The 2027 Carnival gives you a genuine choice: a 287-hp V-6 for towing and price, or a 242-hp hybrid that trades some power for a jump to 33 mpg combined, all wrapped in an 8-passenger (7 on LX) cabin with 145.1 cubic feet of cargo room.
8-passenger seating on LXS and above plus 145.1 cu ft of cargo room handles gear and passengers at once.
The hybrid's 33 mpg combined cuts fuel spend hard versus the V-6's 21 mpg over a typical ownership span.
The 287-hp V-6 and 260 lb-ft of torque on gas trims give more muscle than the hybrid for heavier loads.
Every Carnival configuration is front-wheel drive; there's no all-wheel-drive option in this lineup.
The base LX only seats 7; you have to move up to LXS or higher for the eighth seat.
This is a family minivan built for space and comfort, not cornering — look elsewhere if that's the priority.
EX Hybrid pairs the 33-mpg powertrain with a more complete equipment list than the base LXS Hybrid, at 43690 MSRP — the sweet spot for most family buyers who want efficiency without stepping into SX pricing.
At 41490, LXS Hybrid undercuts the gas EX (41690) while delivering far better fuel economy — hybrid efficiency for essentially gas-trim money.
LX is the cheapest way into a Carnival at 37490, with the standard 287-hp V-6, though you lose a seat versus every other trim.
SX Prestige Hybrid tops the lineup at 53590, combining the hybrid powertrain's efficiency with the most complete feature set Kia offers on the Carnival — not the value pick, but the one to get if you want everything.
*MSRP excludes destination charge.
| Vehicle | Choose It If… |
|---|---|
| Toyota Sienna | You want a hybrid-only minivan lineup with a long reliability track record. |
| Chrysler Voyager | You want the lowest-priced minivan entry point and don't need a hybrid option. |
| Hyundai santa-fe | You'd rather have SUV styling and don't need three-row minivan cargo space. |
The Carnival works if you need minivan space and want a choice between V-6 muscle and hybrid efficiency; skip it only if you need AWD or sport-oriented driving dynamics.
You need 8-passenger seating, big cargo room, and want to pick your powertrain trade-off between economy and towing power.
You're deciding between gas and hybrid and haven't compared real-world fuel costs at your annual mileage yet.
You need all-wheel drive or prefer SUV proportions over a minivan body style.