Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Battle Of The MPVs

Kia has taken wraps off the Carens Clavis, offering an additional MPV option alongside the Carens from the Korean brand. While prices for the Carens Clavis have not been revealed yet, it will take on popular MPVs like the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Although it can be considered a more premium alternative to the Ertiga, it’s still worth the comparison. Let’s delve further and help you decide which of these two family-oriented cars is the better buy.

Price

We still do not know the pricing of the Carens Clavis, but it will likely start from around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom). Based on the expected pricing, the Ertiga will undercut the Carens Clavis by about Rs 2 lakh. A lower starting price would also mean that the Ertiga would overall cost less even when you pick its mid-spec and top-spec variants.

Dimensions

Parameter	Kia Carens Clavis	Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Length	4550 mm (+155 mm)	4395 mm
Width	1800 mm (+65 mm)	1735 mm
Height	1708 mm, with roof rails (+18 mm)	1690 mm
Wheelbase	2780 mm (+40 mm)	2740 mm

The Kia Carens Clavis is overall a larger vehicle than the Maruti Ertiga, which is evident from the first glance as well. It is longer, which means a better wheelbase that will ultimately offer more interior space, although the third-row seats will probably still be best suited for kids. The width and height of the Carens Clavis are greater by 65 mm and 18 mm, respectively, which will translate into better road presence. Notably, the height of the Carens Clavis also includes the roof rails.

Features

Equipment	Kia Carens Clavis	Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Lighting setup	LED headlights with DRLs and LED taillights	Halogen headlights with LED taillights
Alloy wheels	17-inch alloy wheels	15-inch alloy wheels
Infotainment System	12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay	7-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay
Digital Driver’s Display	Yes, 10.1-inch	No, digital instrument cluster with MID
Sound System	8-speaker Bose sound system	6-speaker sound system
Cruise Control	Yes	Yes
Sunroof	Yes, panoramic	No
Seat Ventilation	Yes, front-row only	No
Powered Seats	Yes, driver only	No
Climate Control	Yes, automatic	Yes, automatic
Wireless Phone Charging	Yes	No
Ambient Lighting	Yes	No
Connected Car Tech	Yes	Yes
Airbags	6 (standard)	4
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System	Yes	No
ADAS	Yes, level-2	No
Parking Sensors	Front and rear parking sensors	Only rear
360-degree Camera	Yes	No
Electronic Parking Brake	Yes	No

Since Kia will offer the Carens Clavis as an overall premium MPV, it gets a more feature-rich cabin than the Ertiga. For starters, it gets a larger infotainment system, a better-equipped sound system, and a digital driver's display as opposed to the MID setup found in the Ertiga. For convenience, you get a powered driver's seat, seat ventilation, and amenities like wireless phone charging. Even safety-wise, the Carens Clavis gets additional airbags and Level-2 ADAS.

Powertrain Specifications

Kia will offer the Clavis with three powertrain options: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The NA petrol unit puts out 115 PS/144 Nm, paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The turbocharged unit generates 160 PS/253 Nm, mated to a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed clutchless manual, or a 7-speed DCT. Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre diesel produces 116 PS/250 Nm, paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

On the other hand, the Maruti Ertiga is only offered with a 103 PS/137 Nm 1.5-litre petrol engine, paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The same engine can also be configured with a factory-fitted CNG kit, which reduces the power output to 88 PS/121.5 Nm, available only with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Verdict

To conclude, picking the Kia Carens Clavis based on its features and overall offering is still tricky, as its prices are yet to be revealed. On the other hand, the Maruti Ertiga, although offered with a minimal feature set and only a single powertrain option, continues to be a popular choice, especially amongst fleet operators, likely due to its budget-focused positioning.

While the prices of the Carens Clavis are set to be announced on May 23, 2025, we recommend waiting until the official reveal. However, do expect the Clavis to be priced at a premium over the Ertiga. Until then, let us know in the comments which MPV you would choose between the two.