Kia Carens Clavis EV First Drive Review - 3-Row Fun!

Kia revamped its successful MPV offering, the Carens, giving it a new name – the Carens Clavis. What’s more, Kia has also introduced the Clavis EV, making it one of the few three-row EVs available in the Indian market.

As a potential family car, the Clavis EV has a lot of appeal for Indian customers, especially as a daily runaround, but does it live up to expectations?

Kia Carens Clavis EV Design - Nip and Tuck

Following the facelift of the Carens, the EV version sees only minor design changes, with the basics remaining largely unchanged. The front bumper has been revised to accommodate active air flaps and a charging port. Unique to the EV, however, is a new glossy chrome bumper insert, which adds a touch of distinction.

At the rear, except for the chrome bumper insert and an ‘EV’ badge, nothing much has changed. That said, the Clavis EV also gets a set of new aero-style, dual-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, while lower-spec models come with smaller 16-inch units.

Overall, aside from a few cosmetic tweaks to differentiate it from the ICE version, the Clavis EV looks more or less the same.

Kia Carens Clavis EV Space and Features - Locked and Loaded

With all three rows up, the Clavis EV offers a reasonably decent boot space of 216 litres. Fold the third-row seats, and you free up a lot of space – over three times as much – maximising the luggage capacity. And since it’s an EV, there’s also a 25-litre frunk for additional storage.

Inside, the layout and the design remain largely unchanged from the standard Carens Clavis. While the design and features remain similar, the Clavis EV has a new twist-style e-shifter lever mounted on the column. This frees up space on the centre console, which has a floating design with additional storage space and large cup holders. As for rear seats, the EV design has freed up more space at the back. The floor is flat, and with a bench-style seat, three people can sit comfortably. And in line with current trends, the Clavis EV also comes with a Panoramic sunroof – a key selling point for many customers in India.

Kia has packed the car with plenty of smart tech and features. The touchscreen is the same unit as the one in the regular Carens Clavis, with a few EV-specific functions. It does get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but they are still wired.

Kia Carens Clavis EV Battery and Motor - The Powerhouse

Like its ICE counterpart, the Carens Clavis EV borrows its powertrain from its cousin, the Hyundai Creta EV. It comes with two battery pack options – a 42kWh unit and a 51.4kWh unit. In both cases, the battery powers an electric motor that drives the front wheels, delivering 137bhp with the smaller battery and 169bhp with the larger one.

Acceleration is quick and spirited. While it may feel a tad slower off the line compared to the Creta, it’s still impressively quick for a family-sized MPV, hitting 0 – 100km/h in under 10 seconds.

Kia claims that on the MIDC cycle, the standard-range Carens Clavis EV (42kWh) offers a range of up to 404km on a single charge, while the extended-range version (51.4kWh) is rated for up to 490km. In real-world conditions, I think, you can expect around 300km from the standard battery and approximately 350km from the extended version.

To compensate for the added battery weight, Kia has stiffened the suspension on the Carens Clavis EV. But, despite that, the ride quality is very good, and you feel very comfortable even on bad roads. In fact, it feels a bit on the softer side, which means at high speeds, it can be a bit bouncy, especially while driving solo, as I was during the test.

Kia Carens Clavis EV Review Conclusion - Ideal Family MPV?

Ultimately, the debate boils down to a couple of simple points. First, if you have access to charging infrastructure – at home or the office – and your daily commute isn’t too long, there’s little that upsets the Clavis. It offers ample space, a usable third row, and enough range to go two or three days before you need to charge it. Second, at a starting price of Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom), it is hard to find a better deal for a three-row MPV that’s also incredibly economical to run.