There may not be a vast selection of minivans on the market, but the competition amongst the few available is fierce. Kia has redesigned the Sedona and renamed it the Carnival to stick out. It’s already noticeable because it’s the new minivan on the block, but other features such as its style, power, and cavernous space earned it great reviews. However, there’s one safety advantage feature carpoolers will love and may tempt some potential buyers away from long-standing rivals.

The 2022 Kia Carnival has decent power

The Carnival, which Kia insists is a “multi-purpose vehicle” or MVP, may not be the most powerful vehicle in the Kia lineup. Still, it manages very well for those looking for a reliable family vehicle. The 3.5L V6 engine produces 290 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. This is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The EPA rates the gas mileage at 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and a combined 22 mpg. The max towing capacity is 3,500 lbs, and the max payload is 1,334 lbs. 

The Carnival has plenty of room for passengers and cargo. With all the seats in place, you get 40.2 cu-ft of space to store your goods. If you lower the seats, this increases to 145.1 cu-ft.

There isn’t a huge array of safety advantage features. Still, drivers will doubtlessly be relieved to know there are blind spot and lane departure warnings, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, and a pre-collision and post-collision safety system. It’s important to note that there are front, rear, and third-row head airbags, according to Edmunds. 

The in-car entertainment is pretty basic. You get AM/FM Stereo, six speakers, a USB connection, and a USB with external media control. 

Braking comes naturally as a great safety advantage

For anyone who has to drive in heavy traffic, especially if you’re carpooling or have a vehicle full of small children, it’s important to have a general idea of how long it takes you to stop. In this case, the Kia Carnival managed to top the competition.

Even though Kia wants to refer to the Carnival as an MVP, as opposed to a minivan, review sites like Consumer Reports still rank it against minivans. In this case, the Carnival comes in at 129 ft, as opposed to the Honda Odyssey and the Chrysler Pacifica, which take 136 ft. The Toyota Sienna takes 148 ft. The Chrysler Voyager and Ford Transit Connect have yet to be tested.

Even though this may not seem like a big deal, every inch counts when it comes to avoiding a wreck or having to call 911. The Carnival is the obvious choice for anyone who has to drive in heavy traffic where you’re constantly forced to stop and go without much of a heads-up.

It’s not a speed racer

In spite of being able to stop in the fastest amount of time, the competition beats the 2022 Kia Carnival out when it comes to accelerating. The Carnival takes a full 8.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60. In contrast, the Toyota Sienna takes 8.2 seconds, the Honda Odyssey takes 8.1, and the Chrysler Pacifica has the fastest time of all with 8 seconds.

Even so, that’s only a difference of 0.4 seconds at most. The only drivers who would care about this are those who are probably trying to break into racing, and there aren’t too many sporting events where minivans are doing laps around the track. With that in mind, being the slowest member of the pack isn’t that detrimental to the Kia Carnival, especially when you think of long road trips as opposed to racing against Mustangs.