I've seen promotional videos showing the second row seats being reversible. Has anyone tried it to confirm that this is possible in the United states? Please remember that you have to swap the positions of the driver side and passenger side seats in order for this to work.
Can 2nd Row Seats be Reversed in USA?
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Would be really cool but I doubt it but then again it doesn't hurt to try. I believe the video was meant for Australian buyers. It was party why I bought the vehicle lol! I can email Kia and confirm this. Thanks for bringing it up!
If you have it, just try it. You'll get an answer much faster than emailing Kia.
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There are numerous posts on the Carnival Facebook page confirming it doesn’t do this on North American models.
Not surprising, seeing as Kia USA has not advertised it or mentioned it anywhere on their website or press releases. If it was a possibility, you can bet they would use it as a big selling point for non-VIP seat models seeing as this is not really a feature offered in other modern vehicles.
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Kia actually responded to my other questions pretty fast. I asked about the possibility of adding WiFi for the next update. They said they don't know yet and they'd announce it in their press releases/media website.
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So I called Kia and they weren't even sure. So I looked up Kia Australia and found their specs. So their version of the Carnival appears to have that function meanwhile the US version does not have that capability since it is illegal to put a child seat when the seat is reversed.
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Ugh this was a big reason we purchased too!! Our older kids were so excited to face the back row. I’ve watched the video over and over and have tried for over 2 hours it is just NOT latching in the rear position. So frustrating! And disappointing that no one seems to know at Kia or the dealership what features it even has.
I would also like to be able to remove the screens from the front seats as they are somewhat invasive and also distracting. But no one can tell me if or how this is possible 🙄.
I would also like to be able to remove the screens from the front seats as they are somewhat invasive and also distracting. But no one can tell me if or how this is possible 🙄.
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Yeah I think because it is illegal to put a child seat facing to the rear. It is probably allowed in Australia that's why it works there.
The screens are removable. You'll have to look under for the screws. I don't know exactly but someone mentioned it here that they were able to remove it.
Yes, it takes 6 screws to remove them, but the mounting bracket is essentially permanent and cannot be removed. It sticks out in a way that would be very easy to get snagged when entering or exiting the vehicle. Not ideal.
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There is a way to do it, but I highly don't recommend it because I'm sure there's a reason why they don't want you doing it.
After careful inspection of the seats and locking mechanism, it took 3 minutes total to covert it to reverse.
I couldn't live with not being able to reverse the seats, it's pretty much the only reason I bought this model.
For U.S. safety reasons, road/vehicle law, and risks I don't feel it's my place to share my results on how I accomplished it. But if you're desperate enough like I was, you'll find a way. It is possible.
After careful inspection of the seats and locking mechanism, it took 3 minutes total to covert it to reverse.
I couldn't live with not being able to reverse the seats, it's pretty much the only reason I bought this model.
For U.S. safety reasons, road/vehicle law, and risks I don't feel it's my place to share my results on how I accomplished it. But if you're desperate enough like I was, you'll find a way. It is possible.
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I successfully was able to convert it.
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There's a slight modification that needed to be done. I've compared us vs aus models and saw what needed to be done.
U.S. models have something in place to prevent the seats from latching in reverse.
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Great work! I'm sure we can figure it out with a little ingenuity as well. I just want to use it at the beach where I can open the back hatch facing the water, drop the 3rd row, and turn the 2nd row around to watch the sunset with my wife. That's worth the effort to remove the restrictor IMO.
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That's a great idea!
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This is great. Now, if someone can figure out how to remove the SXP seats, that would be awesome.
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