Kia India has finally launched the much-awaited Carens Clavis, following a slew of teasers and spy shots. The MPV is a facelifted version of the Carens, layered above the latter as a premium option. Is this the better version of the MPV? Let’s compare.
Design and Dimensions
The Carens Clavis sports a striking appearance, bearing similarities with the EV5 and the EV9, thanks to the ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy. It retains a similar structure, with a few welcome design changes, which include L-shaped LED DRLs, Ice Cube headlights, 17-inch dual-tone alloys as opposed to the 16-inch ones with the pre-facelift version, and Starmap LED tail lights.
The Carens Clavis spans 4,550mm long, 1,800mm wide, and 1,708mm tall. Barring the 10mm increment in length, the other dimensions remain fundamentally unchanged. Even the wheelbase continues to remain the same at 2,780mm.
Interior and Safety
The Kia Carens Clavis gets a revamped interior. The eye-catching console, coupled with a minimal look, exudes a premium feel. The merged instrument cluster and infotainment screens combine to form a 26.62-inch array. While the Carens gets a single-pane sunroof, the Carens Clavis gets a full-fledged panoramic sunroof. It also gets rear-seat entertainment screens as standard, which was exclusive to the X-Line variant of the Carens.
With regards to safety, the Carens Clavis now gets a Level 2 ADAS suite, which was missing in the standard Carens. There’s also a 360-degree camera added with the facelifted version.
Mechanicals
The Carens Clavis remains mechanically unchanged, carrying over the same powertrains from the existing Carens. The powertrain-gearbox combinations include:
- 1.5-litre NA petrol (113bhp, 144Nm), paired with a six-speed manual gearbox
- 1.5-litre turbo petrol (158bhp, 253Nm), paired with six-speed manual, IMT, and seven-speed DCT systems
- 1.5-litre diesel (114bhp, 250Nm), paired with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission systems
The only difference with these combinations is that the NA petrol + manual option is exclusive to the Clavis. While the price differences between both are yet to be known, we do not expect the Clavis to take a high jump.
