The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the best-selling MUV in India. Not just that, it is also one of the best-selling cars in India, which speaks volumes about how popular this Indo-Japanese 7-seater MUV is. While the Ertiga does not have any direct rival, Kia brought in a fantastic premium alternative in the form of the Kia Carens. With a nice wealth of premium features, a good amount of space, and a variety of powertrains, the Kia Carens turned out to be an instant success and did manage to lure away many buyers from the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Now, the Korean carmaker has launched a more premium version of the Kia Carens, the Kia Carens Clavis. The Kia Carens Clavis is styled slightly differently from the Kia Carens, and is laden with some more upmarket features. If you are looking for a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, you may find the Kia Carens Clavis as an appealing proposition for a few more lakhs. But would it be worth upgrading to the Kia Carens Clavis, or is the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga better for you? In this article of Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, we compare the two and find out which one is better for your needs.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Dimensions & Design
Kia Carens Clavis | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | |
Length | 4550 mm | 4395 mm |
Width | 1800 mm | 1735 mm |
Height | 1708 mm | 1690 mm |
Wheelbase | 2780 mm | 2740 mm |
Boot Space | 216 litres | 209 litres |
Being larger has been one of the key advantages of the Kia Carens over the Maruti Ertiga. Since the Carens Clavis is the same size as the Carens, the same is the equation between the Carens Clavis and the Ertiga. The Carens Clavis is 155 mm longer, 65 mm wider, 18 mm taller, and has a 40 mm longer wheelbase than the Ertiga. As a matter of fact, the Carens Clavis has one of the longest wheelbases among the 7-seater cars in India, it is longer than that of even the Toyota Innova Crysta. This means the third row of the Carens Clavis is considerably more spacious than the third row of the Ertiga. Whereas, the accommodation of three passengers in the second row is not going to be a problem in either of these two.
As far as designs are concerned, the Kia Carens Clavis looks more upmarket and futuristic than the Maruti Ertiga. Adorned by Kia’s latest design language, the Carens Clavis features a ‘digital tiger face,’ as seen on Kia’s flagship, Kia EV9. It is a rather minimal face with a closed-off grille with slim LED DRLs that neatly flow into a triangular housing for the LED headlamps. Lower down the bumper is a blacked-out air intake and silver bash plate, much like the Kia Syros. Over to the side, the Carens Clavis looks almost like the Carens with the same slightly sloping roof, sharp waistline that narrows at the front doors and flares out towards the rear, and upswept quarter glasses. However, there are new dual-tone 17-inch alloy wheels. The rear too is quite like that of the Carens with star-shaped tail lamps; however, a light bar that connects the tail lamps is thicker on the Carens Clavis.
On the other hand, the Maruti Ertiga looks gentler and more traditional, despite some muscular touches. The chrome hexagonal grille upfront with nicely curved bonnet and windshield, makes the Ertiga look more MUV than the Kia Carens Clavis. The side profile highlights a prominent waistline, and a floating roof effect created by the window line merging with the rear windscreen. Meanwhile, while the rear profile looks inspired by the Volvo XC60, it is rather traditional and looks more contemporary compared to the rear of the Carens Clavis.
The Kia Carens Clavis is larger than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, and therefore it offers comparatively more space to passengers. Looks-wise, the Kia Carens Clavis looks more aggressive, upmarket, and futuristic, while the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga looks more traditional.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Engine & Transmission
Kia Carens Clavis | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | |
Engine | 1.5-litre petrol engine 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine | 1.5-litre petrol engine |
Power | 115 PS 116 PS 160 PS | 103 PS 89 PS (CNG) | 100.6 PS (Petrol) |
Torque | 144 Nm 250 Nm 253 Nm | 139 Nm 121.5 Nm (CNG) | 137 Nm (Petrol) |
Transmission | 6-speed manual transmission with all engines 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT automatic with the turbo petrol engine 6-speed torque converter automatic with the turbo diesel engine | 5-speed manual gearbox and 6-speed torque converter automatic with petrol-powered engine 5-speed manual gearbox with CNG variants |
Mileage | Up to 16.50 km/l (petrol) Up to 21.30 km/l (diesel) | Up to 20.51 km/l (petrol) Up to 26.11 km/kg (CNG) |
As can be seen, each of the engines offered with the Kia Carens Clavis is more powerful than the petrol engine offered with the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. With more power, the Kia Carens Clavis offers more engine options to buyers. For heavy usage requirements, the Carens Clavis has a diesel engine. For an enthusiastic driver, the Carens Clavis has a turbo petrol engine. At the same time, for day-to-day driving requirements, its naturally aspirated petrol engine can deliver the required power. On the other hand, the Maruti Ertiga offers CNG models, which offer an exceptional mileage of up to 26.11 km/kg.
Every engine of the Kia Carens Clavis is more powerful than the sole petrol engine of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The Kia Carnes Clavis offers more engine and transmission combinations than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, while the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga offers a notable advantage in the CNG-powered variants.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Features & Comfort
Kia Carens Clavis | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | |
Infotainment system | 12.25-inch touchscreen infotainment | 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system |
Music system | 8-speaker BOSE music system | 6-speaker Arkamys sound system |
Climate control | Automatic | Automatic |
Ventilated seats | Front ventilated seats | Not available |
Adjustable steering | Tilt & Telescopic | Tilt |
Drive modes | Eco, Normal, Sport | Not available |
Instrument cluster | 12.25-inch digital instrument cluster | 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster |
Sunroof | Panoramic sunroof | Not available |
Adjustable seats (manual or electric) | 4-way powered driver seat | Height adjustable driver seat (manual) |
Rear AC vents | Available | Available |
60:40 rear seat split | 50:50 split for the third row | 50:50 split for the third row |
Cruise control | Available | Available |
The latest version of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was launched in 2018, so it is understandable that on the inside, it does not feel as modern and premium as the Kia Carens Clavis. Even then, the Maruti Ertiga feels premium enough as per the industry standards. It gets a layered dashboard with a premium wood finish at the bottom. The horizontal lines that flow behind the touchscreen placed on the dashboard add a sophisticated touch. Like the Carens Clavis, the Ertiga also gets light-themed upholstery and roof-mounted AC vents.
Meanwhile, the Carens Clavis feels more modern on the inside, especially because of more displays and a squarish steering wheel as seen on the Kia Syros. The Carens Clavis features Kia’s new dual-display setup as seen on the Kia Seltos. This set-up consists of a 12.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It also features a more modern-looking gear knob.
The feature department is where the Kia Carens Clavis is significantly superior to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. While the Ertiga offers some basic modern-day amenities such as automatic climate control, electric ORVMs, the Carens Clavis offers an appealing feature package that consists of a larger touchscreen, a better-sounding BOSE sound system, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, a wireless charger, and many other advantages over the Ertiga.
On the inside, the Kia Carnes Clavis feels more modern and premium than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Even in the feature department, the Kia Carens Clavis beats the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga by a long distance.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Safety Features
Kia Carens Clavis | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | |
NCAP Safety Rating | Not tested | 3-star rating in Global NCAP |
Airbags | Six airbags as standard | Up to four |
ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
ESC | Yes | Yes |
Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
Automatic headlamps | Yes | Yes |
Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes | No |
Hill hold assist | Yes | Yes |
Hill descent control | Yes | No |
Rear sensors | Yes | Yes |
Rear parking camera | 360-degree camera | Yes |
ISOFIX Child seat anchor points | Yes | Yes |
ADAS | Level-2 ADAS features | No |
While the Kia Carens Clavis is yet to be crash tested by any NCAP, it is based on the Kia Carens, which has scored a 3-star rating in the Global NCAP safety test. So, it will not be wrong to associate the same rating with the Kia Carens Clavis. By this equation, both Kia Carens Clavis and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga possess almost similar structural strength to save passengers in any unfortunate accident. However, the Kia Carens Clavis is better equipped in terms of safety features.
Even the base variant of the Kia Carens Clavis features six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, vehicle stability management, hill-start assist, tyre pressure monitor, rear parking sensors, all-wheel disc brakes, ISOFIX child anchorages, and more. Whereas, its top variant offers the coveted Level-2 ADAS safety suite, which mitigates the possibility of accidents in the first place. This safety suite consists of Front Collision Warning, Front Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Following Assist, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert, Blind Spot Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Warning, 360 Degree Camera, Blind View Monitor in Cluster, and more.
Overall, the Kia Carens Clavis is a safer MUV than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, especially because of the greater number of safety features it offers.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Price comparison
Kia Carens Clavis | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | |
Base variants (Ex-Showroom) | Coming soon | Rs. 8.84 lakhs |
Mid variants (Ex-Showroom) | Coming soon | Rs. 9.93 – 11.33 lakhs |
Upper mid variants (Ex-Showroom) | Coming soon | Rs. 11.03 – 12.43 lakhs |
Top variant | Coming soon | Rs. 11.73 – 13.13 lakhs |
While the prices of the Kia Carens Clavis are yet to be announced, they are expected to be around Rs. 11 – 21 lakh (ex-showroom). This puts the Kia Carens Clavis far up the price ladder from the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. However, the package that the Carens Clavis offers is well-proportionate with its expected price tag. So as far as value is concerned, both Carens and Ertiga stand neck-to-neck.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Summary
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the best-selling MUV and one of the best-selling cars in India due to some solid reasons. For starters, it does not have any rival that can offer the same occupancy, the same level of comfort, and the same dependability in the same price bracket. What adds to its appeal is the availability of CNG variants, a wide Maruti Suzuki service network, and low maintenance costs. All these factors come together to make the Ertiga an appealing and economical family MUV, and a reliable taxi for cab businesses.
At the same time, there are many folks who want an SUV-like, feature-rich, premium experience for their family trips. Even though it comes at some additional cost. This is where a car like Kia Carens Clavis shines bright. Under Rs 20 lakh, the Carens Clavis is the best MUV to enjoy family trips, thanks to the upmarket features like a panoramic sunroof, a premium BOSE sound system, ventilated front seats, and more. Even space-wise, two adults in the rear-most row would be far more comfortable in the Carens Clavis than the Ertiga. Moreover, with more safety features onboard and the Level-2 ADAS safety suite, the Carens is a stronger car to deal with accidents and ensure maximum passenger safety.
Kia Carens Clavis vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: FAQs
Among the Kia Carens Clavis and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which is larger?
Kia Carens Clavis is 4,550 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,708 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,780 mm. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is 4,395 mm long, 1,735 mm wide, 1,690 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,740 mm. Therefore, the Kia Carens Clavis is considerably larger than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
Among the Kia Carens Clavis and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which car is more powerful?
The Kia Carens Clavis offers three engines: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 115 PS power, a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine, which produces 116 PS power, and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, which produces 160 PS. At the same time, the 1.5-litre petrol engine of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga produces 103 PS of power. Therefore, each of the engines of the Kia Carens Clavis is more powerful than the 1.5-litre petrol engine of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
Among the Kia Carens Clavis and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which has better sound quality?
The Kia Carens Clavis’s 8-speaker BOSE sound system offers a better and more premium music experience than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s 6-speaker ARKAMYS system.
Which safety features are available in the base variant of the Kia Carens Clavis?
The safety features of the base HTE variant of the Kia Carens Clavis include six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, vehicle stability management, hill-start assist, tyre pressure monitor, rear parking sensors, all-wheel disc brakes, ISOFIX child anchorages, and more.
What types of automatic transmission systems are available in the Kia Carens Clavis and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga?
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga offers a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The Kia Carens Clavis offers a 6-speed torque converter automatic and a 7-speed DCT automatic.
