The Kia Seltos was first seen in the concept form at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo. The SP2 concept as it was called looked extremely promising and now in its production form it has kept up to that very expectation. Kia Motors India is all set to launch the Seltos compact SUV in India and given that it's the company's first product in the country, it is going to pack it with tons of features and give the customers the best of all the worlds; may it be engine, transmission, features or may be even price. While we wait to see what Kia Motors India prices the car at, we know one thing that the Seltos SUV will be aggressively priced. Why? The answer is simple, Kia had already said, that it's here to set the benchmark and since it's a late entrant, it wants to be disruptive in every department and price will be one of them. For those expecting the Kia Seltos to start below Rs. 10 lakh, well it's very likely it won't, because frankly it's being made with the future in mind. So, given the fact that it comes loaded with features, is a connected car, is bigger than the current segment benchmark and drives and handles pretty good, we expect the petrol powered car to begin at Rs. 12 lakh and go all the way up to Rs. 16.99 lakh. Yes, it's that big a range and that's because there are a host of engines on offer.
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The Kia Seltos will get be offered in a total of 16 variants across three engine options & 2 styles
The Kia Seltos will be available in 2 petrol and 1 diesel engine. There's the 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol, naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre petrol, and 1.5-litre diesel engine. In fact, all three motors will be BS-6 (Bharat Stage VI) complaint from the time of the launch. The 1.4-litre GDI turbocharged petrol engine is tuned to churn out 138 bhp and develop 242 Nm of peak torque, while the motor comes mated to a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox. The engine can do a 0-100 kmph sprint in 9.7 seconds, and offer a claimed mileage of 16.1 kmpl (MT) and 16.2 kmpl (DCT). The 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol will only be offered with the GT Line trims. The naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine, on the other hand, can produce 113 bhp and develops 144 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and an IVT (Intelligent continuously variable transmission) automatic transmission, offering a fuel efficiency of 16.4 kmpl and 16.3 kmpl respectively. Also, with this engine, the car can go from 0-100 kmph in 11.8 seconds. As for the new 1.5-litre VGT diesel engine, the motor is tuned to develop 113 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque and comes mated to the same 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional 6-speed torque converter automatic unit as well. The diesel model can do 0-100 kmph in 11.5 seconds and offers fuel efficiency of 17.8 kmpl (AT) and 20.8kmpl (MT).
Also Read: Kia Seltos Enters Mass Production In India
Most variants on the Seltos will be loaded on features with the multiple configurations making it apt for a varied set of buyers
As far as variants are concerned, the Kia Seltos will be offered in two key trim options - Tech Line and GT Line and will come in five variants- E, K, K+, X and X+. While the former comes with a more premium, family-oriented styling package, the Kia Seltos GT Line gets more sporty styling and is targeted towards the youth or performance-oriented buyers.
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The Seltos is expected to be a market disruptor heating up the segment with the likes of the Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass, MG Hector and the Hyundai Creta
As far as features go, the 5-seater cabin comes with light beige/black interior with match leatherette upholstery in the Tech Line trim, while the GT Line gets all-black interior with sporty red contrast stitching and black upholstery. The SUV also gets a flat-bottom steering wheel, LED Sound mood lights and ambient lighting, and a smart 8.0-inch heads-up display. The rear seats also get 2 step degree reclining function, and 60:40 split feature with adjustable centre headrest. The main attraction is the 10.25-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system with advanced 7.0-inch colour display for the instrument cluster. The system comes with features like - Android Auto and Apple Carplay, along with a Bose Sound System with 8-speaker setup. There's also a sunroof on offer on the top trim. The Seltos also gets ambient mood lighting, and the first-of-its-kind LED sound mood lights with 8 mono colour themes and 6 Multicolour themes.
