2021 Kia Carnival (Sedona) review - everything you'll love & hate

After two weeks test-driving the 2021 Kia Carnival (AKA Sedona) - the V6 petrol and the diesel - here’s everything I loved, and everything I hated about this vehicle.

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My fortnight in Kia Carnival was split equally between the V6 petrol Platinum and the 2.2 turbodiesel Platinum.

Kia supplied both vehicles - in the same way evaluation vehicles are typically supplied to other media outlets for reviews like these.

My default position on Carnival is: I always try to detest Carnival, overall, because it’s a people mover, and I always fail. I end up loving it. Especially the diesel (we’ll get to that). I look forward to driving a Carnival, and I hate giving it back. Despite my sincere efforts to the contrary. In the context of what this vehicle purports to be, it’s a very faithful execution indeed.

Carnival’s not perfect - no car is - so the purpose for bringing you the hate, as as well as the love, is A) hate balances out love, and B) it alerts you to the things you might not ultimately like about the vehicle, which might matter more to you than they do to me. This is, of course, important to know - before you spend the big bucks.

Carnival is objectively better than an SUV in so many important ways - like accommodation, access, luggage space, versatility and convenience. And, frankly I think a lot of people who buy a typical seven-seat SUV would actually be better off in a Carnival. There’s a lot more to love than to hate about this vehicle, and none of the ‘hate’ items would be a deal-breaker for me. It’s like any relationship - you embrace the things you love and learn to live with the things you hate. This goes for every relationship from that with your lovely wife to your job and even your smartphone.

So, don’t get me wrong here - I love the new Carnival, and I recommend it to you without reservation. I even tried hating it, and I failed. It’s just not perfect, and going into this, spending the big bucks while operating under the delusion that you’re finally procuring the perfect car is just paving the road to heartbreak. No car is perfect. No relationship - with a car or otherwise - is perfect.