The Kia Carnival minivan has undergone a redesign of its seating system after the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) flagged concerns following a crash test. The improvement aimed to address a critical safety flaw that was identified in the earlier evaluation, where the seating assembly did not perform as required under crash conditions.
In the 2024 model year update, the IIHS noted that the second-row seat could detach, slide sideways, and rotate away from the occupant, causing the crash test dummy to become exposed to potential injury. This scenario highlighted a real danger in the event of a real-world collision and underscored the need for stronger seat attachment and better guidance for passengers and installers alike.
Although Kia had implemented more robust seat guides starting in August 2023, subsequent tests continued to show limitations. The minivan received lower scores due to concerns about potential injuries to the driver’s pelvis and to rear-seat passengers’ chests under certain crash conditions, signaling that the improvements did not fully eliminate injury risk in all high-severity impacts.
To raise the bar, the updated side-impact test now uses a heavier moving barrier. This barrier weighs 1905 kilograms and travels at a speed of 59.5 kilometers per hour, creating a more demanding scenario that better imitates real-world crashes. The heavier barrier and higher energy transfer help reveal how well the redesigned seat system resists detachment and protects occupants in more extreme crashes.
In parallel to the Carnival evaluation, other brands have also progressed with their safety offerings. For instance, Acura recently presented an updated TLX sedan in the United States, reflecting broader industry emphasis on improving side-impact performance and occupant protection. These developments illustrate how automakers continue to respond to IIHS findings by refining restraint attachments, seat structure, and overall crashworthiness to meet evolving test standards and consumer expectations.