Minivans and sedans aren’t huge sellers for most brands
Author of the article:
Matthew Guy
Published Feb 09, 2024 • Last updated Feb 09, 2024 • 3 minute read
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Even though consumer tastes have permanently shifted to preferring crossover-type vehicles and SUVs, a few brands maintain the good fight in some segments which are becoming an increasingly small sliver of the overall pie in our North American market. The best two examples? Minivans and four-door sedans, two body styles which many shoppers shun as if they were lined with cases of Uranium-235.
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2025 Kia Carnival minivan gets available hybrid option Back to video
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Which is why it is intriguing that Kia would choose the Chicago Auto Show at which to haul the covers off refreshed versions of machines in not one but both of these segments. The 2025 Kia Carnival and 2025 Kia K5 have received a raft of updates for this model year, including a new powertrain type for the minivan which surely cost a bundle to develop. Guess the suits expect the minivan to be around for a little while longer, then.
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What’s new with the Kia Carnival for 2025?
What’s fresh? The addition of a turbo-hybrid powertrain, for starters. The new Carnival Hybrid has a 1.6L turbocharged gasoline-powered engine behind its suspiciously SUV-looking nose, paired with a 54-kW motor and a 6-speed automatic transmission. These dance partners are good for a combined output of 242 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. This isn’t a ton of power but it aligns with the Toyota Sienna minivan which isn’t speedy but returns towering fuel economy — which is what most families care about, anyway. Expect the Carnival Hybrid to perform similarly. We’ve reached out to our contacts at Kia Canada to confirm this powertrain type is indeed coming to Canada, since the brand sometimes plays around with trim packages offered to Hosers and Yankees.
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Meanwhile, the venerable 3.5-liter V6 works with an 8-speed automatic transmission to produce 287 ponies and 260 lb-ft of twist. Kia isn’t limiting the new hybrid mill to costly trims; expect the HEV to appear in all but the least-expensive variant when it goes on sale later this year.
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Styling is more akin to an SUV than ever, taking many cues from the handsome Kia EV9 and putting an even stronger emphasis on that thicc C-pillar just aft of the sliding door. If stylists are aiming for that area to look like the demarcation point of a cab and carbo area of a body-on-frame SUV, they’re more on the mark that this author would have ever expected as someone described this approach just a few short years ago.
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Inside, dual 14.6-inch screens keep second-row whelps occupied, as will any number of new connectivity features. Up front, a curved panoramic dual-display on the dashboard features an available 12.3-inch cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment display integrated into a single panel for a very upscale look. Interestingly, despite its electrified gubbins, the hybrid gives up nothing in terms of measured interior space, equalling the gasser’s cargo area of just over 40 cubic feet.
What’s new with the Kia K5 for 2025?
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As for the sedan, the K5 gets newly fettled headlamps which look even more bonkers than last year, plus a new front fascia which gains flared satin-metal-look fins in some trims. Similar changes are found out back. Under the hood is a 2.5L normally aspirated four-cylinder engine making 191 horsepower, an 11 hp jump over the old 1.6L turbo which has been axed for 2025. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive is available on an upper trim. The front-drive GT models make 290 ponies and a stout 311 lb-ft of torque with its 8-speed dual clutch transmission.
While we’re hopeful the refreshed 2025 Kia Carnival with the hybrid powertrain will be on sale later this year, the 2025 Kia K5 will no longer be available in Canada after the 2024 model year.
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Will any of this come to Canada?
We reached out to the good people at Kia Canada for clarification about these models for our market. As expected, they told us the K5 is no longer available in our country after the 2024 model year, thanks to a myriad of reasons best described with the use of a PowerPoint presentation and wild hand gestures. They noted the Forte remains in its lineup on this side of the border for people seeking a Kia-badged vehicle with four doors and a trunk.
Regarding the Carnival, the official word is the company is in the throes of “currently finalizing details for our market” and “will have information in the coming week.” Take that for what you will but we feel the Carnival Hybrid would make an excellent foil to the uber-efficient Toyota Sienna, not to mention the electrified Chrysler Pacifica.
Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy is a lifelong gearhead who writes automotive content for Canadian and American outlets. He is alternately described as a freelance author, podcast host, road test magnate, and legend in his own mind. As a member of AJAC, he enjoys sharing his excitement about cars and is very pleased to contribute at Driving.
EXPERIENCE
Matthew’s goal is to put readers in the driver’s seat for a unique and entertaining look at the automotive industry – whether penning vehicle reviews with a creative bent, travelling to manufacturer events for first drives of new models, or speaking with industry stakeholders to gain extra insight for an article During the past decade, he has enjoyed creating unique and creative long-distance adventure drives, sating his (and the reader’s) appetite for driving accomplishments like traversing the spartan wilds of Labrador. Timed challenges in speedy machines also spin his crank. For a spell, he was also behind the microphone for this site’s Truck Guy podcast, interviewing guests ranging from knowledgeable local technicians to world-famous television stars. Find out what it’s like to jump behind the wheel of a pickup truck and successfully tackle gnarly off-road courses. Ride along whilst tackling twisty roads along the Pacific Coast in a droptop convertible. Bundle up as he explores the frigid expanses of Canada from his home on the East Coast to venturing north of the Arctic Circle.
EDUCATION
Memorial University of Newfoundland, School of Business B.Comm (Hons.)
AWARDS
2021 Castrol-Wakefield Automotive Writing Award, runner-up
Runner Up - 2023 AJAC Adventure and Travel Journalism Award presented by Genesis Canada
Winner - 2023 AJAC Road Safety Journalism Award presented by Volvo Canada
CONTACT
Email: matthewkguy@hotmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewkguy
Instagram: @DudeDrivesCars
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