The Kia Carens has always been the dependable family member who shows up on time with eco-friendly, disposable cutlery and sensible shoes. The new Carens Clavis is the younger cousin who wears linen shirts, speaks in bullet points, and brings sparkling water with a hint of elderflower to the picnic. They have the same bloodline but an entirely different attitude.
This is still, at heart, an MPV. It has seats. It has doors. It transports people and their cargo in a largely upright, spectacular fashion. But what Kia has attempted here with the Carens Clavis is something more nuanced. It’s still the sensible Carens underneath, but it has, for lack of a better phrase, moisturised and grown a personality.
So, what’s the verdict? The Kia Carens Clavis doesn’t revolutionise the MPV formula, nor does it pretend to. What it does do is dress it up in nicer clothes, improve its manners, and add some genuinely useful technology. It’s still the same capable, practical, unshowy Carens underneath, but it now has a LinkedIn profile, a 401(k), and a curated Spotify playlist.
It’s the family car for those who aren’t ready for an SUV but don’t want to look like they’ve given up. It’s a commuter with radar, a shuttle with flair, a box with just enough polish not to feel like a compromise. No, it’s not thrilling. But if you want space, sensibility and just a touch of self-awareness, the Carens Clavis delivers. And it brings sparkling water.
Bookings opened up at the stroke of midnight on May 9, and prices are expected by the end of the month. The pitch is straightforward enough. It’s the Carens, but with more tech, more shine, and a bit more self-esteem. And, crucially, with no direct rival breathing down its neck.
Kia hasn’t reinvented the powertrain lineup, but there is a new addition. The Carens Clavis introduces a new powertrain combination, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine making 158bhp and 253Nm, is paired to a proper 6-speed manual gearbox, and we must applaud Kia for not giving up on the manual transmission, even in this segment. It’s not going to set any Nürburgring records, but it’s a responsive, usable unit that keeps the Carens Clavis moving briskly when prodded.
The rest of the options are familiar. There’s a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol producing 115bhp and 144Nm. It’s adequate for relaxed driving but can feel strained with a full load of passengers and luggage. Then there’s the same 158bhp turbo-petrol paired to either an iMT or a 7-speed DCT, both of which are serviceable but not particularly stirring.
If you prefer torque over revs, there’s also a 1.5-litre diesel producing 116bhp and 250Nm, available with either a 6-speed manual or a torque-converter automatic. It’s quiet, frugal, and still the best pick for highway long-hauls, even if diesel has somewhat fallen out of favour these days.
On the road, the Carens Clavis tells you exactly what it’s about within the first 100 metres. This car is tuned for comfort. Full stop. The suspension is pliant, the ride is cushy, and the 17-inch wheels come with enough tyre sidewall to smother a brick.
Over small bumps and typical road undulations, it’s superbly composed. Larger potholes don’t rattle the structure either. You might feel a muted thud through the floor, but that’s about it. There’s a calmness to the way it deals with Indian roads; it doesn’t flinch, doesn’t complain, and most importantly, doesn’t jiggle your spine.
At higher speeds, it remains impressively tied down. The body doesn’t float, even when you pass a dip or crest at 120 kmph. But if you attempt to drive it quickly through corners, the Carens Clavis protests. There’s body roll, the steering feels vague, and the car begins to feel its size and weight. It’s not a sporty drive, and it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead, it wants to be driven with the calm detachment of a relaxed uncle after a large biryani. And when driven like that, it’s in its element.
Step inside and the resemblance to the standard Carens is clear, but there are enough changes to justify the Clavis badge. Lighter upholstery options, revised door pads, and some judicious mood lighting do a lot to lift the cabin. The inclusion of more soft-touch materials feels more considered, even if some of the plastics remain a bit too shiny for true luxury.
The centrepiece is the new dual-screen dashboard arrangement. Two 10.25-inch screens — one for the driver, the other for infotainment duties- sit neatly side-by-side. They’re lifted from the Seltos, and they give the Carens Clavis a more modern, cohesive look. Thankfully, Kia hasn’t gone full touchscreen-happy here. You still get proper physical toggles for the AC and fan, mercifully, while the rest have gone all touch-sensitive and modern. But the clever bit is that, in the interest of keeping the dashboard looking like a Scandinavian sideboard, those same toggles double up as media controls, which is excellent news if, like me, you possess fingers and occasionally use them.
You still get the familiar 6- and 7-seat arrangements, just like in the standard Carens. The third row remains surprisingly habitable — perfectly adequate for anyone up to six feet tall, provided they’re not wearing a top hat. The middle row, especially in the captain seat configuration, is really rather good. You can slide it back and forth, recline it to your heart’s content, pull up the sunshades, turn up the air-con, and enjoy a chilled beverage, thoughtfully kept cool by the newly added can holder, which I must say is a small but pleasing touch of civility.
The top-spec Clavis, badged HTX+, arrives with the full deck of features. Ventilated front seats? Yes. A 4-way power-adjustable driver’s seat? Certainly. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Finally. Add in an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a 360-degree surround camera, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger and an air purifier, and you’ve essentially got the automotive equivalent of a well-appointed Airbnb. However, the real headliner is the inclusion of Level 2 ADAS. This is the stuff you usually see in German saloons with confusing badges. Adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, and rear cross-traffic alert are all now available in what is, technically, a family MPV. Is it overkill for the school run? Yes. Will it save your nerves on Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru? Also yes.
The tech works reasonably well in Indian conditions, though it remains somewhat twitchy when lanes vanish or motorcyclists materialise from thin air. Still, it’s better to have it than not, and the Carens Clavis integrates it in a way that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.
We begin with the exterior. This is where the Carens Clavis attempts its most audacious party trick, looking fashionable. It wears what Kia calls the ‘Digital Tiger Face’, which sounds like a synthetic NFT but is in fact a rather snazzy hidden grille and lighting arrangement, nicked rather effectively from the bigger, boxier Kia EV9. The LED DRLs sweep across the front like a stern expression, folding into triangular headlamp housings that seem eager to look serious.
You’ll also notice sharper bumpers, satin silver bash plates, and new 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels that are about as “minted” as mass-production alloys can get. Around the back, there’s an LED bar that thickens in the centre. Design people will say it represents width and symmetry. The rest of us will notice that it lights up nicely at night. The wheel design, size, headlamp and tail lamp cluster, side fascia, and roof rails change depending on the variant you pick.
The Carens Clavis is offered in eight colour options, including Gravity Grey and something called Pewter Olive, which we have seen on the Seltos and is actually quite tasteful. Thankfully, there’s no neon green or faux-carbon fibre nonsense. It’s all fairly sophisticated. The visual message is clear: this MPV is for the discerning family that wants to look mildly upmarket but doesn’t want to end up explaining their purchase to sceptical in-laws.
At the time of writing, the official prices haven’t been revealed, but we expect a slight premium over the standard Carens, which currently ranges from Rs 10.60 lakh to Rs 19.70 lakh. So, the Carens Clavis should start at around Rs 12 lakh and top out around Rs 21 lakh, ex-showroom. For what’s on offer, that’s still solid value.
More interesting is the lack of direct competition. The Maruti Ertiga and XL6 are both cheaper but offer fewer features and less road presence. The Toyota Innova Crysta and Hycross sit higher on the food chain and ask for significantly more money. That leaves the Carens Clavis in a surprisingly unoccupied zone, the slightly premium MPV with tech, polish, and no seven-seater rival in the immediate vicinity.
Specifications (Top Variant): Kia Carens Clavis HTX+ Turbo Petrol DCT
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol
Power: 160bhp
Torque: 253Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DCT / 6-speed manual
ADAS: Level 2 suite (adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, forward collision warning)
