519 over three years or 30,000km, $2976 for five years and 50,000km, and a massive $4597 over seven years and 70,000km.

That’s a hefty impost when compared with a regular. r petrol Carnival, which over the same period asks for $1445, $2673 and $3897. That's significantly more affordable, and even more so when you consider the increased distance intervals of 15,000km per service.

Owners can claw some of that back on insurance costs, with premiums for the Kia Carnival GT-Line Hybrid running to $2087 per annum, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Using the same parameters, annual premiums for a Carnival GT-Line petrol will set you back $2412, while the GT-Line diesel trim asks for $2151 per annum.

One of the big advantages of hybrid technology should come at the fuel pump, the fuel-saving tech reducing petrol bills markedly.

Let’s look at the numbers. Kia claims the Carnival hybrid will use 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres of regular 91-octane unleaded on the combined cycle. Our week with the people mover, over a variety of driving conditions including highway, peak-hour traffic and suburban running, returned an impressive 5.7L/100km. With a 72-litre fuel tank, that means a theoretical driving range of 1263km.

That’s an impressive number, and compares – unsurprisingly – very favourably against petrol- and diesel-powered Carnivals. Our most recent test of a Carnival GT-Line diesel saw an indicated 6.5L/100km, while a recent week-long test of a Carnival S petrol returned an indicated 9.6L/100km.

The Kia Carnival hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that combine for a healthy 180kW and 366Nm. That’s slightly up on the same set-up as found in both the Kia Sportage and Sorento hybrids that output 169kW and 350Nm. A six-speed automatic transmission sends drive to the front wheels.

And it’s an excellent combination with enough pep to get the big people mover along at a brisk pace while never feeling overly stressed. Low-speed driving situations will see the electric motor doing the heavy lifting on its own. Only once speeds rise – or if faster acceleration is needed for an overtake or merge – does the petrol engine kick in.

The transition between the two modes of motivation is seamless, the petrol engine kicking into life in a quiet and unruffled manner.

The six-speed torque converter automatic does a nice job of ensuring the Carnival is in the right gear at the right time. Shifts – whether up or down – are smooth and unobtrusive, adding to the overall refined demeanour of the Carnival hybrid driving experience.

The refinement is enhanced by the Carnival hybrid’s supple and composed on-road manners. Kia tweaked the overall suspension tune with its most recent update to the Carnival, and it shows in just how well the big people mover handles the daily grind.

Bump absorption is excellent, while body control over larger obstacles such as speed humps, or navigating corners and roundabouts, remains impressive.

Three drive modes – Eco, Sport and Smart – alter the driving characteristics, with Sport offering sharper throttle response for a slightly peppier take-off from standstill. The reality is you won’t need that extra dose of perkiness, with Eco mode perfectly adept at handling everyday driving duties.

The Carnival’s overall dimensions aren’t a factor on the road, feeling more like any number of large SUVs on the road than a dimensionally larger eight-seat people mover. Parking the Carnival is a breeze too. Accurate steering and a 360-degree surround-view camera combine to make placing the Carnival between the line markings or parked cars easy and effortless.

Kia says the Carnival hybrid is rated to tow 750kg unbraked or 1000kg braked. That’s down on the regular non-hybrid Carnival, which is rated to tow 2000kg unbraked.

A Tow Mode does alter the engine mapping of the Carnival hybrid slightly to compensate for any added weight hanging off the back, but realistically, if you regularly need to haul a trailer, the Carnival hybrid might not be the best option.

The gross vehicle mass (GVM) is listed at 2980kg while kerb weight is 2334kg, leaving a payload (the combined weight of all occupants and any luggage as well as the downball weight if hauling a trailer) of 646kg. That means eight burly adults weighing 80kg each can travel in the Carnival but they won't be able to take anything with them. Or wear any clothes. A mix of adults and kids should be fine, though.

Anyone with a large family will be well served by the Kia Carnival, which blends acres of practical space with a near car-like driving experience.

The addition of a hybrid powertrain to the line-up also brings remarkable fuel economy to the people-mover party.

This is a vehicle designed with a big family in mind, and that means few, if any, compromises have been made.

The Kia Carnival is the smart option in a sea of seven-seat SUVs, and arguably the ultimate family hauler.

If you’re in the market for a Kia Carnival hybrid, you might need to exercise a bit of patience. A Kia spokesperson told Drive there is some dealer stock “floating around” for those willing to do some ringing around. Otherwise, any orders placed today will take two to three months for delivery.

To start your journey, head to the Kia Australia website where you can compare specifications, build and price your Carnival, organise a test drive and find a dealer. The website does not have a stock locator, so your dealer is the best person to talk to about availability of your chosen spec. You can also find Kias for sale at Drive Marketplace.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.

Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.

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