2022 Kia Carnival vs 2022 Kia Seltos

The 2022 Kia Carnival stood out with its unique design elements across different trims. The LX trim featured a standard black grille and 17-inch aluminum wheels, while the EX trim offered a more sophisticated look with 19-inch machined-finish wheels and simulated leather options. The SX trim introduced a mirrored grid-pattern grille and black wheels, appealing to modern tastes. The SX Prestige trim focused on interior luxury with real leather and VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's SUV-like styling included skid plates, a floating roof design, and a robust roof-rack on higher trims. Despite visible sliding door tracks, the Carnival's design was sharp and angular, setting it apart from competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey. Inside, the Carnival's dashboard and seating arrangements resembled a crossover, with a stylish and upscale appearance even in the base trim.

The 2022 Kia Seltos, positioned between the Soul and Sportage, offered five trim levels, with the Nightfall Edition being our test vehicle. It featured matte-black 18-inch alloy wheels, a turbocharged engine, and a black grille. The Seltos had a stylish interior with contrast-color dashboard panels, exposed stitching, and metallic accents, though it was marred by shiny hard plastics. The controls were logically arranged, with knobs and buttons for easy access. The Seltos was larger and more refined than many rivals, offering a more powerful driving experience. However, its suspension tuning was less appealing, and it struggled with speed bumps and uneven roads. Despite these issues, the Seltos was a better small SUV than many competitors, though it fell short of the Mazda CX-30 in driving dynamics.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was equipped with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The V6 engine provided smooth and steady acceleration, with the automatic transmission operating unobtrusively. The Carnival featured Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode being the most used, despite some delayed downshift responses. The Carnival achieved an average fuel economy of 21.7 mpg, slightly below the EPA's 22 mpg estimate. The front-wheel-drive Carnival felt taut and athletic, with a flat cornering stance, though it could feel stiff over broken pavement and bouncy over speed humps.

The 2022 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The LX, S, and EX trims had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT. The Nightfall Edition and SX trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The turbo engine provided more engaging driving, with torque available between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm. The Seltos had Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode balancing fuel efficiency and responsiveness. The Seltos Nightfall Edition achieved an EPA-rated 27 mpg in combined driving. The AWD system had a Lock function for power distribution, but the Seltos struggled with speed bumps and uneven roads, exhibiting lateral rocking motions and a bouncy ride.

The 2022 Kia Carnival was a practical minivan with an SUV-style design. The LX trim featured captain's chairs with a center pass-through, while the LX Seat Package added a middle second-row seat. The EX and SX trims had an 8-passenger Slide Flex seat configuration, and the SX Prestige offered power-adjustable VIP Lounge Seats. The Carnival's third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the rearmost cargo area provided ample space. The smart hands-free power-sliding side doors and liftgate had pros and cons, with a deep storage well and 40.2 cubic feet of volume behind the third-row seat. Folding the third-row seats created 86.9 cu.-ft. of cargo space, and removing the second-row seats increased cargo volume to 145.1 cu.-ft.

The 2022 Kia Seltos excelled in form and function, offering a roomy interior with easy access. The Nightfall Edition had a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. The front passenger's seat was mounted high for proper leg support. The Seltos featured cloth upholstery with Sofino simulated leather bolsters, a single-zone automatic climate control system, and heated front seats. The rear seat provided ample legroom and footroom, with rear air conditioning vents and a center armrest. The Seltos offered decent storage space, including a smartphone shelf, with cargo space measuring 26.6 cubic feet behind the back seat and 62.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2022 Kia Carnival's LX trim featured analog gauges, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The EX trim upgraded to a 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM, voice recognition, and UVO Link connected services. The Carnival also offered Passenger View and Passenger Talk features, a Quiet Mode, and a dual-screen rear entertainment system with SX trim. The SX Prestige trim added a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

The 2022 Kia Seltos offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the S trim and standard on the EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX trims. It included Bluetooth, navigation, connected services, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo. The system required a cable connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Seltos' infotainment system was intuitive, with physical buttons and knobs for easy access. However, it lacked a native conversational voice recognition system, relying on smartphone digital assistants for better results.

The 2022 Kia Carnival came with a comprehensive list of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, active blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure, -keeping, and -centering assistance, and rear parking sensors. The EX trim added front parking sensors, cyclist detection, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist. The Carnival also featured an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system and Safe Exit Assist. The SX trim included a surround-view camera system, and the SX Prestige had a Blind View Monitor. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.

The 2022 Kia Seltos was equipped with numerous safety features, including forward-collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The EX trim added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the SX trim offered adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, and Safe Exit Assist. The Seltos received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for the SX trim and a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.