There’s been a ton of buzz about the Kia Carnival since it hit the market, with many — including myself — considering it the best minivan available, surpassing such heavyweights as the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica.

But what’s all the fuss about?

I’ll break it down with 5 key facts you need to know about this headline-stealing new vehicle, which is a major upgrade from the previous Sedona minivan offered by Kia.

As vehicles get larger and larger, fewer subcompact cars remain in the marketplace.

But they are not extinct yet.

While automakers have mainly given up on them, your options include the Hyundai Accent, Chevy Spark, Nissan Versa, and the car I recently tested — the 2021 Kia Rio.

Most recently redesigned back in 2018, the 2021 version of the Rio features some upgrades, including new styling on the front and rear portions of the vehicle, and an improved infotainment system with wireless phone connectivity.

Minivans are sort of a love-it-or-hate-it thing in the automotive world.

Many people might say they hate minivans, but a vocal minority are minivan lovers.

With the completely new 2022 Kia Carnival, a reinvention of the vehicle formerly known as the Kia Sedona, the Korean automaker is hoping to turn some of those haters into members of the minivan fan club, and create potential customers.

After some time tooling around in this family-friendly ride, I’m back with a full report on how the Carnival measures up, as it takes on the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Voyager on the minivan battleground. 

Even as all the buzz in the auto industry continues to focus on EVs and going all-electric, hybrids remain a key part of the eco-friendly solutions being offered to car buyers.

Take, for example, the Kia Niro, a compact SUV that’s been around a few years and fits a niche in the hybrid world where there are few competitors.

This tech-savvy model is larger than popular hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq, but also smaller and more affordable than hybrid SUVs like the Toyota Venza and Ford Escape. For 2021, the Niro lineup boosts the quality and quantity of its tech and safety offerings, including inclusion of wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

I recently spent time in a Kia Niro and I’m back with a full report.

Kia has earned a lot of headlines in the past couple years, but most of it has been surrounding their Telluride SUV, which came in with a bang and took the industry by storm.

But now it’s time for another vehicle to make news: The 2021 Kia Sorento, which is assembled at Kia’s plant in West Point, Georgia.

Debuting a brand new generation of the vehicle, which is lighter and smaller than the Telluride, Kia is presenting another alternative for families that is just as versatile as the Telluride, but also more fun to drive and off-road capable.

Read on for a full report on what it has to offer to people shopping for the best new 3-row SUVs.

Maintaining a competitive advantage in the ever-changing sedan segment means reinvention from time to time, and Kia has taken that to heart.

After two decades of selling its midsize sedan under the Optima name, the automaker has decided to do a full redesign for 2021 and rebrand the vehicle as the Kia K5 — a more upscale, more powerful alternative better equipped to battle the segment sales leaders.

Highlights of this upgraded and renamed model also include a bolder style, and available all-wheel drive. I recently tested a 2021 Kia K5, and I’m back with a full report.

LOOKS

The exterior design of the K5 features a sleek yet aggressive redesign that is highlighted by sharp-looking headlights and is overall a much bolder look than the Optima offered. It will definitely catch your eye more than most sedan competitors. 

Exterior features include automatic LED reflector headlights, amber LED daytime running lights, power heated outside mirrors, an acoustic front windshield, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

It seems to be raining new small SUVs over the past few years, with almost every automaker unveiling new vehicles to add to the already large mix of options available to consumers seeking an entry-level SUV.

Kia, which already has a healthy list of quality SUVs to offer, saw an opening in its lineup and decided to fill it, debuting the brand new 2021 Kia Seltos, a vehicle that slides in between the Soul and the Sportage in Kia's lineup. The subcompact SUV is slightly longer than the popular Soul offering, but not as large as the Kia Sportage.

Seltos takes on tough competition — including the Mazda CX-30, Chevy Trax, Nissan Kicks, and Hyundai Venue — but delivers the unique feature of available All-Wheel Drive, which much of the competition does not offer in this segment.

I recently spent a week driving a 2021 Kia Seltos, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up in the segment. 

Move over, usual suspects.

Kia's bold U.S. strategy continues with the 2020 Telluride, its biggest SUV yet and one aimed squarely at families in the U.S. market, where bigger is often viewed as better by consumers.

And it’s already making waves, earning rave reviews and no doubt making the competition nervous, especially after taking home the NACTOY Utility of the Year award in January 2020.

Read on for a full report on how it stands up to the usual front-runners among three-row SUVs.

LOOKS

The Telluride is by all measures a well-designed vehicle, featuring a bold yet sleek-looking exterior, and a roomy and versatile interior.

The Kia front grille boasts one of the most attractive designs in the SUV landscape. 18-inch alloy wheels are standard, while higher trims feature 20-inch wheels.

Inside is where the Telluride shows its true colors and really earns its nearly universal praise, with the Kia model giving off true luxury vibes for a much-lower starting price.

Flagship sedans need to be showstoppers — high-end, luxurious models that will make their owners feel immediately at home and offer power, looks and technology that can create buyer loyalty. 

Only a few vehicles really meet this criteria: S class (Benz), 7 series (BMW), A8 (Audi), LS (Lexus) … and now, the K900 from Kia.

No, that’s not a typo.

In addition to the usual suspects,  there is a strong contender emerging in the class of full-size luxury sedans. And oddly enough, it comes from Kia, a brand not often associated with luxury design.

I recently spent some time driving a 2019 Kia K900, and I’m back with a full report on this surprisingly well-executed contender for the luxury sedan crown.

Electric vehicles will eventually be coming to a mass audience. 

It’s just a matter of how fast they get here. 

And while that timetable is debatable, what’s happening right now is automakers are each making their claim on this territory at the outset. Kia has jumped into the fray with the 2019 Kia Niro EV — a full-electric version of it’s Niro crossover, which is also offered as a hybrid.

How does the Niro EV compare to the growing field of EVs? Quite well actually, punctuated by a 239-mile range, roomy interior and high-tech offerings.

While other EVs may get more press, the Niro EV displays enough positive attributes to be a dark horse in the EV battlefield.