2025 Kia Carens Clavis first drive review: Moving up in life!
The Kia Carens Clavis is more upmarket with fresh styling and more equipment. A worthy upgrade from the older Carens?;
When I heard about the Kia Carens Clavis, I was just as confused as you are — because this “new” Carens is going on sale while the older Carens remains on sale. What is Kia up to? How is it different from the Carens we know and love? There’s a fair bit to unpack here, but what you need to know for the time being is that the Kia Carens Clavis is an attempt to push the Carens more upmarket. Which is why it gets fresh styling and an upgraded equipment list. The older Carens that is still on sale will be in a single base model, and then the Clavis variants take over, offering a more upmarket experience.
2025 Kia Carens Clavis exterior
Kia says that customer feedback on the design of the older Carens was that it looked too MPV-like. This refresh is an attempt to push it into a more SUV space. The bonnet is more upright, and the face follows Kia’s new design language, much like what we’ve seen on the EV9 and EV6. There are new headlamps, an LED light bar up front, and redesigned bumpers. From the side, not much has changed since this isn’t a generational change — wheelbase and body panels remain the same — but you do get new integrated roof rails, a rear spoiler, and new 17-inch wheels. The wheels on this top-end car actually look really nice and add a certain edge to the visual package in profile. At the back, there are new tail lamps, a new bumper, and a Clavis badge. It’s essentially a facelift to keep the Carens looking fresh. It’s also 10mm longer now, though that’s mostly from the new bumpers and not any increase in interior space.
2025 Kia Carens Clavis interior
Inside is where the real updates lie. There’s a new dash, a new steering wheel similar to the Syros, and twin 12.3-inch screens behind it. The displays are sharper and easier to use, though wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are still missing in 2025. I don’t know why they didn’t use the Syros’ digital hardware that gets these features. There’s a new multifunction panel that controls both AC and media (like in the Hyundai Verna), and the materials used on the dash feel better resolved — textured hard plastics and a fabric-like finish that feels nice to the touch. I do have concerns on how the fabric will look once it starts picking up mud and grime from our conditions.
There's the Syros steering-wheel, a revised dash layout with the twin 12.3-inch screens. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India
The improved equipment is the biggest talk point. The Clavis adds a panoramic sunroof, dashcam (on certain variants), a 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake, and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat. These features build on existing ones like wireless phone charging, ventilated seats, and a Bose audio system. The second row remains a highlight — you get both a 6-seater captain chair configuration and 7-seater with a bench. The second-row captain seats are mounted high, providing great visibility over the first row and good under-thigh support. One downside is that the air purifier, which is mounted into the back of the driver’s seat, eats into knee room. The seat behind the front passenger seat would be the preferred place to be as the tray table mounted behind the front seat doesn’t eat into as much knee-room. Interestingly, the AC vents have moved from the roof to the B-pillars to accommodate the panoramic sunroof. You also get sun blinds, USB-C ports, and — new for 2025 — a cooled can holder.
There’s no seat ventilation in the second row, which I thought it would get considering the Syros does. Kia explained it would’ve made the seat backs too thick eating into space, and also interfered with the one-touch tumble mechanism for third-row access. Speaking of which, third-row comfort is actually quite good. There's adequate knee room, the seat base is raised so knees aren’t uncomfortably high, and amenities include AC vents, lights, cupholders, USB-C ports, and adjustable headrests. Boot space stands at 216 litres with all rows up — enough for two cabin bags — and folding the last row down increases it significantly.
2025 Kia Carens Clavis engine
You still get three engine options on the Kia Carens Clavis — a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel, and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol. I drove the turbo petrol, which now comes with a manual — the first Kia with this engine to do so. Enthusiasts rejoice! Power outputs on the turbo-petrol remain unchanged at 158bhp and 250Nm of torque. Performance is strong, and while the car is a bit heavier, it doesn’t feel slower. I drove it with both transmissions — the manual and the DCT. The DCT is smooth, responsive, and well-resolved — keeping you in the meat of the powerband and shifting decisively. Once the gearbox downshifts, the engine pulls hard to the redline — it’s torquey, grunty, and one of the nicest in this segment. Paddles do give you a layer of additional control, but nothing like a manual. The manual transmission is rather slick, and while it adds a layer of involvement, I think the main draw will be the lower price that the turbo-petrol can now be offered at.
The turbo petrol unit can now be had with a manual 'box. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India
2025 Kia Carens Clavis ride and handling
The Clavis is heavier with all its extra equipment, but the suspension has been retuned to compensate for that. It rides well on highways — planted and composed. It soaks up bumps and potholes confidently and low speed ride is good. Body control at high speeds is good as well, it feels composed and stable at triple digit speeds.
One of the highlights of the Clavis is its ride quality. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India
Handling? Well, it’s still not an enthusiastic handler. It’s an MPV and by design, these cars are set up for comfort and not thrills. Body roll is noticeable, but it doesn’t feel unsafe or sloppy. Don’t forget, that panoramic sunroof adds a solid 30kg high up on the roof, that was never going to aid dynamics. It’ll hold its line through corners reasonably well before understeer hits, and for a family mover, that’s good enough. Comfort remains its strong suit. Whether in city traffic or highway cruising, this is a genuinely pleasant place to be — especially in the back.
For a family MPV, it handles fairly well unless you're really thrashing it round the bends.
2025 Kia Carens Clavis ADAS
The Clavis now gets ADAS too — a fairly comprehensive suite with front and rear radar. Features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic alert to name a few. On highways, in the right traffic and road conditions, these features can be helpful. However, in chaotic Indian city traffic, they can be still overly intrusive.
Kia has armed the Clavis with a front and rear radar-based ADAS setup. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India
2025 Kia Carens Clavis verdict
This update from Kia Carens to Carens Clavis focuses on styling tweaks and feature upgrades, rather than anything under the skin. The older Carens will continue in just one value-focussed variant — think of how the Innova Crysta is still on sale while the Hycross has come in to the picture. The Clavis lineup will cater to a more image-conscious buyer — someone who wants the practicality of an MPV with more desirable design and creature comforts. Naturally, this will come at a price hike. How much remains to be seen, but expect it to be on par with, or maybe even a slight premium to, a similarly equipped Seltos. The Carens’ biggest selling point was always value for money, and the prices that will be announced later in May will give us a clearer picture of whether that USP of this MPV remains!