Key highlihgts
- Kia Carens Clavis CNG spotted in production guise
- It is expected to launch by Diwali 2026
- Possibly based on the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine
After a long wait, Kia seems to be ready to launch the CNG iteration of the Carens Clavis MPV in India. While the brand had earlier begun road testing with the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine, that project never saw the daylight. Now, a latest photo leaked online shows a production-ready Carens Clavis CNG.
Kia Carens Clavis CNG: What to expect?
The leaked spy shot shows a standard Carens Clavis in its signature Ivory Silver Gloss paint shade, but with an interesting addition of the ‘CNG’ sticker on the front windshield. A CNG sticker is pasted on the front and rear windshields of every factory-fitted or retrofitted CNG car when it is ready for RTO approval.
Therefore, we can safely assume that the Carens Clavis CNG will soon launch, as the car seen here seems to be somewhere in the factory, and it does not have TC plates, which further hints that it is a production-spec version.
Speaking of the CNG powertrain, we suspect that Kia will most probably use the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, mated to the 6-speed manual gearbox, to power this version. Similar to Maruti Suzuki, Kia is also expected to place the CNG tank under the body, which will free up space inside the boot for practical reasons.
Mind you, Carens Clavis was previously called Carens only, and it used to have a 1.4-litre turbo TGDI petrol engine, which later transformed into the 1.5-litre TGDI engine that is offered on the current car.
Kia had earlier begun testing the CNG powertrain with the 1.4-litre turbo engine, but it did not launch it for some reason. Now, the upcoming version looks to be production-ready, and it could be launched sometime during the Diwali festive season.
Speaking of the price, it could be positioned around Rs 12.50 lakh, since its rival Maruti Suzuki XL6 CNG is also priced similarly. More details are expected to surface in the coming days.
Also read: Hyundai Bayon based SUV will be priced around 11 lakh
