Kia Seltos

Expert Review by Maxabout

Introduction

Kia India commenced its spectacular journey in the country with the debut of the Seltos SUV in August 2019. Later, Kia Seltos emerged as one of the best-selling SUVs in the Indian car market. The name Seltos is generated from the word “Celtos” which is the name of Hercules’ son in Greek mythology. According to Kia, the Seltos is specifically aimed at people looking for a vehicle that catches the eye.

Seltos is the company’s first made-in-India and made for India car and is also exported to other countries. The India-spec Kia Seltos was crash-tested by Global NCAP in its basic safety specification of two airbags and anti-lock brakes. The vehicle received three out of possible five stars for adult occupant protection and two out of possible five stars for child occupant safety.

Kia Seltos Design and Style

The Seltos is based on the Hyundai-Kia K2 platform and is highly correlated with the second-generation Hyundai Creta. The SUV gets magnificent design languages, which give it a stunning road presence. The signature Kia tiger-nose front grille with a chrome strip around it and all-LED projector headlamps, indicators, and vertical fog lamps add to its beauty. The bonnet is muscular and curvy, and it looks boxy from the side profile as well. The large wheel arches, roof rails, a floating roof, and dynamic body lines on the sides offer more visibility.

In addition, the well-equipped LED headlamps at the rear contribute to Seltos' muscular stance. The tail lamps are joined by a chrome slat with a Kia emblem on it, and the sculpted bumper with faux bash plates completes the exterior appearance of the Seltos. In terms of body dimensions, the Kia Seltos gets an overall length of 4315mm, an overall height of 1645mm, an overall width of 1800mm, and a wheelbase of 2610mm.

Kia Seltos Engine and Gearbox

Kia Seltos is available with three engine options in our country. The first one is the Smart Stream G1.5, a 1497cc, four-cylinder, petrol engine that uses an MPI fuel system and generates 115 HP and 144 Nm when coupled to a 6-speed manual, 6-speed iMT or 6-speed IVT transmission. Another one is a 1.5L CRDi VGT, 1493cc, four-cylinder, diesel engine that is capable of churning out 115 HP and 250 Nm and is combined with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. And last but not least, there is a 1.4-litre turbo, four-cylinder, petrol engine that produces 140 HP and 242 Nm and is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT. The engines are all BS-VI compliant.

Kia Seltos Interior, Instrument Cluster & Boot Space

Speaking of the interior of the Kia Seltos, the cabin is made in such a way that it gives a premium feel. The front row seats are extremely comfortable, while the second row also has ample legroom and headroom, but the under-thigh support is a bit unsatisfying. The integrated instrumental console with the centre console offers information to a great extent. There is a digital analogue cluster offered and also a touch screen rear parking camera view. If you are looking for a car with massive boot space as well as other features, the Kia Sletos could be a good choice as it is loaded with 433-litres of boot space, which is expandable further by folding the second-row seats.

Kia Seltos Brakes, Suspension & Tyres

In the Kia Seltos, braking duties are handled by disc brakes on both the front and rear, while the suspension chores are done by McPherson Strut with Coil Spring at the front and Coupled Torsion Beam Axle (CTBA) with Coil Spring at the rear end. Kia Seltos is offered with different sized wheels with different variants. The available wheels are 17-inch crystal cut alloy, 17-inch Hyper Metallic alloy, 16-inch Hyper Metallic alloy, and 16-inch Steel Wheel Cover. The 17-inch alloy wheels are outfitted with 215/60 tyres, while the 16-inch wheels are outfitted with 205/65 tyres. There is one spare tyre offered, which is 205/65-R16 in size.

Kia Seltos Key Features

Kia has offered the Seltos SUV with a plethora of sophisticated features. It comes equipped with Crown Jewel LED headlamps, HEARTBEAT LED taillamps, ICE CUBE LED fog lamps, sportier rear spoiler and roof rails, voice-controlled smart sunroof and driver’s window, 17-inch crystal cut alloy wheels with a front red calliper, 10.25-inch advanced HD touchscreen navigation, Bose premium 8-speaker sound system, ventilated front seats, smart 8.0-inch head-up display (HUD), rear door sunshade curtain, wireless smartphone charger, 360-degree camera with blind view monitor, smart pure air purifier with virus protection, an 8-way Powered Driver's Seat, rear wiper & washer, rear defogger, manual air conditioner, tilt & telescopic steering wheel, to mention a few.

As far as passenger safety is concerned, Kia India loaded the Seltos with a number of safety features, including six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist, Highline tyre pressure monitor, SOS-emergency assistance with advanced UVO connect, Geo-fence alert, emergency stop signal and more.

Kia Seltos Top Speed, Acceleration & Mileage

The Kia Seltos offers good ride quality and, in terms of top speed, the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines are capable of reaching a top speed of 170 kmph. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine, on the other hand, is capable of reaching a top speed of 185 kmph. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine variant accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 9.8 seconds. The diesel engine offers a mileage of 15–16 kmpl in the city and 18–19 kmpl on the highways, while the petrol engine offers 11–12 kmpl in the city and 15–16 kmpl on the highways. Also, the fuel efficiency depends on the transmission, type of terrain, and driving style.

Kia Seltos Variants & Colour Options

There is a total of seven variants are on offer by the brand. These are named HTE, HTK, HTK Plus, HTX, HTX Plus, GTX(O) and GTX Plus. Kia has offered the Seltos SUV in a variety of attractive colours like Intense Red, Aurora Black Pearl, Glacier White Pearl, Punchy Orange, Clear White, Intelligency Blue, Gravity Grey, and Steel Silver. While there are five dual-tone colour options available with sunroof in HTX Plus and GTX Plus variants. These dual-tone colours are Intense Red with Aurora Black Pearl, Glacier White Pearl with Aurora Black Pearl, Steel Silver with Punchy Orange, Glacier White Pearl with Punchy Orange and Punchy Orange with Clear White.

Ex-showroom Price & On-Road Price

At present, the Kia Seltos is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs 9.95 lakh for the HTE variant and goes to Rs 16.85 lakh for the GTX Plus variant. Understanding the difference between ex-showroom and on-road pricing, the ex-showroom price of a car is the asking price that excludes the cost of road tax, insurance, and registration. But on the other side, the on-road price includes all of the previously stated costs as well as insurance, registration, a one-time road tax, an extended warranty, and all vehicle accessories. It is essential to know that in our country, on-road prices vary greatly from state to state.

Kia Seltos Competitors

Kia Seltos directly competes with Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and the MG Hector in the Indian car market.

Verdict - Should You Buy Kia Seltos or not?

The Kia Seltos comes with cutting-edge technology, design, and styling and gives the other cars in the segment neck-to-neck competition. Its stylish exterior, roomy cabin, powertrain options, and many ist-in-segment features make it worth buying. If you want to spend money on a solid yet fashionable SUV in this price bracket, you can go for it.