Kia India has officially teased its upcoming SUV which can be named as the Clavis. The Kia Clavis is expected to be placed between the Kia Seltos and the Sonet. Interestingly, the Kia Clavis will be the first India made SUV to feature the company’s Design 2.0 philosophy under the company’s Kia 2.0 strategy.

Terming the Clavis as ‘a new species of SUV’, Kia India stated that the SUV will embody modern design aesthetics inspired by both Kia EV9 and the Carnival Limousine, which were recently launched in the Indian market.

Gwanggu Lee, MD and CEO, Kia India, stated that the upcoming SUV has been indigenously designed grounds up with inspiration from unrealized needs of Indian customers. He further stated that the SUV will feature a unique and progressive SUV design language that doesn’t follow the conventional SUV design anymore.

Kia Clavis: Design

Speaking of the design, while not much has been revealed about the upcoming Kia Clavis, first sketches of the SUV reveal its uniquely designed side and the rear profile. At the side, unlike the current SUV, the Clavis will feature a more RV like design, similar to what has been seen with the Kia Carens.

The side profile sketches of the Kia Clavis reveal that the SUV will feature a flat roof while also featuring flush style door handles. Meanwhile, at the rear, the Clavis will have a flat boot lit with L-shaped tail light mounted on the upper half of the boot. Overall the Kia Clavis looks essentially like a RV with its boxy shape and flat lines.

Kia Clavis: What else is known

The Kia Clavis has been spotted several times on the Indian roads under disguise while undergoing road testing. Previous spy shots have revealed that the SUV will come with vertically stacked projector headlamps with LED units and vertical LED Daytime Running Lamps. The latest video reveals that there would be a high-mounted stop lamp and brake lamps are placed in the bumper.

The spy shots have confirmed that certain design features bear a resemblance to Kia's top-end electric vehicle, theEV9, particularly the rear tail lights. The SUV is equipped with roof rails, although it remains unclear whether they serve a practical purpose or are purely aesthetic. The windows are notably large, suggesting a spacious and open cabin. Additionally, the vehicle will sport a fresh set of four-spoke alloy wheels on the sides.

The Kia Clavis is expected to be available with both petrol and EV powertrains. The engine options may consist of a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine provides a power output of 118 bhp and a torque of 172 Nm.

For petrol variants, transmission choices include a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, while for diesel variants, options include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Additionally, there will be a naturally aspirated petrol engine available, which will contribute to reducing the starting price of the Clavis. This engine could either be the 1.5-litre unit from the Seltos or the 1.2-litre unit from the Sonet.

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