Which Kia car is perfect for your family?

Kia cars cater to many different segments and each Kia vehicle can cater to the needs of a family quite well. The only question now is, what kind of family? Are you the type to bring out your extended family whenever you go on a trip? Are you a family that requires a large cargo area for groceries? Do you need more seats for the kids, more features for dad, more space for mom, or a comfortable ride for your in-laws? 

We’ll rifle off each of the Kia cars from the lineup, and give you an overview of each unit to help you assess which one is the right one for your family. 

When starting out or finding someone to start your family with, the Kia Soluto is an optimal choice. It’s a compact option in the Kia lineup and cost-effective. The model is more of a starter car of sorts, seating five with a trunk to boot. That trunk has up to 475 liters worth of space, which is more than enough for a few days to a few weeks’ worth of groceries. The rear seats are also spacious enough for you to take a few friends or family members along for a drive, and it gets great fuel economy. With its 1.4-liter engine, it gets around 12 kilometers to the liter in the city and up to 24 on the highway, which can save you a wad of cash over time. 

Now, if you’re not savvy for a sedan, and believe us a lot of consumers are turning away from that segment, then maybe the Kia Stonic will fit you better. It’s still not the most spacious in the lineup, and we’d still consider it more of a starter family car, but it has a ton of style and substance to go with its appealing design. You could say that it will even appeal to the wife. 

This unit is powered by the same 1.4-liter naturally-aspirated engine that manages a decent 11 kilometers per liter in the city and about 18 km/L on the highway. Given that it is the same engine as the Soluto, it’s peppy enough for the added weight of the crossover, but you get that extra ground clearance to boot. Essentially, it’s a raised Soluto, but don’t let that deter you from getting it since the road conditions of the city and beyond aren’t always the most ideal. Style is married with a decent serving of practicality as well as a 325-liter trunk that can be expanded thanks to the folding rear seats. If you need to haul as much stuff as possible and carry only one passenger, then the rear of the Stonic is fit for the job. 

For families who are a bit on the bigger scale, we mean in terms of sheer size and not numbers, then the Seltos would probably be a better fit. The larger dimensions over the Stonic mean that bigger individuals will not have to scrunch up so much in order to sit comfortably. Smaller-sized families might think that the space in the Seltos is more than enough while larger-sized families might find it a decent fit. 

You also get a stronger engine, but you also get to retain decent fuel economy figures, like 8.2 km/L in the city, 14.3 when it’s clear, and up to 22.4 on the highway. The tradeoff of more space is worth it over the Stonic in our opinion since you get a strong 2.0-liter engine paired with an IVT. On top of that, the space is pretty massive for a subcompact crossover coming in at 1,778 liters with all the seats folded and 753 liters with all the seats folded up. That should be enough for nearly a month’s worth of groceries and maybe a little more. It’s definitely going to fit a stroller better than either the Stonic or Soluto or even a wheelchair. That’s not to say that the other models can’t fit either apparatus, but we’re just saying that you might have a better time with the Seltos fitting a bunch of stuff in and not having to play Tetris whenever you have bulky items with you. 

Now we get into the big leagues with the Kia Sorento. Equipped to the gills with features, it’s also the first model in the lineup to ditch gasoline for a 2.2-liter diesel engine. Kia’s diesel mill is a very decent performer with tons of hauling capacity. We’ll even venture to say that it’s a fun car to drive when the roads open up. This is also one of the only entries that Kia has that can sit more than five occupants, and it’s also one of the only ones that come with an all-wheel drive system just in case you need some extra traction when the roads get a little slippery or muddy. 

The driver is also treated to a bunch of features. While every Kia has a decent amount of tech, getting into this model will treat you to a whole lot more. You got air vents everywhere, sockets and USB plugs everywhere, cruise control, lane-keep assist, and even a 360-degree camera in select variants. On top of all that, the design of the Sorento’s is one of the best in the business, muscular and elegant at the same time. Oh, and its large size allows it to fit a lot of luggage as well, with 180 liters with all the seats up, about 600 with the rear row down, and about 2,000 liters with all seats folded down. If you go to the grocery store once every few months or if your grocery list is as long as your kids’ wishlist for toys, perhaps having a car as big as a Sorento will do you some good. 

Here it is, the perfect Kia family vehicle. While others are more budget-friendly, compact, or simply easier to drive, this is the most ideal end of the spectrum for families. Think of it as the be-all-end-all in the entire Kia lineup. While a majority of the Kia vehicles in the segment can be family vehicles, the Kia Carnival is undoubtedly made for the purpose of raising a family and keeping its occupants comfortable. 

Need a hauler for groceries? No problem, you’ll get enough storage space that’ll last you for months on end. Do you need to bring your in-laws to a party? Lucky for them, they get to sit in the lap of luxury while on the way to their destination. Do you need to take your kids to school? Great, the Carnival is a diesel and it gets great fuel economy coming in at about 7 km/L in the city and 22.4 km/L on the highway, very similar figures to the Sorento if we may add. Does your family want to go on a road trip? Well, they’ll get to enjoy driving there thanks to the captains’ chairs and the large amounts of space. In fact, the price of the Carnival is a little steep, but perhaps the smile on your family’s face is well worth the cost of this automobile. 

Who said family cars can't be fun? Forget ground clearance, forget seven seats, and forget all about diesel and naturally-aspirated gasoline engines. Here is a "family car" if dad's the boss of the house or if mom wants something a hundred times more exciting than a crossover. The Kia Stinger is definitely not a workhorse, but it can still get the job done. Now, you may not carry as much as the Sorento at the back, but the lift-back design is more practical than you think. If your family is rather small, or if you don't find yourself needing a ton of cargo space, then the Stinger is definitely a fit for you.

It's still a "family car" in some respects because it has five doors, a wide and accommodating rear trunk, and it also is very comfortable. You'd be surprised as to how versatile the Stinger can be even with its fire-breathing 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine driving the rear wheels. It's expensive, it looks grand, and it's definitely an exciting drive. Take the kids out of town, take your partner out to dinner, or heck even take the kids to school in it and be that "cool parent." We do not guarantee that your parents and in-laws will approve, however. Let's also not get into fuel economy because every stab of the throttle is definitely worth the smiles per gallon.