Kia teases the not-a-minivan 2022 Kia Carnival Multi-Purpose Vehicle as a replacement for the long-running Kia Sedona.
by Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder ~
It’s a curious thing how automakers are fastidiously avoiding the term minivan these days. Case in point, this week’s press announcement for the upcoming February 23 reveal of the all-new 2020 Carnival where Kia teases the not-a-minivan Carnival Multi-Purpose Vehicle without ever mentioning it as a replacement for the long-running Kia Sedona minivan.
Curious, indeed! But Kia is not alone in reframing the the minivan’s personality to attract buyers.
On last week’s episode of the EV Power Podcast, hosts Rich Taber and I discussed the refreshed 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which takes on a more “utility-vehicle look” according to the Stellantis marketing team.
While Chrysler has no problem referring to the Pacifica and the Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid as minivans, style-wise their goal is to make them look less like one, and others are doing the same.
In the press release for the recently redesigned Sienna, Toyota placed a strong emphasis on its SUV-like utility and versatility saying, “The all-hybrid 2021 Sienna, influenced by the bold and robust character of SUVs…” Clearly, Toyota wants the Sienna to resonate with active families, even highlighting its 3,500-pound towing ability as one of Sienna’s advantages.
Like the Chrysler Pacifica, the Toyota Sienna is already one of the handiest family vehicles on the market and it’s weird that many buyers will still sacrifice utility – and even their family’s comfort – because they don’t want to drive a vehicle with a minivan vibe. It’s just not cool.
With the upcoming Kia Carnival, it seems that Kia is taking the minivan avoidance to the next level. First, there’s the name Carnival MPV, which stands for Multi-Purpose Vehicle – not to be confused with the long-departed Mazda MPV family hauler of the 80s and 90s. The Carnival name itself is what Kia called the Sedona in the overseas markets, so it makes sense that they’d want to rebrand the Sedona while at the same time making it more of a global product.
Then there’s the wording in Kia’s (short) press release: “This three-row, seven- or eight-passenger adventurer takes on a bold and boxy appearance that follows the same visual language that defined the brand’s recent lineup of rugged utility vehicles, such as Telluride, Sorento, and Seltos.”
I joke of course because you really can’t blame Kia for wanting to cash in on the popularity of the Telluride. I don’t think even Kia expected their latest SUV to be such a hit, earning a fair amount of positive press and numerous industry awards. And deservedly so. We enjoyed driving the Telluride and it’s arguably one of the best-looking SUVs on the market.
2021 Kia Telluride Nightfall Edition ~ photos: Kia USA Media
While Kia hasn’t released more than a teaser photo for the upcoming Carnival MPV, you can clearly see the SUV design inspiration with its aforementioned boxy styling and flared wheel arches.
If you’re familiar with our podcasts, then you’d know that we here at RPM News Weekly are minivan geeks. So even if the car companies are trying to hide what they truly are, as long as they serve their intended purpose then we can give it a go.
You can catch the live reveal of the 2022 Kia Carnival on February 23, 2021 at 1:00 AM PST.
When you google search the term Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) the first picture that comes up should be the Dodge Durango SRT.
By Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder ~
There are several definitions for the term ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ to be found online. Merriam-Webster defines the SUV as, “A rugged automotive vehicle similar to the station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis.” Whereas, Oxford Dictionary simply says, “A high-performance four-wheel-drive vehicle.”
The category Sport Utility Vehicle kind of says it all, Sport = fun, Utility = usefulness, and Vehicle = well…vehicle.
So, when you Google-search the term Sport Utility Vehicle the very first picture that comes up shouldn’t be a Honda CR-V (really, Google?) it should be RPM News Weekly’s test car this week, the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT.
Why? Simply put, it’s got plenty of utility and a hell of a lot of sport.
While the Merriam-Webster definition is probably more accurate, we’ll stick with the Oxford definition for the sake of this article. Somewhat because ‘high-performance four-wheel-drive vehicle’ sounds cooler, but mostly because it also best defines the Durango SRT.
With that in mind, let’s break down the two sides of the Durango SRT’s split personality.
The Sport:
Reactor Blue 2021 Dodge Durango SRT
First the sport side of the Durango SRT – the real reason you are reading this:
As the 392 badge on the fender indicates, the Durango SRT comes equipped with a 392-cubic-inch HEMI V-8, producing 475 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine comes paired with an eight-speed TorqueFlight Automatic and SRT performance-tuned all-wheel-drive.
The Durango SRT also includes a performance-tuned suspension with Bilstein adaptive damping. What this combination delivers is Dodge Challenger-like performance in a 3-row family wagon, which really shouldn’t maneuver as well as it does.
Sure, you’re not going to outmaneuver the average sports car driver on a track day, but it still makes for some fun moments on the highway on-ramps. In truth, that’s what most of us will use it for anyway. And after all, it is taller and a bit heavier than the Challenger and the Charger. Still, you can definitely feel the Dodge SRT performance DNA.
In straight-line performance, zero to 60 in the Durango SRT takes 4.4 seconds, covering the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds as certified by the National Hot Rod Association. By comparison, the 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack widebody runs zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds with a quarter-mile of 12.4 seconds and that car is over 1000-pounds lighter than the Durango SRT.
Stopping power comes from Brembo six-piston calipers with 15-inch vented rotors in the front, and Brembo four-piston calipers with 13.78-inch rotors in the rear.
The Durango SRT-specific all-wheel-drive transfer case can adjust the torque split automatically, sending more power to the rear wheels depending on the driving situation. Track Mode sends 70% of the power to the rear wheels while the Sport mode adjusts the balance to 65% rear and 35% front. Snow and Tow mode evenly balance the torque split at 50/50.
Side note, I did get a chance to try the snow mode in light, but really slick snow and ice. It tempted me to find an empty parking lot to play around in, but I found that the back end of our test car wanted to break loose a bit under acceleration, which isn’t too much of a surprise, though I’m not sure if it was the Durango or the tires. I’m leaning more toward the tires and would love to test drive it again with a dedicated winter tire.
Inside, SRT models include Performance Nappa leather/suede black seats and a leather-wrapped center console armrest. Our 2020 test model was equipped with the optional SRT interior package ($2,495) that adds real carbon-fiber interior accents, a Dinamica soft-touch headliner, and a premium wrapped instrument panel.
The Utility:
2021 Dodge Durango SRT
Well yeah, it moves quickly and corners well, but what about the Utility side of the equation?
To start, at its core, the Durango SRT is a three-row SUV that can comfortable carry up to six passengers. Second-row Fold-and-Tumble captain’s chairs come standard on the Durango SRT and can be upgraded with an optional rear center console.
If you are wanting to lighten things up, or are simply looking for an excuse to carry less people around, the no-cost-option ‘Lightweight Performance Package’ replaces the second row captain’s chairs with a 60/40 split fold bench seat and deletes the third row all together.
Passenger capacity is reduced to five, but in return, you get a handy storage area and the ability to tell that one extra person, “Sorry, there’s no room for you in my car”.
The Durango SRT offers just over 85 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which surprisingly is a bit less space than the 87.8 cubic feet of the Ford Explorer. But then again, the Explorer can’t do four-wheel burnouts, so I guess we must make sacrifices where necessary.
Despite its performance focus, the Durango SRT doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of towing, maxing out at 8,700 pounds. That is 300 pounds more towing capacity than the larger Chevrolet Tahoe.
BTW, if you like putting cargo on the roof, then you’ll have to opt for the optional black roof rails with integrated crossbars. Personally, I think it looks cleaner without the roof rails.
No Roof Rails Here!
The Looks:
Speaking of looks, as with its dual personalities, the Durango SRT also pulls off two looks at once.
Upfront you have the “yes, I’m related to the Charger” front end styling that also includes a performance-style hood featuring a center air intake flanked by functional heat extractors. For 2021, all Durango models get revised front end styling that includes standard LED headlights and LED fog lights that are mounted higher in the bumper for a more aggressive appearance. SXT and Citadel models adopt a grille style similar to the SRT.
Outback, there’s really not much to differentiate the SRT from the other trims in the Durango line-up. All models include a rear spoiler and Dodge’s signature LED lighting with red accenting.
While the Durango SRT’s styling will definitely stand out to most automotive fans, to the average joe it may be somewhat invisible when ordered in a more muted color and without the aforementioned roof rails. In other words, if you’d like to remain under the (police) radar go with a color like Granite (grey), or Reactor Blue Pearl, like our test model. Skip the Red, or In-Violet – a color that for some reason reminds me of the Chrysler Cirrus / Dodge Intrepid era.
But Wait, There’s Less!
Okay, so you’re sold on the 2021 Durango SRT, but your wife laughs at you when you tell her that it starts at $69,995. Then what? When it comes to Dodge, of course there are alternatives. For some of us (most of us) more budget-minded folks, this is where the Durango R/T comes in.
With the Durango R/T you get all of the looks and a lot of the same standard features as the Durango SRT for about $18K less.
Like the SRT, the R/T features the same hood and front facia and when optioned with similar wheels the two are nearly identical, as evident in the photos below. One is an R/T the other an SRT, spot the differences?
Unfortunately, what you don’t get in the R/T is that 392 Hemi along with the specially tuned driveline. The R/T gets the tried-and-true 5.7-liter Hemi which produces 360-horsepower and 390-pound feet of torque. Sure, it’s not 475-horsepower, but it’s no slouch either, and considering there’s so much aftermarket support for the 5.7, you’re really only a supercharger kit away from matching, or even besting the 392’s power.
I’m guessing most people won’t go to that extreme. In fact, all you really need for the R/T to be the hero of your child’s school pick up line is a decent aftermarket exhaust and some 392 badges fromAmazon.
Towing capacity remains the same as the SRT. Plus, the R/T also comes with a lowered, performance suspension, but you lose the SRT’s active dampers.
On the practical side, the R/T comes with standard seating for seven passengers. This is something that even the SRT version can’t do.
Let’s just say you don’t want to drive a 5.7L equipped Durango R/T with added 392 badges and an aftermarket exhaust. Or, maybe even the 392 Hemi isn’t good enough for you. Perhaps you daily drive a Challenger SRT Demon already, so your bar is already set pretty high.
Well, you’re in luck, too, buddy, because just like you some insane engineers at Dodge also decided that a ‘regular’ SRT Durango wasn’t good enough.
But, how do you make the ultimate Sport + Utility Vehicle better?
2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Photo Dodge Media
2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat ~ photo Dodge Media
Along with the slight exterior and interior update, the 2021 Dodge Durango introduces a new, limited-production Durango SRT Hellcat model, complete with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8.
Besides the engine upgrade, the Durango SRT Hellcat also gets a more aggressive front facia, functional SRT hood scoop, and a wide-body appearance. The SRT Hellcat also ditches the LED fog lights to make room for more airflow.
Dodge is calling the Durango SRT Hellcat the most powerful SUV ever, and with the Supercharged 6.2-Liter delivering 710-horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque, I guess you can’t argue.
Official specs for the Durango SRT: Zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds; quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph.
As an added bonus, people who purchase the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will receive a full day of professional instruction at The Bondurant High-Performance Driving School in Arizona.
Performance driving school for your family SUV. Why? It’s the brotherhood of muscle…that’s why.
The Chrysler Pacifica minivan brings a long history of refinement to a new height with the refreshed 2021 model. Loaded with more standard content including 14 new-as-standard safety features; available in all-wheel drive gasoline versions; offering a plug-in hybrid variant; and presenting an ultra-luxurious new Pinnacle trim, this is a minivan that can surely beckon families away from impractical SUV fixations.
Production of the new-for-2021 Chrysler Pacifica began in November 2020. The minivan sets a new standard, offering all-wheel-drive capability, utility-vehicle-inspired updates, new available interior FamCAM, new five-times faster Uconnect 5 with a 10.1-inch touchcreen, a new top-of-the-line Pinnacle model, unmatched levels of safety and security features and the segment’s first Plug-in Hybrid minivan. ~ Stellantis North America Media
From every indication, attracting new customers is just what this minivan has been doing with sales up 32 percent in last year’s third quarter over 2019, and up seven percent in the fourth quarter according to the automaker’s senior brand manager Mary Ann Capo, who met this past week virtually with RPM News Weekly and members of the New England Motor Press Association. No doubt the range of the Pacifica’s well-honed lineup has had a big part in the success with an entry-level Touring priced at just over $35 thousand while a top-of-the-line all-wheel drive Pinnacle checks in at $53,390. The hybrid Pinnacle, available with front-wheel drive only, knocks the price down to $50,845 while boosting fuel efficiency to an amazing 82 miles per gallon equivalent.
From its 1990s era start as a minivan concept that was clearly ahead of its time, the Pacifica has been on a curious journey that eventually began in the marketplace as a crossover for the 2004 model year. Unfortunately, that Daimler-Chrysler inspired progeny never quite reached its audience, and the nameplate was shelved for nearly a decade only to return in 2017 to its thwarted beginnings as a minivan.
Four years hence and the Pacifica fully gets due justice in its Pinnacle form, strutting onto centerstage with all the poise and purpose of a star deserving every bit of her celebrity. A quick rundown of some of its exclusive features is enough to make this New Englander swoon – fully automatic all-wheel drive, a new Uconnect 5.0 touchscreen infotainment interface with a 10.1-inch display and built in theater games, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FamCAM interior camera, USB A and C, LED lighting (standard), forward collision detection with pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Stow ’n Go seating, automatic high beams, LED tail lamp illumination that spans the width of the rear, and quilted leather seating with rear lumbar pillows. Front and rear seating is heated, front seats also get ventilation.
If you’re concerned about having ample convenient cubby storage space, well is eight cubic feet enough? If you include the third row seat tub, that’s what you get. And, then there’s the 140.5 cubic feet available to you when you stow the rear seats and open up the entire cargo area.
All photos courtesy of Stellantis North America Media
All trims are equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline. Output is rated at 287 horsepower in the gasoline only versions of the Pacifica, while the gasoline/electric hybrid earns a net rating of 260 horsepower. It might not win you any quarter-mile drags, but certainly enough power whether you’re behind the wheel of the 4521-pound front-wheel drive Touring or Touring L, 4883-pound all-wheel drive Pinnacle or any of the four 5010-pound PHEV trims.
Commentary by Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder
A couple of months ago, the all-new Zero Emission Transportation Association launched as the first industry coalition of its kind focusing on the accelerated transition to EV transportation. Called ZETA for short, this new organization was created for the expressed purpose of advocating for national policies that will enable 100% electric vehicle sales in all segments by 2030. Its Founding Members comprise 28 electric vehicle related businesses.
In general, I’m not a huge fan of lobbyist groups. It irks me a bit that businesses and certain individuals are allowed to ‘cut the line’ so to speak, and pitch their ideas and agendas directly to politicians when the average Joe is stuck writing a letter to their representatives in hopes of hearing back.
No doubt you’re familiar with the concept. Lobbyists and lobbyist groups basically exist to ‘lawfully’ influence public officials in hopes of steering policy decisions their way. Every industry has lobbyists, from pharmaceutical, to real estate, to oil. Lobbyist groups have been in the background schmoozing politicians in the U.S since at least the 1800s.
As the world changes and companies change along with it, so does the face of lobbying. In the 1800s, railroad expansion was a big business, so as you’d imagine, the industry would lobby the government for subsidies to help it grow and expand. In the 1900s, there was tobacco. This once-mighty lobby has been slowly declining over the years as more and more people wake up to the realization that smoking might kill them.
Like tobacco, the oil industry is facing the reality that its heyday may have already passed by. Not that oil is done by any means. While its spending may be down a bit for 2020, the oil and gas industry is still burning through a fair amount of cash when it comes to lobbying the government.
Which makes the ZETA announcement all the more important.
“For the first time in a generation, transportation is the leading emitter of U.S. carbon emissions,” noted ZETA Executive Director Joe Britton at the organization’s launch. “By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and improve air quality and public health. ZETA’s formation recognizes a pivotal moment for national leadership and reflects the will of the growing clean transportation sector.”
ZETA will initially focus on these five key policy pillars:
1. Outcome-driven consumer EV incentives. Point-of-sale consumer incentives drive adoption, provide cost reductions, and achieve real results in pushing transportation electrification. In addition, incentivizing early retirements while encouraging EV adoption will speed the transition and meet the urgency of the moment.
2. Emissions / performance standards enabling full electrification by 2030. Emission targets are a key piece of protecting public health and sending the correct market signals to support and accelerate the transition to zero emission transportation.
3. Infrastructure investments. Strong federal charging infrastructure investments will drive the electric transportation transition and ensure that the United States is leading the way in a clean recovery where everyone is better off.
4. Domestic manufacturing. We should not only accelerate U.S. transportation electrification, but also work to ensure that we secure domestic economic growth and leadership in EV manufacturing. Federal policies must encourage job creation and economic activity across the entire EV supply chain and lifecycle, from critical materials to vehicles.
5. Federal leadership and cooperation with sub-national entities. Federal support should invest in research and development, provide an aligned vision for electrification, and ensure local leaders are empowered with the expertise and resources to support full vehicle electrification.
While auto manufacturing newcomers such as Tesla, Rivain, Lucid and Lordstown Motors are on the list of founding members, I can’t help but notice that none of the so-called ‘legacy’ auto manufacturers have signed on. I do hope that companies such as Volkswagen and GM, who have been outspoken about their EV futures, eventually join the group.
In that spirit, perhaps ZETA eventually will work toward revising outdated dealer franchise laws that have stifled newer automakers from bringing innovative business models into certain states.
ZETA Founding Members:
ABB
Albemarle Corporation
Arrival
ChargePoint
ConEdison
Copper Development Association, Inc.
Duke Energy
Edison International
Enel X
EVBox
EVgo
Ioneer
Li-Cycle
Lordstown Motors
Lucid Motors
Piedmont Lithium
PG&E Corporation
Proterra
Redwood Materials
Rivian
Siemens
Southern Company
SRP
Tesla
Vistra
Volta
Uber
WAVE
ZETA also plans to launch the ZETA Education Fund, an affiliated group focused on educating the public on the environmental and social benefits and opportunities associated with broad EV adoption.
For more information you can find the Zero Emission Transportation Association online at www.ZETA2030.org
