Kia Carnival Family Technology Features: Built for Life With Kids

Family vehicles have a difficult job. They have to carry people, backpacks, groceries, sports equipment, car seats and everything else that seems to accumulate when you’re traveling with kids. At the same time, today’s families expect their vehicle to keep everyone connected, comfortable and entertained.

That’s where the Kia Carnival stands out.

Kia calls the Carnival an MPV, or Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and its combination of flexible seating, passenger space and available technology makes it particularly interesting for families. The current Carnival lineup offers seating configurations for seven or eight passengers depending on trim and configuration, along with technology designed to make everyday family transportation easier.

Here are some of the Carnival technology features families should know about.

Dual Panoramic Displays Put Technology Front and Center

The Carnival’s cabin feels decidedly modern.

Current Carnival models offer available Dual 12.3-inch Panoramic Displays with navigation, providing more than 24 inches of combined display area. The system puts vehicle information, entertainment and other functions across a wide digital interface.

For parents spending a lot of time driving between school, practices, appointments and weekend activities, having navigation, entertainment and vehicle information readily accessible can make the cabin much easier to live with.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Family life often runs through a smartphone.

The Carnival supports Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Wireless Android Auto™, allowing compatible smartphones to access many commonly used apps through the vehicle’s display without requiring a cable connection.

That means easier access to navigation, music, podcasts and compatible communication features—especially useful on road trips or busy days when you’re making several stops around Lincoln.

Available Rear Seat Entertainment

Few technologies are appreciated on a long family road trip quite as much as rear-seat entertainment.

On properly equipped Carnival models, an available Dual-Screen Rear Seat Entertainment System uses 14.6-inch screens for rear passengers. Availability depends on configuration and package, so shoppers interested in this feature should verify equipment on the specific Carnival they’re considering.

For families regularly making long drives, it can transform several hours on the highway into a much easier experience.

Passenger View Camera

Every parent knows the temptation to turn around and see what’s happening behind them.

Available Passenger View Camera technology provides another option. On current Carnival trims, Passenger View Camera is available on select configurations, allowing the driver to get a better view of rear passengers without physically turning around.

It’s the kind of feature that might sound minor until you regularly travel with children in the second and third rows.

Digital Key 2.0

Another useful available technology is Kia Digital Key 2.0.

On compatible devices and properly equipped Carnival models, Digital Key 2.0 can allow your compatible smart device to function as a virtual vehicle key for locking, unlocking and driving the vehicle. Kia also allows compatible digital keys to be shared with friends or family members. Availability and functionality depend on equipment, device compatibility and Kia Connect requirements.

For a household where multiple adults may need access to the family vehicle, that can be extremely convenient.

Wireless Phone Charging

A nearly dead phone is inconvenient anywhere. In a vehicle full of family members, it’s almost inevitable.

Available wireless charging for compatible smartphones provides an easy place to set down a supported phone and recharge without adding another cable to the center console.

Combined with wireless smartphone integration, it helps reduce some of the cable clutter that tends to accumulate in family vehicles.

Pre-Cooling and Heating Through the Kia Access App

Nebraska gives families plenty of reasons to appreciate remote climate features.

Depending on model equipment, Kia Connect subscription and service availability, Carnival owners may be able to use the Kia Access app for functions including pre-cooling or heating the vehicle.

On a hot summer afternoon or a freezing Lincoln morning, getting the cabin temperature moving in the right direction before loading the family can be a welcome convenience.

Flexible Seating May Be the Carnival’s Best Family Feature

Technology isn’t limited to screens.

The Carnival’s flexible seating design is one of its most useful family-friendly characteristics. Depending on configuration, current Carnival models offer features such as sliding and removable second-row seating, Slide-Flex seating and a split-folding third row. The current model provides as much as 145.1 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume in applicable configurations.

Slide-Flex seating is especially interesting for parents because the second-row middle seat can move forward or backward, making it easier to position a child closer to the front row when appropriate.

Available 360° Surround View Monitor

Parking a large family vehicle in a crowded parking lot can be stressful, particularly when visibility is limited by nearby SUVs and trucks.

The available 360° Surround View Monitor provides an aerial-style view of the area surrounding the Carnival to help increase awareness during certain low-speed maneuvers.

Like all driver-assistance technologies, it supplements rather than replaces careful driving and checking your surroundings.

A Family Vehicle Should Make Family Life Easier

What makes the Carnival interesting isn’t any single screen or feature. It’s how all of these technologies work together.

Wireless phone integration helps parents stay connected. Available rear entertainment gives passengers something to do. Flexible seating helps accommodate people and cargo. Camera technology can help with visibility. Available connected features add convenience before you even get into the vehicle.

For families comparing three-row vehicles, the Carnival is worth experiencing in person because many of its best features make more sense once you actually sit inside and see how the cabin works.

Explore the Kia Carnival at Kia of Lincoln

If you’re considering a Kia Carnival for your family, visit Kia of Lincoln and let us show you the seating configurations, technology and features available on the Carnivals we currently have in stock.

Browse our current new Kia inventory or use our payment calculator to explore your options before your visit.

Have a question about Carnival trims or features? Call Kia of Lincoln at (402) 434-7000.

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Bring the family along for a test drive. Sometimes the best way to know whether a vehicle works for your family is to put everyone—and everything—inside it.