A Week With: Kia’s 2025 Carnival and 2025 EV9 — Defying Expectations

The tagline “You’ve come a long way, baby” was once used for a less healthy product, but if you’ve climbed into just about any Kia in the last several years, you know it’s certainly applicable here. New products like the Carnival and EV9 continue to drive the automaker to new heights.

The raised eyebrows I’ve seen when I’ve responded “Kia,” to requests for product recommendations tell me the car-buying public is due for a Ctrl F5 cache refresh. This would reveal Kia is no longer an also-ran brand proffering substandard automobiles. In fact, today’s Kia lineup consists of some of the most desirable products currently on offer.

Granted, the first Kia models to make their way to the States weren’t exactly stellar in their execution. However, the company has accomplished an impressive turnaround over the past couple of decades. Two shining examples of this in the family transportation category are its Carnival minivan offering and its EV9 midsized electric SUV.

Reinventing the minivan

As a species, we often shun that which is good in favor of that which looks good. For example, most automotive experts around the world agree the most efficient vehicle for family transportation is the minivan. Spacious, flexible, fuel efficient and comfortable, minivans offer good handling and cargo capacity along with easy ingress and egress — as well as good value for the money.

And yet, the minivan is all but DOA in the marketplace. Meanwhile, the wholly less efficient SUV thrives. Ask most people why they wouldn’t buy a minivan, and they’ll say — in one way or another — “Minivans aren’t cool.” To counter that perception, Kia offers a minivan that looks like an SUV.

Style without the drawbacks

You have probably seen the Kia Carnival minivan on the street and thought it was an SUV. After all, the Carnival’s profile says “SUV” all day long. Meanwhile, its roster of interior accommodations reads like a list of minivan greatest hits.

There’s the aforementioned spaciousness, available VIP captain’s chairs to keep your kids from “touching” each other, sliding doors on both sides, and more than adequate cargo space. You’ll also find a suite of the latest driver assistance tech, coupled with thoroughly modern infotainment features.

Granted, all-wheel drive is a conspicuous omission from a vehicle that looks like an SUV. But that helps the front-wheel drive Carnival deliver reasonable fuel-efficiency. It also allows the Kia minivan a flat floor, which improves its ability to carry cargo and accommodate passengers.

Besides, how many people really need the heavy four-wheel drive systems SUVs tout? Power is sourced from a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V6 feeding into an 8-speed automatic transmission. Endowing the Carnival with good performance potential, the powertrain also returns a reasonable 22 mpg overall. Pricing starts at $36,500.

A better electric SUV

Kia’s EV9 electric SUV injects some fresh thinking into the midsize SUV category. In fact, many automotive pundits have stated the EV9 is one of the first truly family friendly SUVs in its competitive set. Here again, Kia is defying expectations with good driving range, three rows of seating that are actually accessible and comfortable, as well as a reasonable purchase price.

Range anxiety, perhaps the single most persistent objection to EV ownership by Americans is addressed with up to 300 miles of range with the EV9’s most economical single-motor powertrain configuration. But wait, it gets even better. For the die-hard performance heads out there, the all-wheel drive EV9 can be had with a 379-hp propulsion system. What’s more, the EV9 is capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.

Golf cart my @$$

A common refrain among never EV-ers is “I’ll never drive one of those glorified golf carts.” Meanwhile, the 279-hp version of this so-called “golf cart” is capable of sprinting from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. And that’s before the introduction of the 2025 GT version, which is predicted to offer some 576 hp. The base rear-drive model delivers a respectable 215 hp.

But it ain’t all about power. The EV9 is also luxuriously equipped. Plus, the Kia’s thoroughly modern look attracts lots of positive attention. Inside, the EV9 can be configured to accept up to seven passengers by substituting the second row captain’s chairs for bench seating.

You might want to think that one over carefully though, because those Captain’s chairs come with heat and ventilation. The interior’s styling is also tastefully avant-garde with dual 12.3-inch screens and a minimal array of physical buttons. Pricing starts at $54,900.

Quality and reliability standard features

Another concern I hear quite often when recommending Kia is reliability. Here again, things have changed folks. Kia’s models consistently score near the top of J.D. Power rankings for quality, dependability, performance and design — and deservedly so.

What’s more, they are covered by what is among the best warranties you’ll find. This includes five years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage, along with 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Innovative, distinctive and wholly competitive with everything in their respective segments, Kia’s offerings rate more than passing consideration. And yes, you can lower your eyebrows now.