Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos has set the cat amongst the pigeons in the Indian SUV market, ever since its arrival. The car has only gone from strength to strength in the country, notching up handsome sales figures, and proving to be a worthy rival to the mighty Hyundai Creta. How does it stack up? Kia does promise a premium experience at a relatively competitive price tag.

How is the Design?

Design-wise, the Kia Seltos is a handsomely-designed crossover which uses a brand-new platform. This is a modified K2 platform, otherwise visible in the Hyundai Elantra and Verna. The Seltos otherwise feels solidly built with a relatively attractive stance. The SUV has a smarter face with the signature tiger-nose grille and the air dam. Chrome has been neatly used around the headlamps and the grille. The rear creases adorn the bumper and tailgate. There is a chunk chrome strip flowing into the tail lamp clusters. The fake dual exhaust appearance has a premium touch to it. The overall design is global in its essence, with its side black cladding and the roof rails. The Seltos is wider and longer than even the Creta, with a 2,610 mm wheelbase. However, it is shorter than the Hyundai Creta at 1,645 mm in terms of its height. The flared wheel arches and character lines make for a splendid touch.

What’s the Interior like?

Stepping into the Seltos is a pleasurable experience all right. The doors open widely while the roof is high enough. The Seltos also offers great headroom and legroom, along with big rear windows and an airy cabin. The interiors look smart with their dual-tone black and beige theme, while an all-black option is also there for some variants. The dashboard feels modern with its piano black and silver inserts while there is a sizable display fusing the infotainment head-unit and instrument console.

Plastic quality is good although some may feel harder than usual. Everything has been positioned neatly with leatherette upholstery for the seats and appliqués for the central armrest, gear knob, and door armrests. There are features galore, right from automatic rain-sensing wipers to automatic headlamps, ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats, blind spot monitor, auto-dimming IRVM, head-up display, 10.25 inch touch screen head-unit with UVO (telematics), an eight-speaker Bose audio unit, and ambient lighting .There is even an electric sunroof and wireless phone charging, along with an air purifier function. However, a few additions would have been welcome, like illuminated power window switches and illumination/cooling for the glovebox.

Now, the one thing to factor in is the fact that while there is a big windscreen, the driving position is slightly on the higher side. Shorter users may have issues, while the head-up display would not benefit them much. The A-pillars are neatly designed, with good visibility overall. The steering feels good to the touch with nice grip. You could feel that there is one button too many on the same though. Rear passengers could have issues with the plastic/hard seatback which is a must for ventilated seats.

Tech and Infotainment

The Seltos gets a bunch of tech features, particularly the UVO connected system with 37 features. There is free connectivity for three years with the embedded SIM card as well. The front seats are ventilated, while there is a blind spot monitor as well. There are auto-dimming IRVMs, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, the heads-up display, and a Bose audio system with eight speakers. You’ll also get a great 10.25 inch touch screen unit along with an electric sunroof, air purifier, and wireless charging. Kia has packed the SUV with tons of features in this regard.

How does it perform?

In this department, it must be said that the Kia Seltos is a decent performer. The GT Line comes with the four cylinder 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine. This 1.4 T-GDI Smartstream mill gets the direct-injection feature with a 6-speed manual transmission setup. This makes 138 BHP and 242 Nm, being one of the most powerful in its category. The engine is quite refined and moves slickly. The Seltos offers great drivability with just a wee bit of lag. However, the initial power delivery may take some time to get used to. City driving will be a pleasure since the Seltos will not require a lot more down-shifting. You can simply cruise along at even 40 kmph in the fourth gear and there will be no problems. The engine hits the mark when you cross 1500 RPM. The SUV has a strong mid-range and accelerates impressively, making the turbo petrol a great option for the highway. Yet, fuel supply is cut off randomly after revving the engine till about 6500 RPM. Even so, this is a driving enthusiast’s preferred car by all means.

The GTX+ and GTX variants get the hill-hold feature as well. The 6-speed gearbox does well with shorter throws, although a slightly notchy feeling cannot be ruled out in the first gear. Yet, this 1353 cc engine is still a winner for the Kia Seltos.

The 1.5 litre four cylinder CRDi diesel engine makes 113 BHP and 250 Nm of maximum torque. It is slightly underpowered as compared to the 1.6 CRDi Creta variant. However, it still offers sufficient power on tap, with minimal startup vibrations and only a few body tremors. The diesel engine also feels refined enough with near-zero turbo lag and minima gear-shifting. Power is delivered smoothly, making this an urban delight. The engine can readily take the second and third gears from about 1000 RPM without causing a ruckus. The engine comes into its own more after 1500 RPM and once you push it above 2000 RPM. This is also a highway-friendly engine with great performance. The six-speed transmission setup is smoother to operate as compared to the petrol mill.

How’s the Driving Experience?

The driving experience feels more refined yet punchy with both the petrol and diesel engines on the Seltos. At the same time, there is the McPherson strut suspension with its rear coupled torsion beam and the front coil springs. This ensures a firmer ride for occupants. The drive feels slick and sorted in the city, although bad roads may take a toll on the driving experience. There is some shaking on poor stretches. Yet, the Seltos is a good car to drive at higher speeds, without that bouncy or floating feeling. There is excellent stability even at 100 kmph+ speeds. The car takes corners rather well although some body roll is obviously there. Yet, you can stride through corners with confidence in this one. The GTX+ and GTX variants get ESP which is a handy feature to have. However, the stock tyres have average grip and are on the noisier side. You may wish to upgrade to better options in this case. The steering is smooth and tuned well. There is a smooth shifting gearbox with light and user-friendly controls. The turning radius is slightly wider as compared to the Hyundai Creta.

How’s the Mileage?

ARAI-certified mileage for the petrol MT is 16.1 kmpl, while this is 20.8 kmpl for the diesel MT.

Safety Equipment

The Kia Seltos comes with dual front airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors, EBD, and seatbelt reminders as standard features. There are disc brakes for all the wheels with the exception of the 1.5L HTE Petrol. All variants have ISOFIX child-seat anchors while the top-model has six airbags. Other features include front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, hill-assist, ESP, and TPMS. There is an IRVM with RSA/SOS buttons.

Which variant to buy?

Now, the Seltos has a whole lot of variants on offer. There are 1.5 litre petrol, 1.4 litre turbo-petrol and 1.5 litre diesel engine options. There are standard 6-speed manual transmission options, while every variant has its own unique automatic transmission system. The 1.5 litre petrol mill has a CVT option, while the 1.5 litre turbo diesel mill has a 6-speed torque convertor. The 1.4 litre turbo petrol mill has a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission system. The petrol engine is not as exciting as you would wish but is peppy enough. Those looking for a sportier ride should go for the 1.4 litre petrol engine, while those seeking refinement will gravitate towards the 1.5 litre diesel mill.

The turbo-petrol is only there in the GT Line versions, while the HT Line has both 1.5 litre petrol and diesel choices. The GTX+ top-end trim has the 1.5 litre diesel-automatic combination. The HTE and HTK are capably equipped variants while the HTK+ has some extras like mood lighting, power-folding mirrors, etc. The HTX has more kit and safety features, while the HTX+ trim has a bigger line-up of them. The GT Line models have some special aesthetic touches. The GTK is a good variant to buy, while the GTX and GTX+ are at the higher end of the spectrum. The top-end 1.4 litre petrol-automatic GTX+ could be the best variant for its comfort, features, and overall performance.

Which Cars Compete in this Segment?

The Kia Seltos takes on rivals like the Hyundai Creta, MG Hector, and Tata Harrier in this category. The Seltos is wider and longer than the Creta, and with the biggest boot space to offer as well. However, the Harrier is the widest and longest of the lot, with the biggest boot space overall and the largest wheelbase. The Seltos diesel offers the highest fuel efficiency in both manual and automatic avatars. The Seltos is priced aggressively and offers plenty of options with 17 variants and six combinations of gearboxes and engines across two trim lines.

Verdict

As mentioned, the Kia Seltos has the most options to offer in this segment, for buyers. There is literally a combination for everyone. That is a plus point, while the aggressive price point does help, undercutting some of the more expensive rivals in the segment. The overall experience is premium, the features are great, there are high-performing engines and comfortable interiors, along with good driving manners overall. Yes, a slightly-softer suspension and seat width at the back could have been better, while there are still some missing features or nifty additions that could have been made. However, if you go by the total value proposition and the experience, then the Kia Seltos stands out as a winner in its segment.