After a set of teasers that showed its design and interior, Kia has finally revealed all the details surrounding its all-new 2021 Carnival.

The exterior is certainly eye-catching with its island roof design with blacked-out A- and B-pillars beneath a body-colored roof. An eye-catching new C-pillar signature design also stands out, with a chrome fin bearing a subtle diamond pattern.

Upfront, it has a new ‘tiger-nose’ design spanning the width of the vehicle, integrating LED daytime running lights (DRLs), headlamps, and grille to give the new Carnival a confident, futuristic new look and a unique light signature. At the rear, the Carnival is robust in stature, and boasts a wide, distinctive new look accentuated by a full-width light bar.

Inside, the cabin of the new Kia Carnival is based on the concept of ‘Spatial Talents’, providing a relaxing, high-tech and stylish environment ideal for family travel.



Thanks to its new platform and larger body, the fourth-generation Carnival boasts unrivaled space for passengers. Depending on market, the Carnival offers owners three- or four-row seating configurations, with space for seven, eight or 11 occupants in total. The car is also more versatile and spacious than ever before, offering intelligent and flexible interior packaging and an abundance of cabin storage areas.

The Carnival benefits from a 30 mm longer wheelbase (up to 3,090 mm) and 10 mm wider body (up to 1,995 mm), enhancing utility for families. The overall length of the new Carnival grows by 40 mm to 5,155 mm, with a 30 mm longer rear overhang (up to 1,130 mm), creating more space for third-row passengers and best-in-class luggage space with it.

In its popular seven-seat configuration, the Carnival boasts Kia’s reclining ‘Premium Relaxation Seat’ for second-row occupants, with adjustable back-, arm- and leg-rests providing ‘business class’ seating. This also offers a one-touch ‘Relaxation’ mode, automatically reclining and adjusting the seats for maximum comfort on a longer drive. Combined with the Carnival’s flexible seating arrangements, this ensures the new model is easy to set-up as the ideal car for any situation.

With only the first row of seats in use, the Carnival offers best-in-class trunk space of up to 2,905 liters (VDA, three-row configuration), with 627 liters available to use behind the third-row seats (to the upper edge of the seat backs). Furthermore, the lift-over height for the trunk is 26 mm lower than its predecessor, at 640 mm, making it even easier to load. The power tailgate and smart power-sliding rear passenger doors also facilitate access to the trunk and cabin.



The hub of the car’s connectivity features is the high-tech twin digital display. This links Kia’s latest 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system under a single seamless piece of glass. Meanwhile, many infotainment functions are controlled via touch-sensitive buttons around the screen. There is a similar haptic control panel further down the center console for climate control.

Technology is also used to create a more sociable environment within the cabin itself, with the fourth-generation Carnival boasting a new ‘Rear Passenger View & Talk’ feature. Front passengers can use this to check on rear-seat occupants with a small camera linked to the infotainment system, instead of turning around in their seat. It also lets front occupants communicate more easily with other passengers, as the system amplifies their voice through the rear-seat speakers. Should front occupants allow, a new ‘Rear Passenger Voice Recognition’ technology also lets occupants in the second-row issue voice commands to control the infotainment system.

Under the hood, the new Carnival adopts Kia’s latest “Smartstream” powertrain technologies to enhance efficiency and performance.

The most powerful engine in the line-up is a 3.5-liter GDi (gasoline direct injection) V6, producing up to 294 horsepower and 355 Nm torque. A 3.5-liter MPi gasoline V6 is also available, producing up to 272 horsepower and 332 Nm torque.



A new 2.2-liter ‘Smartstream’ diesel engine is offered to customers in many markets (not just Korea this time), and is one of the cleanest diesel units that Kia has ever made. Producing up to 202 horsepower and offering 440 Nm torque over a broad range of engine speeds, the new engine replaces its predecessor’s cast iron block for a 20-kilogram lighter aluminum block. All engines are paired as standard with eight-speed automatic transmissions.

The Carnival features a fully independent suspension system with a range of enhancements to its NVH to deliver better on-road behavior with added stability and comfort. A new column-mounted motor-driven power steering set-up replaces the outgoing model’s hydraulic power steering system, resulting in a slightly more direct response to steering inputs, with a 5.6 percent quicker steering ratio.

Depending on market and vehicle specifications, the driver assist technology in the new Carnival is one of the most comprehensive found on any new car today. Safe Exit Assist (SEA) is an important new addition to the suite of safety technologies for the fourth-generation Carnival. SEA prevents the power-sliding rear doors from opening – and young passengers exiting the vehicle – if the system detects a car approaching from behind on either side.

The all-new 2021 Kia Carnival goes on sale in Korea in the third quarter of this year with global markets to follow soon thereafter.