A lot of us on the Autocar India review team have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Clavis EV. Who knew a bunch of auto enthusiasts would be looking forward to an electric 7-seat MPV. The thing is, though, electric and MPV are two very congruous elements.
If you’re going to have a large people mover, an electric drivetrain does well by not penalising you on efficiency – like an internal-combustion engine does – and its smooth and silent running keeps everyone happy. And in an MPV, where it’s a relaxed frame of mind you’re often driving in, electric power again suits this character to a T.
So yes, this combination really does make sense, and the electric Clavis really brings out this harmonious pairing superbly.
The Clavis shares its powertrain with the Hyundai Creta Electric, and we have the larger 51.4kWh battery model, which drives a 171hp motor. Efficiency, while not bad, is lower than the Hyundai’s. So far, in the city, on my home-to-office run, the Clavis manages about 6.8km/kWh, which would equate to a range of 350km, while the Creta averaged 8.1km/kWh.
However, the power calibration is spot on for its intended purpose. There’s none of that instant power dump and a hair-trigger torque delivery, making it very easy to modulate if you’re simply out on a relaxed and laid-back drive – a.k.a. MPV mode. But don’t mistake that for a lack of performance. Press down a bit further on the accelerator, and there’s plenty of power for overtaking, even with a full load or on steep inclines. I’ve run it with six onboard, and it really made no difference. This is exactly how you’d want an MPV powertrain to be set up.
The ride is another bit that’s nice. To tackle the extra weight of the battery, Kia has retuned the suspension and, like in the case of the electric Creta, it does have a firm side. But this has also helped with removing some of that secondary motion after you come off a speed breaker or bump. So, the ride feels settled, and at highway speeds, it is stable and composed.
My wife drives it too, and she loves this easy-going nature, as well as the seating position. That is something I don’t really like, though. It feels like sitting at a dinner table, with your knees closer to a 90-degree angle. The seat base is also quite short, adding to that dinner-chair-like posture. It isn’t uncomfortable, though. The seat cushioning is fine, but it’s just the position that’s far from car- or SUV-like.
Besides that, there are only small bits I dislike, like the starter button, which is located on the drive selector stalk and hence hidden behind the steering wheel, only visible if the wheel is in the absolute straight-ahead position. The air purifier is also noisy, but that’s more due to its positioning behind the driver’s seat and thus close to your ear.
Beyond that, the Clavis EV has been remarkable. The kids love the electric seat fold that allows you to tumble the second-row seat at the push of a button, granting easy access to the third row. The space there drew no complaints either. It’s even good enough for average-sized adults and gets dedicated AC vents too. The window size, though, is a bit small, and while my daughter, who is prone to motion sickness, has so far not complained about it, I’m sure on a longer drive she will find this annoying. My son, who is taller than me, complained about this, saying he needs to look down through the glass. Headroom and overall space, though, were just about fine for him.
Speaking about space, the centre console drew a lot of praise from everyone who sat at the front. There’s plenty of storage, so no fighting to keep odds and ends. There are places for your phones, wallets, cups and bottles thanks to a cool resizeable tray, and the lower portion of the console can easily contain a medium-sized handbag. I’ve even managed fitting a tablet with its case in there. The premium-looking interior has also impressed everyone, the ambient lighting taking many by surprise. I guess not many expect this level of finish when they see an MPV.
So, all in, like I said at the start, the electric Clavis is really a fine example of why electric power and MPVs are such a great mix. I’m sure our resident van man, Nikhil Bhatia, will be relieving me of the keys very soon. He’s already speaking of how his daughter loves to look up through sunroofs from her child seat. Rahul, too, will soon want it for its flexibility in some or the other tracking car duty.
Gavin DSouza
Hormazd Sorabjee
Nikhil Bhatia
