Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV 2025 Review

Fan favourite Kia Carnival adds hybrid power to its people-mover party, but does the price of entry dim the vibe?

By carsales.com.au

It wasn’t that long ago that the minivan was the only option for large Aussie families.

But then the rising tide of high-riding soft roaders made them unfashionable. Except, no one told Kia which has continued to evolve the minivan formula, and set new benchmarks for its type, with the Carnival.

In fact, the South Korean car maker has revolutionised the eight-seat wagon to the point where it now labels its Carnival as a Grand Utility Vehicle (GUV) because it fuses genuine luxury and practicality in equal measures.

Case in point is the company’s new flagship hybrid-powered version which arrives at a price point that might stretch beyond the budget of a growing family with tightening purse strings.

How much does the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV cost?

The Kia Carnival is the dominant leader of the small, but critical, people mover segment in Australia, selling more than twice as many as the combined total of all its direct rivals each month.

However, Kia is resting on its laurels and last year refreshed the entire range with a mid-cycle upgrade that introduced revised exterior styling, new tech and the addition of a petrol-electric powertrain in the flagship Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV we’re testing here.

The range continues to comprise of five model grades – S, Sport, Sport+, GT Line Lite and GT-Line – with the choice of either a 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder or a 3.5-litre petrol V6, with prices starting at $51,070 (plus on-road costs) for the V6 S and topping out at $73,830 (plus on-road costs) for the GT-Line diesel.

The hybrid powertrain is limited to three trim levels – S, Sport and GT-Line – and commands a $5030 premium over the V6 and $2800 over the turbo diesel.

Alternatives for the Carnival include the closely related Hyundai Staria, which is also with all-wheel drive when teamed with the turbo diesel engine, as well as the LDV MIFA and the Toyota Granvia.

What standard equipment does the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV feature?

Modern families are not going to be left wanting for much more in the 2025 Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV, as it features an extensive list of standard equipment and surprising features that goes a long way to justify its price tag, including:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights and taillights
• Keyless entry with push-button start
• Tri-zone climate control
• Synthetic leather trim
• Dual sunroofs
• Power sliding rear doors
• Powered tailgate
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Electric front seat adjustment
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated outboard middle-row seats
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Embedded satellite navigation
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Wireless smartphone mirroring
• DAB+ digital radio
• 12-speaker Bose audio system

On top of all of that, the Carnival has a few quirky and family-friendly features too, such as the Passenger Talk function which amplifies the voice of front-seat occupants to those in the back via the audio system.

There’s also a quiet mode that helps keep napping kids from being woken up by loud noises, which is handy for long distance family road trips.

The rear-view mirror can also transform into a digital display using the rear facing camera, providing an uninterrupted view behind the vehicle.

An additional party trick is the Smart key, which can not only remotely start the engine and air conditioning system to prepare the cabin but also has a one-touch parking function so you can move the vehicle forwards or backwards from a tight parking space to give more room for the family to climb into the cabin.

What safety features does the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV have?

The current generation Kia Carnival received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was first introduced in 2021, prior to the introduction of the hybrid powertrain option.

It features eight airbags that cover occupants in all three rows – now including a centre airbag between the front seats – as well as five ISOFIX child restraint mounts and top-tether anchorage points.

Including in its extensive array of advanced driver aids and crash avoidance systems is front and rear autonomous emergency braking with forward pedestrian and cyclist detection, front and rear cross traffic alerts, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition, a head-up display and 360-degree parking view monitor.

Interestingly, the round gauges on the instrument cluster becomes live digital displays of the adjacent lane when you activate the respective right or left indicator.

The car will automatically change lanes when the adaptive cruise is activated but only if it detects there is sufficient space to do so safely.

As amazing as that is, in what is becoming a broken record, the audible bings and bongs when the system detects a change in posted speed limit or a slight deviation from the centre of the lane markings are frequent – and frustrating.

But this is not unique to Kia and more a universal issue brought about by tighter regulations from crash safety authorities.

Thankfully, Kia has made it relatively simple to de-activate some of the alerts via a short cut button on the multi-function steering wheel. However, you have to dig deeper into the vehicle settings menu on the touch screen to shut other functions down.

What is the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV like inside?

When it is all said and done, the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV delivers a pretty fancy way to cart the family around.

While there’s still a few hints of base-model ambience throughout the cabin with some scratchy plastics in the lower half of the dash, for the most part it presents well and with a genuine sense of modern luxury.

The overall design is fresh and modern, the quality of the synthetic leather is soft and sumptuous, and the cabin is filled with light through the large twin sunroofs.

Yes, there is an overwhelming reliance on the touch screen to control everything, but it’s nice to have a separate touch sensitive panel for often used conveniences like basic climate control and audio functions. And there’s a row physical buttons to easily activate the front seat heating and ventilation, which is an ergonomic win.

In terms of storage, there is a large central bin between the front seats, as well as various cubbies for small items throughout the cabin and cupholders for every seat. It’s a shame the front door bins aren’t large enough to hold larger water bottles though.

For large families, the power operated rear doors – which are standard on all Sport+, GT-Line Lite and GT-Line models – are a blessing, and also feature wind-down which is unique in this class.

As for space, the Carnival’s cabin is cavernous and flexible with generous head and leg room in the middle row, where each seat can slide forward and backwards individually and has a reclining back rest.

You can even choose to fold down the centre cushion to create an armrest or remove it completely and open-up a walk-through path to the third row.

Unlike most seven seat SUVs, the Carnival’s third row can genuinely accommodate adults comfortably with ample space. And access is relatively easy thanks to a large aperture when the middle row is folded forward.

Other thoughtful touches include air vents and USB-C charging ports for all three rows, built-in sunblinds and map pockets behind the front seats.

The Carnival’s real trump card over a three-row SUV is its enormous cargo carrying capacity, which provides 627L of space even in full eight-seat mode. Or up to 2785L – like a small delivery van – with the third row folded flat.

What is under the bonnet of the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV?

The 2025 Kia Carnival GT-Line is driven by a 1.6-litre turbo charged petrol four cylinder linked to an electric motor sandwiched within the six-speed automatic transmission that is powered by a 1.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The petrol engine on its own produces 132kW of power and 265Nm of torque, while the e-motor delivers an additional 54kW and 304Nm for maximum combined outputs of 180kW and 366Nm, which are pretty healthy numbers.

In comparison, the 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 produces 216kW and 355Nm while the 2.2-litre turbo diesel generates 148kW and 440Nm.

While all three maintain the same front-wheel drive configuration, the internal combustion-powered versions feature an eight-speed automatic transmission with a wider range of gear ratios to optimise fuel consumption.

How fuel efficient is the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV?

Speaking of which, the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV is the most efficient powertrain option of the three with a claimed average consumption of 5.8L/100km – which is fractionally lower than the diesel (6.5L/100km) but significantly better than the thirsty V6 (9.6L/100km).

It achieves this by switching between using the electric motor alone when moving away from a standstill and at slow speeds and then utilising both power sources in unison under heavy acceleration and at cruising speeds.

The battery pack is constantly replenished via regenerative braking when decelerating, so it doesn’t need to be plugged-in to recharge.

During our testing period, we couldn’t match Kia’s claimed consumption figure, recording an average of 7.1L/100km over a variety of mixed driving conditions. Then again, we recorded 11.5L/100km in the V6 over the same route, indicating the hybrid’s advantages are real.

What is the Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV like to drive?

Forget your perceptions of what a minivan drives like, as the Kia Carnival holds its own in terms of dynamic character.

Sure, most of the early predecessors in this class were essentially based on delivery vans and therefore handled more like a commercial vehicle than a proper car.

But that hasn’t been the case with the Carnival for a couple of generations now.

Kia Australia has fettled with this upgraded version thanks to a comprehensive local suspension tuning program that developed revised spring rates, upgraded dampers and unique power steering settings to further hone what was already an accomplished package.

As a result, the ride quality on its 19-inch Continental tyres is compliant over slow-speed lumps and bumps, with only the harshest and sharpest road imperfections transferring through the cabin.

The suspension changes cannot fully disguise the Carnival’s size and mass through the corners.

All the controls are easy to use with light steering that makes navigating tight urban streets easy but also has enough weight at highway speeds to feel secure and sure footed.

The brakes are strong with a progressive and natural pedal feel despite the electric motor doing some of the heavy lifting under initial deceleration.

The automatic transmission is smooth when left to its own devices, but you can also change gears manually via the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

There’s excellent forward vision too with a commanding view of the road ahead and, from the driver’s seat, the Carnival feels more car-like than it really should.

How much does the Kia Carnival GT-Line cost to maintain?

Like all Kia models, the Carnival is covered by the company’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

It comes with the first year of roadside assistance free, which is extended annually for the warranty period if the vehicle is properly maintained according to its prescribed servicing schedule.

Both the petrol and diesel models require regular maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km. However, the hybrid variants have shorter mileage requirements at 10,000km.

The hybrid also costs more to service than its less complicated siblings, with an average price of $657 per year for the first seven years, compared to $557 for the V6 and $594 for the turbo diesel.

Should I lease a Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV?

If you need this type of car, then the short answer is yes. There’s good reason why Kia’s venerable people mover continues to dominate this segment of the market; it’s simply the best of its type.

And the addition of a hybrid powertrain further amplifies it position as the benchmark, while delivering lower running costs without compromising performance.

2025 Kia Carnival GT-Line at a glance:

^{Disclaimer: Images supplied by carsales}