- Gets a six-speed manual gearbox
- Brand claims 15.95kmpl efficiency
The Kia Carens Clavis has been on sale for a while now. Recently, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol DCT version served as a long-termer in our garage. Before that, we tested the diesel-manual variant for its real-world fuel efficiency. This time around, we got our hands on the turbo-petrol manual version and put it through our standard mileage test to find out how efficient it really is.
Version, Powertrain, Gearbox, and Specifications
The Carens Clavis tested here is the HTX Plus six-seater variant, priced at Rs. 18.84 lakh (ex-showroom). Power comes from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. In this state of tune, the motor develops 158bhp and 253Nm of peak torque. Kia claims an ARAI-certified fuel-efficiency figure of 15.95kmpl for this powertrain.
Test Method and Conditions
We follow a fixed route for all our fuel-efficiency tests, using the same fuel station and conducting the runs at similar timings on weekdays. The AC temperature is set between 22 and 23 degrees, while the fan speed remains at level one or two.
Since this test was conducted during peak summer, we also used the ventilated seats, alternating between levels two and three throughout the drive. Apart from that, all other functions such as the infotainment system, music playback, and phone charging were used normally, just as most owners would during their daily commute.
Real-world Mileage Results
City conditions were considerably heavier than what we usually encounter. While our route typically sees moderate traffic, the Clavis spent most of its city run crawling through dense congestion. Over a distance of 78.7km, the MID displayed an average fuel-efficiency figure of 9.9kmpl. The MPV consumed 9.84 litres of fuel, with petrol priced at Rs. 111.33 per litre, resulting in a calculated city mileage of 8kmpl.
Considering the traffic conditions and the nature of the engine, we expected a figure in the region of 8-9kmpl, and the Clavis delivered exactly that.
Moving to the highway run, conditions were ideal as usual. The Clavis covered 78.3km, while the MID displayed an average of 17.7kmpl. During this run, the MPV consumed 4.76 litres of fuel and returned a calculated highway mileage of 16.44kmpl. Not only is this an impressive figure for a petrol MPV of this size, but it is also remarkably close to the MID reading.
Combining the city and highway runs, the Carens Clavis returned an overall average of 10.11kmpl against the claimed 15.95kmpl figure.
That said, if fuel efficiency ranks high on your priority list, the 1.5-litre diesel version remains the one to pick. In our tests, it delivered 16.28kmpl in the city and an impressive 23.18kmpl on the highway, making it the more sensible choice for buyers with higher running requirements.
