Kia India is preparing to introduce 3 all-new vehicles in the next 1 year. This year, the company will introduce the new-gen Carnival MPV and the flagship EV9 3-row electric SUV. Adding to it, the brand’s new compact SUV will be unveiled by the end of this year. Rumoured to be called the Kia Clavis, the new small SUV will go on sale in our market in early 2025.
The spy images reveal that the Kia Clavis won’t be as small as the Exter. In fact, it will be equal or slightly longer than the Sonet. It will sit between the Sonet and the Seltos in the company’s line-up. The new SUV will be branded as a lifestyle SUV and will target a different set of buyers. The testing of the new Clavis has already been started in India.
The Kia Clavis small SUV will share styling cues from the brand’s global SUVs including the Telluride. It will be a tall and upright SUV with boxy styling elements and high ground clearance. The spy images reveal that the SUV will have rugged design elements such as prominent body cladding, roof rails, and a large glass-house with kinked windows. The SUV appears larger than the Hyundai Exter. It will have a more flatter nose, a flat roof with integrated roof rails, flush-type door handles, signature Kia grille, broader lower air-dam, bumper mounted LED headlamps and vertically positioned L-shaped LED lights.
The new Kia Clavis will share the cabin layout with modern Kia cars. It is likely to come equipped with features such as a larger touchscreen infotainment unit, a digital instrument console and automatic AC. The previous spy images reveal that the new Clavis will have a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera and others. The SUV will also receive ADAS tech with features like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane assist, auto high beam and others. The sub-4 meter SUV is likely to have a more spacious cabin than the Sonet, thanks to its tall stance and wider body.
The Kia Clavis compact SUV will be offered with both petrol and electric powertrains. The small SUV is likely to be powered by a 1.2L NA petrol and 1.0L turbo petrol engines. It could also be offered with a hybrid powertrain. Both manual and automatic gearbox options will be on offer. It will come as a front-wheel-drive SUV only, and there will be no AWD variant on offer.
While the petrol version will be launched in early 2025, the electric version is likely to arrive late next year. The Kia Clavis will be locally developed and will also be exported to select international markets.
