Leaked Kia Document Points to 2028 EV7 and Hydrogen Carnival

2028 is the launch year Kia has pencilled in for a mid-sized battery-electric SUV codenamed EV7, with production at its Gwangju plant in Korea. The date comes from an internal Kia document on future plant allocation, reportedly obtained and published by The Korean Car Blog. The document is said to originate from a Kia committee focused on job security and covers production plans for the brand's Korean factories.

Two model lines stand out from an electromobility perspective, according to the report.

• Kia EV7: a mid-sized battery-electric SUV, production planned to start at the Gwangju plant in 2028.
• Hydrogen Carnival: a fuel cell version of the large MPV, planned by 2029 and built at the Gwangmyeong plant.

If confirmed, the H2-Carnival would mark Kia's first series-production vehicle with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain — a production first for the brand rather than a concept or test fleet.

How solid is this information?

The source is a leaked internal planning document, not an official Kia announcement, and the report itself provides no further technical details on either model. The EV7 is described only as a mid-sized SUV with a 2028 start of production in Gwangju. That timing does align, however, with reports that sister company Hyundai is preparing an Ioniq 7, which would fit the established pattern of the two brands sharing large electric platforms.

The hydrogen Carnival has a plausible technology path as well. The Korean Car Blog reports the fuel cell variant would very likely adopt the fuel cell technology used in the Hyundai Nexo, Kia's affiliate brand already producing series fuel cell vehicles. Treat both items as announced intentions from a planning paper, not confirmed capacity plans, until Kia comments publicly.

What does this change for the Carnival?

The Carnival — sold as the Sedona in some markets — left the European DACH region in 2010/2011 and has never returned. It remains in production in newer generations for South Korea, North America and Russia. According to the report, the van is set to debut in an all-new generation in 2028, featuring a hybrid powertrain from the start and a hydrogen fuel cell variant added before 2029. Production of the next generation is expected at Gwangmyeong, the same site named for the fuel cell build.

For European buyers and fleet operators, the leaked plan does not signal a market return; it concerns Korean plant allocation only.

What to watch next

The checkpoints are clear: any official Kia confirmation of the EV7 programme, the 2028 new-generation Carnival debut with its hybrid drivetrain, and a fuel cell variant appearing before 2029. A formal Gwangju or Gwangmyeong capacity announcement, or silence from Kia on the leak, will tell practitioners how firm those dates really are.