With Kia choosing to keep the current-spec Carens on sale once the new Carens Clavis goes on sale, we have covered all the key differences between the two. Tap ahead to find them out
First, let's clear things out. The Carens Clavis isn't an entirely new product but essentially the facelifted version of Kia's most popular MPV in India.
The Carens Clavis follows Kia's newest 'Opposites United' design philosophy. Key visual differences include 'Ice Cube' LED headlights and Y-shaped LED DRLs, as well as a revised Sonet-like connected LED taillight setup. It also gets 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels compared to the 16-inch units on the current-spec Carens.
The Clavis measures the same in almost all dimensions as the Carens, save for a mere 10 mm increase in overall length. It is 4,550 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,708 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,780 mm.
It's on the inside that you notice the most differences between the two. Its interior layout is in line with newer models from Kia, such as the Syros, and the far more expensive EV9. Its cabin now has a new dual-tone theme, and is more minimalistic, with fewer buttons. While the Carens' cabin features two 10.25-inch units for the central display and digital instruments cluster, the Clavis gets an integrated 26.62-inch panoramic display.
Apart from the screens, the Carens Clavis gets new equipment in the form of a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, and Level-2 ADAS. That said, it misses out on the rear entertainment screen that is available on the Luxury Plus and X-Line variants of the Carens.
It's here that the two MPVs are almost identical. Both the MPVs are offered with three engine choices: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol (113 bhp/114 Nm), a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol(158 bhp/253 Nm), and a 1.5-litre diesel (114 bhp/250 Nm). The naturally-aspirated mill is solely manual or a six-speed manual gearbox, while the diesel can be had with wither a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The turbo-petrol, meanwhile, can be had with a six-combination is exclusive to the Clavis.