Kia Carens Clavis EV Unveiled as India-Only Mini EV9

The all-new Kia Carens Clavis EV debuts in India as a compact MPV with EV9-esque design and up to 490 km of range.

Kia has unveiled yet another special model in India, this time around being a new compact EV MPV crossover, the Kia Carens Clavis EV. This all-electric seven-seater is also the brand’s first EV manufactured entirely in India, featuring EV9-esque design and up to 490 km of maximum EV range.

Designed with emerging EV markets in mind, the new Carens Clavis EV gets the same futuristic styling as its ICE-powered twin, featuring Kia’s signature Opposites United design philosophy made famous by the EV9 flagship SUV.

Key highlights include the EV3-inspired LED headlights, a grill-less front face with a central charging port, new alloy wheels with an enclosed aerodynamic-optimised design a la EV9, L-shaped LED taillights with a full-width light bar, and many more.

While being marketed as a seven-seater MPV, Kia describes the Carens Clavis EV as a “lifestyle-ready recreational vehicle with SUV-inspired character,” which explains its close resemblance to the EV9 flagship EV saloon.

Despite featuring the same three-row, seven-seater layout as its ICE twin, the Carens Clavis EV has been positioned as a slightly more premium offering, featuring a more tech-focused interior.

The biggest highlight of the cabin is the wide 26.6-inch digital cockpit that houses both the car’s main infotainment unit and the digital metre cluster, which comes standard across the range. The screen-laden cockpit is mated to a floating central console that opens up extra storage spaces, giving the EV MPV a cleaner and more minimalist look.

Depending on the trim level, Indian buyers can expect to find creature comforts like ventilated front seats, ambient lights, a panoramic sunroof, an 8-speaker Bose audio system, and up to 20 ADAS functions to allow Level 2 autonomy. For better access to the third row, Kia has added its “Boss Mode” seating to the second-row seats, which can be tumbled down from just one touch of a button.

In terms of underpinnings, the Carens Clavis EV shares the same platform as other smaller products from the Hyundai group, including both the Hyundai Creta Electric and Kia Seltos SUV.

Two specs will be available for the Indian market, with the base model featuring a 42-kWh battery pack and a single-motor setup rated at 133 hp (99 kW) and 225 Nm, offering up to 404 km of EV range, at least according to India’s MIDC standards. For fewer range anxieties, there’s also the long-range version that gets a peppier 169 hp (126 kW) and 255 Nm-rated motor, plus a larger 51.4 kWh battery that extends its MIDC range to 490 km.

Regardless of variants, both models support DCFC at up to 100 kW, while featuring Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality to make them adventure-ready.

The all-new Kia Carens Clavis EV is now available for sale in India, priced between Rs 17.99 lakh and Rs 24.49 lakh (RM88,929 to RM121,061), where its availability will depend on the region in India.

No news on whether this compact EV will be heading to other emerging markets like ASEAN and Malaysia in particular, but we’d reckon it’ll be an interesting alternative to the growing Chinese players in our market.