Kia Carens Clavis EV vs MG Hector Tomahawk EV: Real-world range compared

The Kia Carens Clavis EV and MG Hector Tomahawk EV are both three-row offerings that find themselves in a similar price band. In the Clavis EV, these three rows can either come with seating for 6 or 7 occupants. The three-row version of the Hector Tomahawk EV, meanwhile, is a 7-seater. To keep this competitive, we’ll be looking at the Clavis EV’s Extended Range (ER) version with a 51.4kWh battery and a claimed range of 490km and the Tomahawk EV, whose 69.2kWh battery pack offers a claimed range of 517km. But which one goes further in the real world?

Explore a detailed comparison of prices, specs and features between the Kia Carens Clavis EV and MG Hector Tomahawk EV.

Kia Carens Clavis EV ER vs MG Hector Tomahawk EV: Specifications and price

The MG has the bigger battery and offers more power, but the Kia is lighter

*Approximate kerb weight of the top-spec Carens Clavis EV.

The Hector Tomahawk EV’s 69.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack is 17.8kWh larger than the Carens Clavis EV ER’s 51.4kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) unit. Both power a single, front-mounted electric motor, but the Hector Tomahawk EV’s motor produces 33hp and 55Nm more. The Kia is the lighter of the two though, weighing an estimated 183kg less than the MG.

In terms of price, the Carens Clavis EV ER is the pricier of the two. Its base variant costs Rs 2.54 lakh more than the equivalent base variant of the three-row Hector Tomahawk EV, while the gap at the top end is Rs 1.50 lakh.

The MG goes further, but it’s the Kia that uses its battery more efficiently

As far as their claimed range is concerned, there’s only 27km separating the two EVs. While the Hector Tomahawk EV was still in the lead during our real-world range tests, the gap had now widened to 82km. This meant that the MG offered a real-world average of 446km, compared to the Kia’s 364km. The Hector Tomahawk EV’s range in the city was 112km more than the Carens Clavis EV ER, at 495km. Out on the highway as well, the Hector Tomahawk EV had a range that was higher by 52km.

All that said, the Carens Clavis EV ER is the more efficient EV here. It managed 7.45km/kWh in the city and 6.71km/kWh on the highway, as compared to the Hector Tomahawk EV’s city and highway figures of 7.15km/kWh and 5.73km/kWh, respectively. That works out to a real-world average of 7.08km/kWh for the Clavis EV ER and 6.44km/kWh for the Tomahawk EV.

The MG’s range advantage is helped by its much larger battery. We also found its regenerative braking to be mild even in its strongest setting, while its boxier design is unlikely to have helped its range on the highway. Lastly, the Clavis EV ER’s ‘Driver-only’ AC mode could help stretch its range further.

Autocar India’s range testing

For our real-world range comparisons, we begin with each car’s battery fully charged and tyre pressures set as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. We drive the cars on a fixed loop covering both city and highway stretches while maintaining set average speeds. We then calculate the range based on the percentage of charge consumed. The AC is set to 22deg C in auto mode, and we use features such as the music system, lights and ventilated seats as needed, just as a regular user would. This approach ensures consistency and gives a clear idea of what to expect in actual conditions.

Prices are ex-showroom, India.