The global debut of the Kia Clavis is expected to happen later this year and it will more likely launch in India in early 2025
Kia is currently developing a brand new compact SUV and it has been spied testing in its home market of Korea. Codenamed AY, it will be christened the Clavis and will be made available in international markets as well as India. The global debut of the Kia Clavis is expected to happen later this year and it will more likely launch in India in early 2025.
The Kia Clavis will be positioned above the recently facelifted Sonet and below the Seltos midsize SUV upon arrival. It won’t be a fully-fledged lifestyle off-roader but will have the design cues reminiscing one. The first set of clear spy images of the five-seater gives us plenty of new details and the overall styling takes inspiration from Soul and the latest crop of Kia SUVs sold abroad.
The test prototype wears a black wrap but parts of the body are visible. It comes with an upright front fascia with vertically stacked headlights, new LED Daytime Running Lights and a new bumper section with wider air intake. It will also boast connected LED tail lamps that take inspiration from the flagship EV9 electric SUV.
The boxy proportions are characterised by large windows, a flat roofline and tall pillars. The prototype shows the presence of MRF tyres meaning that it was manufactured at Kia’s plant in Andhra Pradesh. Just like the Sonet, it will be packed with features including a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital console, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera system, six airbags, disc brakes on all four wheels, etc.
Similar to the 2024 Kia Sonet, it may also offer Level 1 ADAS system. It will be differentiated from the Sonet in terms of practicality as upright proportions should enable a roomier cabin and perhaps a larger boot. The Clavis will be offered in IC-engined, hybrid and electric guises and the ICE version will arrive before the rest.
The Kia Clavis will be shipped from Kia’s Anantapur plant to global markets as well. The fifth-largest car producer in the country will introduce the fourth generation Carnival and EV9 this year in India.