A New Kia Carnival, AKA Sedona, Is Coming Next Fall

• The Kia Sedona was originally released in 1998.

• We doubt the production version will be as racy as the rendering but it will look good.

• More than 2 million have sold in its 22-year career.

The introduction of another new minivan, three (of the four) since the beginning of 2020, certainly indicates that the segment is far from dead. Earlier this year, Chrysler revealed the updated Pacifica and only a few weeks ago, Toyota unveiled the new 2021 Sienna. This time, it’s the new Kia Carnival, sold as the Sedona in Canada and the US, that will hit the road in Korea in the third quarter of 2020.

The Kia Sedona has lived in the Sienna, Grand Caravan, and Honda Odyssey’s shadow for many years. Even when GM, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, and Hyundai (remember the Entourage?) left the segment, the Sedona, despite its value, never gained the kind of following associated with the others. It did outsell the Chrysler Pacifica in Canada in 2019, to be fair…

The new “Grand Utility Vehicle” will build on the existing minivan’s full-bodied styling and further push the SUV-inspired design. The tall front-end with incorporate Kia’s iconic ‘tiger-nose’ grille which will sit under a character line that looks to travel the Carnival’s entire length, and wrap around the back. To be honest, there’s a hint of Volkswagen in the van’s overall look in the way the hood and headlights come together.

We will know more as we get closer to the Kia Carnival’s official introduction in Korea in the fall of 2020. Global sales in many of Kia’s other markets will follow thereafter. More details to come.