2022 Kia Carnival vs 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee was a testament to timeless design, maintaining its appeal over a decade after its debut. It combined rugged utility with upscale sophistication, featuring big wheels and flared fenders that gave it a balanced and artistic look. The Grand Cherokee's design contributed significantly to its success, as it straddled the line between mainstream, luxury, and performance SUV categories. The model lineup ranged from the affordable Laredo and Limited trims to the upscale Overland and Summit, with high-performance SRT and Trackhawk models. The Summit trim, in particular, offered a premium look with body-colour accents and a luxurious interior featuring premium leather and genuine materials. However, the interior design showed signs of aging, with outdated switchgear and non-flush panel fits.

In contrast, the 2022 Kia Carnival introduced a fresh design with unique elements for each trim. The LX and LX+ trims featured a standard grille and 17-inch wheels, while the EX trim offered more paint options, 19-inch wheels, and simulated leather. The SX trim added black wheels, textured metal dashboard trim, and VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's SUV styling included skid plates, a floating roof design, and roof rails. Despite the visible sliding door tracks, the Carnival's design was appealing, with sharp angles and a conservative yet tasteful appearance. Inside, the Carnival continued the SUV theme with a dashboard and centre console resembling a crossover, giving it an upscale look even in base trim.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine, delivering 295 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. It offered rear or all-wheel drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission and could tow up to 2,818 kg. For those seeking more power, the optional 5.7-litre Hemi V8 provided 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, with a best-in-class towing capacity of 3,300 kg. The V8 featured cylinder deactivation technology for improved efficiency, though it still consumed 14.1 L/100 km in combined driving. The Grand Cherokee's Quadra-Trac II system included a two-speed transfer case, hill-descent control, and Selec-Terrain traction management, making it capable off-road. The Quadra-Lift air suspension offered variable ground clearance, enhancing both on-road and off-road performance. Despite its capabilities, the Grand Cherokee's V8 was thirsty, and the ride could be bouncy on uneven surfaces.

The 2022 Kia Carnival featured a new 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It lacked all-wheel drive and electrified options, with a towing capacity of 1,587.5 kg. The V6 provided smooth and effortless acceleration, and the automatic transmission operated unobtrusively. The Carnival offered Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most used. However, it exhibited delayed downshift response in certain situations, which Sport mode helped resolve. The Carnival achieved 10.8 L/100 km in combined driving, slightly above the expected 10.6 L/100 km. Dynamically, the Carnival felt taut and athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could be stiff and bouncy on rough surfaces.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit offered a luxurious interior with quilted leather seats and leather-wrapped panels. The front seats provided eight-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, though the controls were embedded in the infotainment system, causing some distraction. The rear seat was comfortable but had limited legroom for taller adults. The optional rear-seat entertainment system added to the sense of claustrophobia. The Grand Cherokee provided 1,028 litres of cargo space behind the rear seat, with a maximum of 1,934 litres when the second-row seats were folded. However, interior storage was limited, and the rear-seat entertainment system took up space in the centre console bin.

The 2022 Kia Carnival excelled in practicality, with an SUV-style dashboard and centre console. Most trims offered eight-passenger seating, with a versatile second-row bench seat. The SX trim featured power-adjustable VIP Lounge Seats with an Ottoman-style leg rest, though they couldn't be removed or folded flat. The third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the rear cargo area provided ample space. The Carnival's smart hands-free power-sliding side doors and liftgate had pros and cons, with the liftgate opening automatically when needed. The Carnival offered 1,139 litres of cargo space behind the third-row seat, expandable to 2,460 litres with the third-row seats folded. Removing the second-row seats created a maximum cargo volume of 4,110 litres, though re-installing them required care and patience.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured the Uconnect 4C with Nav infotainment system, offering a nearly flawless user experience with fast response and pleasing graphics. It included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. SiriusXM provided satellite radio and subscription-based services. The voice recognition technology worked well, and the Summit trim included a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. However, the Grand Cherokee was considered "tech lite," with essential features and little more.

The 2022 Kia Carnival offered a range of technology features, starting with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the LX trim. The EX+ trim introduced a 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system with HD Radio, SiriusXM, voice recognition, and an embedded modem for UVO Link services. The EX+ and SX trims included a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The Carnival's technology was intuitive, but a quick reference guide was recommended for setup and learning.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA for 4WD models, but the IIHS rated it "Marginal" for driver safety and "Poor" for front passenger safety in small-overlap frontal-impact collisions. The Grand Cherokee offered numerous safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more. The ParkSense parking assistance system was also available.

The 2022 Kia Carnival boasted a comprehensive list of safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure and keeping assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, active blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Carnival featured an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system and Safe Exit Assist. The EX+ trim included a surround-view camera system and a Blind View Monitor. The IIHS awarded the Carnival a Top Safety Pick rating.