Kia Carens Clavis HTE (EX) 7 Seat Petrol MT

autocar.india

•41w

The Kia Carens Clavis is a great 7-seater. It is very spacious, and even tall adults can sit in the last row without any issue. The cabin feels very premium, with high-quality materials used, and even the lower variants offer impressive standard equipment, which makes the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol versions excellent value for money.The 1.5L petrol engine is smooth and refined, and in our tests, it accelerated quickly than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, indicating better drivability too. This engine is shared with the Carens, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Hyundai Verna, and it has been quite reliable so far. Service and maintenance costs are also on par with, or even lower than, its rivals.

Kia Carens Clavis

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Hyundai Verna

autocar.india

•48w

Assuming you’re considering these two models because they offer a third row of seats, the Kia Carens Clavis would be the better choice.This Kia car offers easier access to the third row thanks to its electric one-touch tumble function, and space and comfort at the back are superior. Carens Clavis and Hyundai Alcazar share their turbo-petrol and diesel engines, so there isn’t much difference in performance.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

autocar.india

•1d

For a family of seven with low usage and mostly long-distance trips, the Toyota Innova HyCross is the best recommendation. This Toyota car is a proper 7-seater with genuinely usable third-row space, excellent comfort and a reputation for reliability that makes it a stress-free long-term ownership proposition. The hybrid powertrain is also well suited to your usage, offering good fuel efficiency on highways and low running costs over time.If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is a sensible alternative. It is comfortable, reliable and offers good value for money, though this Maruti Suzuki car is not as spacious or as premium as the HyCross.Between an SUV and an MPV, an MPV is the better choice for your needs. SUVs may look more rugged, but most 7-seater SUVs compromise on third-row space and comfort, whereas MPVs like the HyCross and Ertiga are designed specifically for family travel and long-distance comfort.If you are looking for a more premium and feature-rich alternative, the Kia Carens Clavis is worth considering. It offers a more premium cabin and a good feature set, but the HyCross remains the more comfortable and reliable long-term choice.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Kia Carens Clavis

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

autocar.india

•3d

The Tata Safari is the more expensive and more premium SUV option, but it is larger and heavier than the other two cars you've listed. Also, it is available only with a turbo-petrol, which given its weight, isn't going to be very efficient in the real world. Lastly, the controls like the gearbox and clutch are heavier compared to the other two which feel relatively effort-free. So we'd rule out the Safari.Given you're usage, opting for a CNG version will keep a check on your running costs. Both Maruti and Kia offer factor CNG options with their respective manual gearbox versions of the 1.5 petrol engine.The Maruti Suzuki XL6 is a sensible choice here, given its reputation for reliability, ease of maintenance and Maruti's unmatched service network, which is important for a long-term owner. However, we'd recommend you to go for the Kia Carens Clavis which feels more premium than the XL6. The Clavis' cabin feels more upmarket, space is excellent, it is better equipped, refinement is better, and now it also offers a factory-fitted CNG variants. Overall, the Clavis CNG feels like the more polished offering, hence it gets our vote.

Kia Carens Clavis

Tata Safari

Maruti Suzuki XL6