The Sedona will live on!
While the minivan may not be dead, the Kia Sedonanameplate has. This does not mean Kia is abandoning the minivan market. In fact, the reverse is true. The new Kia Carnival is a people-moving vehicle that can carry up to 11 people in certain configurations. The new Kia Carnival will be officially launched for the US market on February 23rd, replacing the Sedona.
The vans that were used for the Carnival and Sedona festivals have been identical. It was a 2002 model and named Sedona in honor of the Arizona tourist town. It was known as Carnival outside North America, except for the VQ designation in China, and an Entourage badge-engineered version Hyundai. It’s all been consolidated under the Carnival moniker as part of Kia’s globalization plan.
For the 2021 model year, the current-generation Carnival debuted in June 2020. It has received significant improvements inside and outside. The van’s exterior styling has been sharpened and chunkier. It now looks more like an SUV, with a taller roof and angular lines. Kia calls the Carnival a Grand Utility Vehicle, but the two sliding rear doors are a pure minivan.
The three-row seating arrangement with plenty of legroom is a trait of minivans, but Carnival’s trick is the availability fourth row. When not in use, the rearmost bench can fold flat into the cargo area and can be brought into action to provide 11-passenger capacity. Although the fourth row may be small in size, it could prove to be a valuable feature for families with small children.
Technically, the current-generation Carnival has been revealed. However, some minor changes will be made to the model bound for the USA. Kia claims that it will be the first American model to sport its new Kia badge. It will be powered by a 290-horsepower (216 kilowatts) V6 and will offer a variety of driver-assist technologies. It’s interesting that Kia’s US-spec Carnival is a three-row van, with seven to eight passenger capacity, and it will be available in the USA.