Kia Carens Clavis EV

India has had two MPV kings for the longest time - the Maruti Ertiga and the Toyota Innova. Both cars are so good that fleet operators would buy them in tonnes. However - that created a niche demand in the market - an MPV which is equally good, sits between the Ertiga and Innova in price - and is premium enough to be considered by a private buyer. And with this brief - the Kia Carens was born. Every aspect - be it the cabin, seats, bootspace and the comfort was tuned to assist the family in long trips. In the facelift - the Kia Carens Clavis, things only got better. 

Now, besides the petrol and diesel powertrains, Kia is offering it as an EV as well. But, EVs in India have been for short distance commuting and MPVs by nature are meant for longer road trips. So, does buying an EV MPV really make sense? I have driven the Carens extensively and was eager to find out.

The Clavis EV looks unmistakably like the Clavis. It carries the same design and flair as the ICE counterpart but with a few neat changes. The DRLs are now connected which helps it look more modern and you also now have foglamps - something the Clavis skips. The grille is replaced by a charging flap but the headlamps, DRLs and indicators remain the same. I also like the new Ivory Silver Matte color which has a very smooth finish and looks very different from all other options in the market. My only complaint is that the indicators should have been dynamic and not static like the DRLs. 

One ‘cool’ aspect about the Clavis EV are the active cooling flaps. When the motor needs to cool down, the flaps in the front open and let more air in. Once they are at the right temperature - the flaps close, helping the car stay more aerodynamic. Also helping the car stay slippery are the 17-inch aero-styled alloy wheels which look good. From the rear - apart from the tail-pipe delete, the rest of the Carens remains the same. 

The Carens Clavis EV is available in seven exterior shades: Gravity Grey, Ivory Silver Matte, Pewter Olive, Imperial Blue, Glacier White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, and Dark Gun Metal. The Dark Gun Metal shade is exclusive to the new X-Line variant.

Front Seats

Sitting in the cabin of Clavis feels like you are sitting in an upmarket car. The steering has a dual-tone leather treatment and the two-spoke layout looks very premium. The rest of the touch points, like the seats or the armrests, are wrapped in leather-like trim which feels nice to touch. The dashboard also gets a very minimal layout and the fabric insert here helps it feel more upmarket. The fit of the cabin is also very good. There are no uneven panel gaps, crooked panels or misfits. Everything looks consistent. And of course, the quality of the plastics lower down is not very good but, they never look cheap. 

Space and practicality have always been a strong point of Clavis. The same thing has been translated here. In fact, it has become even better. The front seats are comfortable and support you well on longer drives. Plus, you get a lot of space here - enough that even my 6’5” foot-tall colleague can sit comfortably, without their knees hitting any panel.

Let's talk about practicality. The front door pockets are big and you can also keep  three 1-litre bottles and an umbrella here. You get storage space under the side armrest as well plus there is a large open storage area under the centre console which can accommodate small bags. Additionally, there is a wireless phone charger, two cup holders which can be used as a closed storage, and a deep storage area under the front armrest. Overall, whatever you are going to have in a road trip, whether it is a phone, wallet, chips packet, water bottle, soda etc, it will all fit here. 

2nd Row Seats

Even in the second row, there is no lack of space. The seats can slide to open more room and can even recline to aid comfort. There is no shortage of foot or headroom as well and this is a very spacious cabin for even a tall family. Usually in EVs, the underthigh support takes a hit because the batteries raise the floor. Here, this is not a problem, The seats have an extended support for the thighs and the floor raise is also limited - which makes it feel exactly like the ICE variants. The cushioning is good and firm - and the contouring of the seats holds you just enough.

The recently added 6-seater variants come with captain seats in the second row, which offer similar support. Both passengers get individual armrests, and if you prefer to be chauffeur-driven, then these seats will keep you comfortable.

There is no shortage of practicality in this seat either. If you sit behind the driver, then you get one seat-back pocket under the air purifier. The air purifier can be controlled from here as well which helps. You can easily keep two large bottles in the door pocket and there is some added storage under the door armrest as well. But if you are going to be chauffeur-driven, then you have a lot more options. First of all, you get a seat-back tray where you can keep your coffee cup and the phone. There are two seatback pockets and then in the centre console - you also have some added storage. And if you want more leg room, you can push the co-driver seat ahead from the back as well. 

The rear windows are also quite big. A lot of light comes from the outside and you get a very good view. And if it is too sunny, then you also get a sun shade at the back. With these big windows, and this big panoramic sunroof, you get good ambience here in the evening. As for features, you get roof-mounted AC vents, your own reading lights, second and third row AC control, two type-C charging sockets and finally, a 16 Ampere socket. But despite all of this, Kia could not manage to add cup holders here - which is a miss. 

3rd Row Seats

These seats are comfortable. You get a good space for the adults here and the knee room is just right for my height - 5’7”. To improve the comfort, I could also recline these seats and still there was a good amount of headroom left. A 2-3 hour journey will be comfortable for passengers in the 3rd row. Even the ingress and egress is quite easy as the bench seat completely tumbles and folds. And then come the amenities. 

The quarter glass is quite big and you don't feel suffocated while sitting here. On both sides - you get a cup holder and a phone holder, a type-C charger and roof mounted AC vents with a diffuser function. What I especially liked is the fact that even the third row occupants get their own cabin light. Overall, this third row experience is quite good.

Features

The features of the Carens and the Carens Clavis have always been very practical. They are not present just for the sake of loading up the MPV, but carefully selected to ensure convenience. 

The driver seat is powered for recline and slide but manual for height-adjustment. Then you have front seat ventilation, two 12.25-inch big screens with good resolution and interface, a touch-adjusted centre panel with aircon and media controls, and a single-zone climate control. Apart from this, you also get a big panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting which is neatly integrated in the dashboard and doors, and an 8-speaker Bose sound system. However, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay aren’t supported wirelessly. Charging options include a USB-A, USB-C , 12V and a wireless charger. One more feature that you can expect in this price is the power tailgate. But honestly, it isn’t a big miss.

The Clavis EV gets six airbags as standard and higher variants get the full ADAS suite with a camera and radars. The 360 degree camera is clear and also gets blind spot monitors on the instrument cluster. However - there is no crash test rating yet. The Carens received 3 stars in the Global NCAP test and we sincerely hope that the Clavis improves on that.

With the rear two rows folded, the Carens Clavis EV becomes an excellent camping van. The flat floor can easily become a bed and even hold a serious amount of luggage. Behind the 2nd tow too there is ample space for luggage of 5. Larger and small suitcases along with few duffel bags can easily be accommodated here. 

Even behind the 3rd row, you get enough space to keep an overnight suitcase and 2-3 small laptop bags. Going by what other 7-seaters offer - this is also better than similarly priced options. There is some more space under the rear tray and there is a frunk under the hood which can hold the charger and V2L adaptor. 

The battery and motor in the Clavis EV, is exactly the same as the one in the Hyundai Creta EV. In the Clavis EV, you do not get any typical drive selector in the middle. In fact, it is given very neatly behind the steering wheel on the right. Now, the thing that I like the most in the EV's drive experience is their smoothness. The power and torque of this car comes very smoothly and offers you an effortless drive. It makes 135PS with the 42kWh battery pack and 171PS with the 51.4kWh battery back, Torque is the same with both at 255Nm. 

CIty Performance

You get three drive modes in it. There is Eco, Normal and Sport. The good thing is that the Eco mode itself is very usable. The lack of power is not felt in the city at any time and even overtakes can be done naturally. But if you want a little more acceleration, you can put it in Normal - when it starts feeling lively. The overtakes become even more effortless. And finally, there is the Sport mode in which you can overtake the slow-moving traffic with a snap of a finger. The drive experience is so effortless that you will need at least a 2-litre turbo petrol engine to match it. We have also driven the petrol engine of the Clavis. The turbo petrol engine is fun but low on mileage and the diesel is an excellent tourer but lacks excitement. This EV powertrain is the best blend of both. 

Plus, you get multiple regen levels. On level 1, there is no regen and the Carens freerolls. In level 2 and 3 - the Carens acts a lot like ICE vehicles when you lift the foot of the accelerator pedal and feel very natural to drive. Then comes the one-pedal operation which is very well tuned and gets the car to a full stop when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. 

Highway Performance

If you are in a fun mood, then the Clavis EV is more than happy to comply. In the Sports mode, the speeds pick up instantaneously and even the front nose lifts up slightly making for a slightly dramatic experience event. It is a quick car and 100kmph is hit in under 10 seconds. If you are taking it to a hill station with a full load, then I don't think there will be any problem.

The Clavis EV can comfortably cruise at 100-110kmph. If you really want to, then you can push it up to 120kmph as well. But at those speeds, the battery will start depleting very quickly. If you are cruising on the highway in an EV, then ideally 80-100kmph speed is fine. If you start going above that, then you will have to take care of the range. 

Range And Running Cost

You get two battery pack options in it. The small battery pack will give you a real world range of around 300km. The big battery pack will give you a real-world range of around 360km. And for this extra 60-70 km, you will have to pay Rs 2 lakh extra. 

Now, let's talk money. If you are going to charge this car at home, then its running cost will be Rs 1.5-2 per km. If you charge it at a DC fast charger, then its running cost will be Rs 3.5-4 per km. If you run a turbo petrol car, then its running cost will be Rs 9-10 per km. And if you run a diesel car, then its running cost will be Rs 7 per km. If you don't want to get confused - just pay attention to one thing. If you buy a Clavis EV, then you will have to pay Rs 3 lakh more than the turbo-petrol top variant. And you can recover this added cost in about 40,000 km or 2-2.5 years. 

If you are charging it with a DC fast charger which has a capacity of 100kW, then it will reach 80% in 45 minutes. If you charge it with an AC fast charger which has a capacity of 11kW, then it will take 5 hours to reach 80%. And if you are going to charge it at a 3-pin socket at home, then it will get fully charged overnight.

Comfort

EVs, especially those made on a petrol or diesel platform, usually end up having a firm suspension to accommodate the weight of the batteries. This leads to you feeling more of the road surface and jerks on bad roads. However with the Clavis - this factor has been very well controlled.  suspension of the petrol and diesel Carens is softer, it absorbs the bumps better, - but the Clavis EV also retains a plush ride. It absorbs bad roads and potholes well and smoothly goes over speed breakers. The suspension is also quiet - which is in keeping with the experience of an EV. 

The experience of EVs is very quiet, but because of this quiet experience you start picking up a lot of other sounds. Like the AC fan noise, air purifier and the ventilated seats become more audible - which you will have to learn to live with. 

Handling

If you are going to take this Clavis EV on any highway, then it remains very stable. It remains composed at triple digit speeds and even a quick lane change won’t land you in trouble with the passengers. Of course, it is not a corner carver and its handling is not fantastic. If you are going to any hill station, then you will have to go a little slow but that is a normal thing for all MPVs. 

The Kia Carens Clavis EV is available in 6 variants - HTK+, HTX E, HTX, HTX E Long Range, HTX Long Range and the HTK+ Long Range. 

HTK+

Price: Rs 17.99 lakh (ex-showroom) 

• The base HTK+ is well equipped in terms of features.

• It gets LED headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

• Interior features include a dual-tone colour scheme with semi-leatherette seat upholstery.

• The HTK+ variant also gets the dual 12.25-inch displays for infotainment and the digital instrument cluster, along with a 6-speaker sound system.

HTX E

Price: Rs 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Available in both 6- and 7-seater configurations

• Cabin gets ambient lighting, navy and beige interior with leatherette seats, and leather wrapped setting wheel.

• Additional features include a panoramic sunroof, air purifier, seat back tray, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, anti-glare IRVM, and all windows auto up/down.

HTX

Price: Rs 20.49 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Available with both 6- and 7-seater layouts.

• On the safety front, it gets advanced features like ADAS along with a 360-degree camera system.

HTX E ER

Price: Rs 21.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Gets both 6- and 7-seater configurations.

• Gets 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels over HTX E.

• Comes with the bigger battery pack and the more powerful motor.

HTX ER

Price: Rs 22.49 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Gets larger 17-inch alloy wheels

• HTX ER variant gets a bigger 51.4 kWh battery pack option 

• Better Performance with 171PS power.

GTX ER

Price: Rs 22.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Can be had in both 6- and 7-seater layouts.

• Gets gloss black front and rear skid plates, and lime brake callipers.

• Cabin features black leatherette seats with off-white accents, a three-spoke dual-tone leather wrapped steering wheel, and metal pedals.

HTX+ ER

Price: Rs 24.49 lakh (ex-showroom)

• The top-spec HTX+ ER variant retains the safety features of the HTX variant

• Gets additional convenience features like powered driver seat and ventilated front seats.

• It also boasts an upgraded 8-speaker Bose sound system.

GTX + ER

Price: Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

• Gets the option of both 6- and 7-seater configurations.

• Over the HTX + variant, it gets the styling of the GTX trim.

• Also features a digital key and a battery heater.  

X-Line ER

Price: Rs 24.99 lakh

• Available with both 6- and 7-seater layouts.

• Gets black interiors with black and green leatherette seats.

• Also gets a dark satin chrome beltline.

• Misses out on lime brake callipers.

Kia Carens Clavis EV is really a great car. The Clavis was always a very sensible and practical option for your family and now the refinement of EV has also been added to it. While the cabin experience is identical - the drive experience is better. It's smoother, more refined, more peppy and runs at a lower cost. 

If you are looking for a car for your family which is going to spend most of its time in the city and is going to go on very few occasional highway trips, then the Clavis EV makes the most sense in the Carens family. And if you live in a state where you get subsidies on EVs, then the added cost recovery time will be even less than two years. And in that case, you can buy it without thinking.

Let me give you one last tip. If you are thinking of buying the HTX+ Petrol iMT variant of Clavis - then at the same cost, you will get the HTX variant with a small battery pack. Features are slightly less, it has a range of about 300 km, but the drive experience is much better and according to me - it is a very good deal.

Other Cars To Consider

Hyundai Creta EV

The Hyundai Creta EV is about 1 lakh rupees cheaper than the Clavis EV. It is a good family SUV but is a 5-seater - unlike the Clavis which is a 7-seater. The Creta also offers slightly better real‑world range and better performance than the Clavis. Also, with the Clavis, you get a much better boot space behind the 2nd row. 

Tata Nexon EV

The Tata Nexon EV is the best selling EV in the country. It is more affordable than the Clavis EV and because it is smaller in size - it is easier to drive in the city. However, it offers less range than the Clavis, is less spacious as compared to the Kia and is less comfortable as well.