Chrysler set the expectation for minivan seating arrangements in 1984, and others were quick to follow. Bucket seats for the front row. A 2-passenger bench in the second row. A 3-passenger bench in the rear.
Now, the 2022 Kia Carnival is rethinking the formula.
Oh, sure, there have been innovations before. Optional second-row captain’s chairs. Seats that slide back and forth. Seats that fold into the floor. Removable seats that don’t weigh more than the people expected to use them.
But Kia’s newest MPV (multipurpose vehicle, in Kia terms) offers a more fundamental rethinking of minivan seating. There are three options, and each has its own application. They’re a big part of why the Carnival might be the coolest minivan on the market.
The Usual Approach
We won’t spend much time on this one, because you already know it well. The standard Carnival LX ($32,300, plus a $1,295 delivery fee) uses two captain’s chairs in the second row and a 3-person bench in the rear. It’s classic because it works, and if it’s what you want, you’ll find it here.
The Family Setup
The aptly named LX Seat Package, though, adds $2,000 to the price and a lot of livability to the cabin.
The second row gets the two captain’s chairs. But between them, there’s a transformer. What Kia calls the “free mode” seat can be a standard seat creating space for three in the second row.
But it can also fold down into a table for road trip eating or homework at the soccer field. It can fold out of the way, giving passengers more space. It can slide forward and reverse, allowing parents to mount a child safety seat where it’s more easily accessible from the front seats.
Drivers can remove each of the three seats separately.
Opting for the Seat Package also adds a power driver’s seat and heated seats in the front row.
The Luxury Setup
In the U.S., minivans tend to be family machines. But in South Korea, where Kia is headquartered, they are often used as executive transport.
It’s a practice Americans should consider.
The Carnival’s top-of-the-line SX Prestige trim ($46,300) sets the standard. Its second row doesn’t use captain’s chairs. Instead, it consists of two “VIP lounge chairs.” They are heated and ventilated, recline fully, and include leg supports that raise to create something akin to a bed. It’s a setup we’ve seen only on high-end super-luxury cars. But it makes a lot of sense in a minivan.
More 2022 Kia Carnival
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