Kia Carens Clavis EV Long Term Report: Month 1 - Near-Perfect Family EV

The Carens has always been one of the most sensible family cars in Kia’s line-up, and the new Carens Clavis EV carries that philosophy forward — only now it’s quieter, smoother, and noticeably more relaxed in the way it handles everyday duties. I’ve covered around 700km with it, balancing the usual office commutes with some out-of-city family trips.

And that brings me to the Clavis EV’s biggest strength — space. All three rows feel genuinely airy, and seat comfort received unanimous praise. The rear recline function became an instant favourite on the longer drives. Cabin practicality is another highlight. The glovebox, door pockets, shelves, and small cubbies are all well-thought-out and easy to use. Like most three-row cars, the boot with all seats up is limited, so the Carens works best as a five-seater with a generous boot when you’re carrying luggage.

On the road, the Clavis EV is super smooth and genuinely enjoyable. Acceleration is strong in all modes, overtakes are effortless, and it feels composed and quiet in traffic. The ADAS — often inconsistent in this price band — is impressively well calibrated.

Range, however, is where expectations and reality differ slightly. Kia claims 490km, but the instrument cluster consistently showed an efficiency of 7km/kWh, which works out to roughly 360km from its 51.5kWh battery pack. For a fully loaded seven-seater EV, that isn’t bad, but I was hoping to see something closer to 430km on a full charge. Having an office charger keeps running costs low, but public chargers still feel unreliable, which creates some range anxiety on longer outings.

There were no real glitches, though one quirk stood out: the rear doors need noticeably more effort to shut properly, often requiring a firmer push than expected. The only genuine concern so far is the ground clearance with full load. On taller speed breakers, the underbody scraped — something you definitely don’t want in an EV with the battery pack mounted low. It feels like an issue with the suspension tuning, more than the height itself.

That aside, nothing else at this price offers this blend of space, comfort, ease of use, and EV refinement. The Carens Clavis EV feels like a genuinely practical, near-perfect family EV — one I’m happy to keep using.