2025 Kia Carens Clavis EV: An EV that can hold

Think about what got Kia a strong footing in India. Interesting design, a desirable brand and finding niches in the market. While the whole industry was belting out SUV after SUV, Kia belted out SUVs but also MPVs. The Carnival was launched quickly after the Seltos. The Carens followed the Sonet. And the Carens has been a big success story for Kia! History is repeating itself right now. While everyone seems to be rushing to put out their electric SUVs, Kia has taken a step back and is doing things different. The Carens Clavis EV is electric, but its an MPV. Big question is, is an electric MPV any good?

2025 Kia Carens Clavis EV styling

I’m going to get through the styling quickly because the changes aren’t radical, but were mandated by the EV platform. For example, the charging port in the nose and the solid grille surrounding it. Necessities. You’ve also got active flaps for cooling as required at the bottom. The wheels are a new design, obviously more aerodynamic to eke out more range. The new skid plate at the front and rear are pure aesthetic choices though. That’s really it. In terms of dimensions, the Clavis EV is identical to the Clavis though it is worth noting that ride height has gone up to 200mm from 180mm.

2025 Kia Carens Clavis EV interior and features

On the inside, things are familiar. The dash is straight out of the Clavis again, with the only changes of significance being the additional EV-specific information on the cluster. Interestingly, the dual panoramic display is standard on all variants of the Clavis. It retains the multi-function panel below the infotainment screen as well. What’s new is the floating centre console that houses cupholders and a bunch of buttons including the ventilated seat controls. This set up has freed up a large storage space below it, which is nice. Where’s the gear shifter, you ask? On a stalk behind the steering wheel — just like on the Creta EV. That’s not going to be the last mention of the Hyundai in this story… In terms of equipment, you still get an air purifier, wireless charger, Bose audio and a panoramic sunroof.

Fun fact: the second row can only be had as a bench. No captain seats! Which means no 6-seater variant on the Clavis EV for now. Knee room is enough, and what I was pleasantly surprised by is the fact that under thigh support isn’t really compromised. The floor is a few mm higher, but not enough to make too much of a difference clearly. The second row retains features like the tray table and boss function, but also adds in a three-point socket so you can charge a device. It also retains the same position for the air purifier, which sadly eats in to knee room. Getting in to the third row is easy courtesy the one-touch tumble feature that the second row has. Space in the rear is cramped with second row pushed all the way back, but is liveable if you move the second row forward. At the expense of space there, of course. Boot space sits at 216 litres, which is identical to the standard Clavis, but you also get a 25-litre frunk that can hold your charging cables and adaptors.

Kia Carens Clavis EV driving performance, range, battery

The first thing that stands out at you is the refinement. A pretty obvious statement for an EV, but you need to understand the context here: the last Carens I spent a significant amount of time in was our diesel long-term test car. The drone of the diesel was something that was very clearly associated with this car in my head. The EV shatters that image. It really transforms the experience on the inside, elevating it to a whole new level.

The second thing is, it's quick. We VBOX tested in Sport mode: an impressive 8.44 seconds to 100kmph. For a family MPV. That’s quick. Of course, it responds differently in different modes. In eco mode, responses are dulled down, but in normal mode it's plenty quick. And I don’t just mean quick off the line — you can be at 60kmph and step on it and it will move. Sport mode obviously dials it up even more. This is courtesy the strong outputs: 169bhp and 255Nm. That said, it isn’t uncomfortably quick. Power is dialled in linearly and throttle responses aren’t overly sharp — important to keep passengers comfortable.

The Carens Clavis EV gets two battery options — 42kWh and 51.4kWh. What does that remind you of? Bingo. The Creta EV. The Carens Clavis EV actually shares a lot of its underpinnings with the Creta EV and that’s a good thing. You don’t hear horror stories of Creta EVs leaving people stranded, do you? We’re driving the 51.4kWh variant and in terms of range 350 to 400km should be possible, rather easily. Maybe you can stretch if further if you drive in a manner that the car likes. We started the day with the battery SOC at 98 per cent, and a range readout of 390km. Even at 78 per cent, the display read a cool 315km of range so I don't think range is going to be a concern. As for charging times, the Carens Clavis EV can charge at up to 100kWh The 42kWh version will obviously be less, but mind you, it also has a lower power output. Regen works just like it does on the Hyundai — you get four modes from 0 (no regen) to 3 (max regen) and then you can go a level up to the i-pedal mode, or one pedal driving mode. The levels are well calibrated and I found myself most comfortable in the Level 2 regen mode, though everyone seems to have their own preference. What’s critical is being able to drive smoothly and the lower levels allow that without much of a learning curve when jumping in from an ICE car. What I am apprehensive about is what will happen under full load conditions — 6-7 people plus luggage. How does it affect performance and range? We haven’t tested this yet, but Kia says they did a test like this and it still delivered 400km to a full charge. Of course, there are a lot of variables like road conditions, driving styles and average speeds that could affect the efficiency of the car and I don’t have the full picture. However, that they have tested it and it delivered is promising.

Kia Carens Clavis EV ride and handling

Ride quality that was another thing I was really interested in especially since the car is going to be a lot heavier now. Springs and dampers have been revised, and the rear suspension gets hydro-bushes to help with NVH. I was pleasantly surprised by how it tackled our roads. I honestly thought they're going to have to stiffen up the springs a lot and it would ruin the ride, but there's a genuine plushness to it. It took it on to some broken patches and it felt very pliant and absorptive, and worked quietly too. High speed ride is not bad either.

You've got real confidence at highway speeds, which is where we did most of our driving. Stable, smooth and rather impressive. Handling is not something I really tried to broach the limits of because I doubt anyone is going to take their electric MPV corner carving. That said, the steering feels predictable during high speed lane changes. I did notice a certain vagueness if you tried to change lanes while accelerating hard — the weight moving to the rear, combined with the high torque causes a light torque-steer like sensation. But its a small window and more a challenge with this format (high torque, weight shifted to the rear, and eco tyres).

Kia Carens Clavis EV price and verdict

Prices for the Carens Clavis EV start at ₹18 lakh and go up to ₹24.5 lakh (ex-showroom) for this top-end long range variant we’re driving. At that price, it is the most affordable 7-seater EV in India, undercutting the BYD eMAX 7 by ₹7-9 lakh depending on the variant. That’s a fair bit, in the grand scheme of things. What it will go head to head with are electric SUVs from the mainstream — the Hyundais, Tatas, and Mahindras out there. What the Clavis EV does offer that none of them have is the third row of seats, and that’s not something that can be added in a quick refresh. It may not have the flash, the over the top party tricks or the insane styling some of these SUVs have but its strengths are its simplicity, comfort and space. Kia’s strategy of finding small gaps in the market might just pay off once again!