2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class vs 2024 Kia Carnival

The 2024 Kia Carnival presented itself as a minivan with a bold design statement, aiming to capture the attention of SUV enthusiasts. Its prominent grille, slab sides, and pronounced hood gave it an SUV-like appearance, although the sliding doors and lack of ground clearance revealed its true minivan nature. The Carnival's styling details, such as the slightly concave grille with disco-ball-like trim and filament-like taillights, added a distinctive touch. The SX trim, with its 19-inch wheels, provided a balanced look without appearing overly aggressive. Inside, the Carnival continued the SUV theme with chunky switchgear and a large shifter, offering a rugged yet user-friendly experience. The materials used acknowledged the wear and tear expected from a family vehicle, with real leather upholstery in the SX trim and a variety of plastic trim pieces that were practical and easy to maintain.

In contrast, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class retained its iconic boxy design, tracing its heritage back to the original G-Wagen of 1979. While subtle styling updates were made, such as a new grille and bumpers, the traditional flat hood, prominent corner lights, and beefy doors remained unchanged. The G-Class exuded character with its loud clacking doors and utilitarian roots. Functional changes included a repositioned rearview camera and new A-pillar trim. The G-Class offered a luxurious interior with large round vents, ambient lighting, and metallic trim, creating a sci-fi ambiance. The AMG models featured sportier steering wheels and differential lock switches on the dashboard, enhancing the driving experience. Mercedes' Manufaktur program allowed for extensive customization, offering over a million combinations of exterior paint colours and interior trim.

The 2024 Kia Carnival was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 290 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. While lacking all-wheel drive and hybrid options, the Carnival's powertrain provided a pleasant driving experience. The steering offered the right balance of feel and effort, making manoeuvring easy in parking lots and precise at higher speeds. The Carnival's chassis provided a comfortable ride, with low interior noise levels and an internal speaker system for communication between rows. The V6 engine was refined, offering smooth and quick gear changes, and emitted a satisfying growl at full throttle.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class lineup included the gasoline G 550 and AMG G 63 models, along with the all-electric G 580 variant. The G 550 featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six engine, producing 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, while the AMG G 63 retained its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, delivering 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Both models included a mild-hybrid system and nine-speed automatic transmissions with permanent four-wheel drive. The G 550 accelerated from zero to 96 km/h in 5.3 seconds, while the G 63 achieved it in 4.2 seconds. The AMG model featured an AMG Active Ride Control suspension system, enhancing both off-road and on-road driving dynamics. The G-Class provided a plush ride with low wind and tire noise, making it comfortable for long journeys.

The 2024 Kia Carnival offered an eight-passenger configuration with a removable second-row bench seat, while SX models featured VIP Lounge seats with sliding and recline functions. Standard features included power-sliding rear doors, a power liftgate, and tri-zone automatic climate control. The Carnival provided ample headroom and legroom in the first and second rows, although third-row legroom was limited compared to rivals. With all seats in place, the Carnival offered 1,138 litres of cargo space, expanding to 4,110 litres with the second and third rows folded. The Carnival's interior was well-organized, with easy-to-find controls and ample storage space. It could tow up to 1,587 kilograms, matching the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, while not as spacious as some luxury SUVs, offered a tall passenger compartment with ample headroom. Its compact dimensions made it easier to manoeuvre and park compared to larger rivals. The G-Class provided 640 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place, and a side-hinged tailgate facilitated loading and unloading. With a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, the G-Class rivalled midsize pickup trucks. The interior offered a commanding view of the road, with good forward visibility and trademark corner lamps for hood tracking.

The 2024 Kia Carnival featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on lower trims, while higher trims upgraded to a 12.3-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster with wired connectivity. The SX grade included a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The Carnival's infotainment system was user-friendly, with clear graphics and intuitive controls. It offered a cabin camera system for monitoring rear passengers and an intercom for communication. Quiet Mode allowed for rear speaker disconnection.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class boasted the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It featured dual 12.3-inch screens, creating a seamless display across the dashboard. The G-Class included off-road information, a Transparent Hood feature, augmented reality navigation, and advanced voice recognition. A Burmester 3D surround sound system, dashcam, and rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.6-inch touchscreens were expected to be standard.

The 2024 Kia Carnival received mixed safety ratings from the IIHS, with top scores in some crash tests but lower ratings in others. Headlights on higher trims were rated "Good," while others were rated "Poor." Front-crash prevention systems performed well in daytime testing. Standard safety features included lane keep assist, forward collision avoidance, and rear parking sensors, with additional features available on higher trims.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA at the time of publication. Expected standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. The G-Class also featured Mercedes' Pre-Safe system, which prepared the vehicle for an imminent crash. New features for 2025 included route-based speed adaptation, automated lane centring, and an emergency-stop feature.