Kia Seltos – Badass by Design

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About Kia Seltos

Kia, a Korean Car Maker and a sibling of Hyundai Motors, made a grand entry in India by launching the midsize SUV – the Seltos. Seltos is a Monocoque Front Wheel Drive vehicle with a seating capacity of 5. The Great success for Kia Seltos is because the Kia Motors offered this car with a variety of Powertrain Options (Engine and Transmission). Kia not only stopped with this. They also offered an expansive list of features (Both at the exterior and Interior). With these, the fully loaded SUV also comes with a price point similar to its sibling competitor – The Hyundai Creta. By launching the Seltos with 3 Engine Options and 4 Transmission Options with multiple trims, the Seltos became the successful SUV by attracting a huge customer segment within the few months of launching. But just how deserving is it of the customer’s trust?

Top selling SUV – August 2020

Kia Seltos holds the Second Place as the best selling SUV in India with 10,655 units sold during August 2020 and 81,984 units in the Financial Year 2020. Let’s see the features and specifications offered by Kia in this SUV to hold the 2nd place. Refer to the below link for the details on Best Selling SUV’s in India.

Best Selling SUVs for FY2020 – India

Specifications of Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos is one of the best selling SUV’s in India in recent days. It looks extremely dynamic and trendy from any angle at first look. The SUV has a very good reach in Indian Automobile Market, Striking Style and Road presence. This is why this SUV is stated as “Badass by Design“.

Petrol Variants

Variant	Engine Displacement (cc)	Transmission
G 1.5 HTE	1497	Manual
G 1.5 HTK	1497	Manual
G 1.5 HTK+	1497	Manual
G 1.5 HTX	1497	Manual
G 1.4 TURBO GDI GTK	1353	Manual
G 1.5 HTX CVT	1497	CVT Auto
G 1.4 TURBO GDI GTX	1353	Manual

Diesel Variants

Variant	Engine Displacement (cc)	Transmission
1.5 HTE	1493	Manual
1.5 HTK	1493	Manual
1.5 HTK+	1493	Manual
1.5 HTK+ Automatic	1493	Automatic
1.5 HTX	1493	Manual
1.5 HTX+	1493	Manual
1.5 HTX+ Automatic	1493	Automatic

Dimensions:

Parameters	Dimensions
Length (mm)	4315
Width (mm)	1800
Height (mm) – 17” Tyre	1645
Wheelbase (mm)	2610
Ground Clearance (mm)	190
Boot Space (in L)	433
Fuel Tank Capacity (in L)	50

Features of Kia Seltos HTX+ 1.5 Diesel

Engine & Powertrain

Engine Type	Inline (4 Cylinders) – BS6
Fuel Type	Diesel
Displacement	1493 cc
Maximum Power	114 bhp @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque	250 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Gear Train	6 Gears (Manual Transmission)
Drivetrain	Forward

Infotainment & Technology

10.25 touchscreen infotainment system

8-speaker Bose sound system

360 degree surround view camera with blind spot display (segment first)

7.0-inch – Colour Display Cluster

UVO connected car system

LED mood lighting with sound effects

Adaptive cruise control

Ventilated seats (segment first)

Air purifier (segment first)

Wireless charging

Power sunroof

8-way adjustable driver’s seat

Cruise control

ABS with EBD

Vehicle stability management

Electronic stability control

Traction control

Front parking sensors

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Kia Seltos offers a fully loaded SUV with a lot of Technical Features in the Interior which makes the car, one of the best selling SUV’s in India. Among these various features of the car, some of the features are Segment first – Ventilated seats & Air Purifier. The Ventilated seats are provided only for the Front seats (Driver & Co – passenger) which gives comfort for the Driver to cover a long distance with comfort. As the world is fighting with the Coronavirus, Kia brings the Air purifier Technology in its first Indian SUV, which provides pure air for breathing by killing the Bacteria and Virus.

Convenience

Electric Power Steering

Tilt steering

Telescopic steering

Solar glass- UV cut (Front Windshield, Windows)

Automatic Climate Control

All door power windows

Driver one touch Auto up/ down with anti pinch function

Rear Defogger

Rear wiper & washer

Follow Me Home Headlamps

Front Armrest with Storage Box Fixed Type

Sunglass Holder

Rear Sun-shade curtain

Rear parcel shelf

LED room lamps

LED console lamps

Luggage lamp

Driver Seat Height Adjust (Manual)

Lower full size seatback pocket (Driver & Passenger)

8-way Driver power seat

60:40 split type seatback folding

Rear center armrest with cup holder

Rear seat recline – 2 step

Front passenger adjustable headrest

Rear passengers adjustable headrest

Front seat belt height adjuster

Front USB charging port

Rear USB charging port

Central Locking

Smart key with push button start

Auto antiglare rear view mirror with UVO controls

Electric adjust outside mirror

Electric folding outside mirror

Auto Cruise control

Rear AC Vents

Eco Coating

Exterior

R17 – 43.18cm (17″) Hyper metallic alloys

Premium silver center wheel caps

Kia Signature Tiger nose grill – Black high glossy

Diamond knurling pattern – Chrome

Rear bumper with dual muffler design

Front skid plates

Rear skid plates

Door Garnish – Black and Body color with Silver accent

Belt line chrome

Rear Bridged chrome garnish – Chrome

Outside mirror LED turn signal

Chrome outside door handle

Floating Roof rails

Mud guard (Front & Rear)

Rear Spoiler

Electric Sunroof

Crown Jewel LED type headlamps

Sweeping LED light bar

Heartbeat LED DRLs

Multi layer side turn indicator

Heartbeat LED type tail lamps

Shark Fin Antenna

Emergency Stop Signal

Review

Exterior

The Seltos is a very handsome crossover based on a new platform that will underpin the next-gen Hyundai Creta too. It uses a 73% high-strength steel structure. The doors, tailgate and bonnet (especially) have a good deal of weight to them. There’s very little flex if you press the metal with your thumb. The car feels solid & well-built throughout. You’ll see on the Seltos the same kind of quality consistency as Hyundai is.

Seltos establishes is Kia’s family look and the Korean brand’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille with tasteful chrome detailing that grabs your attention. The sweptback LED headlamps and vertically stacked fog lamps stand out, as do the red accents on the GT Line variant. The 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel arches nicely, while the high bonnet, upright stance, downward-sloping roofline, and rising window line give it a sophisticated appearance. At the rear, the LED tail-lamps and chrome tailgate applique make the Seltos easily identifiable even from afar.

One of the most attractive features of the Kia Seltos is the Chrome Treatment at the Exterior. The Chrome treatment is attractively designed that the Chrome grill covers the Kia’s traditional Tiger Nose Grill and also covers the sides of the car and extends to the rear. The Rear end of the car is also perfectly designed with chrome treatment that connects both the tail lamps.

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The Front lamps of the Seltos not only stops on the Functional lamps, but also extend to the center of the Vehicle (To the middle of Tiger Nose Grill) which makes it a beast at night. This SUV is loaded with LED Projector Lamps which is claimed by Kia as Chrome Jewel Headlamps. The LED Projectors are only available with High-End versions – HTX and HTX+ variants, whereas the lower variants are equipped with Halogen Headlamps. Also, at the outer corner of the Headlamp clusters are the Heartbeat DRL’s.

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The Exterior of Seltos is perfectly designed with a Decent Material and Projector Headlamps for Safety, Chrome treatment, Heartbeat DRL’s, Tiger Nose Grill and Ice cube designed Fog lamps for Attractiveness and the Body of the car is designed in a way to look sportier.

Overview of the Interior

The front doors of the Seltos open and shut in a triple-stage action. They have a decent feel and aren’t light as in some other Asian cars. The doors open wide enough & the roof is high. So, occupants will not have any problem while getting in or out. On the inside, the Seltos has very good legroom and headroom, which makes it comfortable for even the taller passengers.

The front windshield is large. Though the roofline slopes down, the rear windows are decently sized and overall, enough light is entering the cabin. The interior appears similar in size to the Hyundai Creta’s. They have a dual-tone beige & black theme. An all-black theme is also available, though not on the top (GTX+, HTX and HTX+) variants.

The styling of the dashboard is contemporary. The instrument cluster and the infotainment head-unit are integrated into one large display that sticks out from the dashboard. It has a piano black finish. The Dashboard contains some of the hard plastics, which Kia decided as a key point for price factor. The carpets are black, while the door pads, seats and floormats are beige + black. This is not very clever, as they are all likely to get soiled easily. However, it does make the interior look nice and airy.

The plastics on the dashboard are all hard. That said, the quality of the plastics is certainly the best in the segment. Every part is well-finished and there are no rough edges anywhere. A leatherette (artificial leather) insert is present on the passenger side of the dashboard. The seats get leatherette upholstery and there is some leather applied on the door armrests, central armrest, as well as the gear knob and steering wheel. Ergonomically, the cabin is well laid out and all controls are easy to find/reach. You’ll find your perfect driving position within minutes.

Kia has loaded the interior with features such as auto-dimming IRVM, electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats, blind-spot monitor, heads-up display, a 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit with telematics (UVO), 8-speaker Bose sound system, ambient lighting, electric sunroof, wireless mobile charging and an air purifier. However, some features such as illuminated power window switches and illumination/cooling for the glovebox are conspicuous by their absence. The Heads-up-display are available with the Top end of GT Versions – GTX & GTX+ Variants. It would have been better if Kia provided this feature for other variants like HTX & HTX+ Variants also. This is slightly dissatisfying. The Seltos is equipped with Flat bottom steering which makes the Driver feel the Car slightly sportier. The Audio Quality is the best in this segment as the SUV is loaded with Bose Speaker along with the Subwoofer.

Infotainment

The higher variants of the Kia Seltos get a 10.25″ HD touchscreen head-unit with a 400W Bose sound system + 8 speakers (including 2 tweeters and a subwoofer). Sound quality is overall ‘very good’ & owners will be happy; however, it is not ‘exceptional’ as you would expect after seeing the Bose badges. Has the usual connectivity options, including video playback via USB. The system is also connected and has “UVO” (which Kia has translated from “your voice”) with 37 features. Connectivity via the embedded SIM card.

The touchscreen has no lag and its visibility is good, even under direct sunlight. Screen resolution & clarity are very impressive. No physical buttons for the main functions have been provided though.

10.25-inch floating head-unit sticks out of the dashboard and looks like an extension of the instrument cluster. Design & clarity are impressive

You can have a split screen with lots of concurrent displays (map, media / Android Auto, compass etc.

Kia offers lots of connectivity features at the Infotainment system in which you can save your own favorites. If more than 1 person in a family is going to use the car, they can add the apps convenient for them and save as different favorites.

The system also displays a summary of the driving information, based on your driving style from which you can access your driving pattern and change the way you drive your Seltos.

Performance – 1.5 Diesel Manual Transmission

The Seltos diesel draws power from a 1.5L, 4-cylinder CRDi engine with a variable turbocharger. The motor produces 113 BHP (@ 4,000 rpm) & 250 Nm (@ 1,500 – 2,750 rpm). This makes it less powerful than the Creta 1.6 CRDi (126 BHP & 260 Nm). That said, the outright performance of the Seltos diesel is enough to keep most drivers happy. Kia has brought in the 1.5L to qualify for the lower excise duty slab, and we expect Hyundai to follow the same in the future.

There are hardly any vibrations felt on startup, but there is a hint of body shake. The engine idles smoothly and even on the move, it feels very refined.

The diesel’s driveability is fantastic! There is almost no turbo-lag and very few gearshifts are required around town. Power delivery feels quite linear & this tune is user-friendly. The Seltos diesel is easy to drive in urban traffic. There is adequate torque delivery even before the turbo spools up, and the engine can pull in 2nd and 3rd gears from ~1,000 rpm without much fuss. It clears our 2nd-gear speed breaker test easily. Above 1,500 rpm, the Seltos starts feeling lively and the engine comes into its powerband over 2,000 rpm.

The engine is an all-rounder & feels capable on the highway. Keep the motor on the boil and it will deliver sprightly open-road performance. There is no push-into-the-seat feeling though, as power is delivered in a linear fashion. The Creta’s 1.6L diesel does feel peppier & more enthusiast-oriented. Still, the Kia Seltos is more than adequate on expressways and handles all tasks well (including overtaking or climbing ghats). The 250 Nm of torque ensures that overtaking manoeuvres are nicely executed. Even in higher gears, there are hardly any downshifts required while overtaking slower traffic on the expressway.

The Seltos 1.5D can comfortably maintain 3 digit speeds all day long. That additional ratio on the 6-speed box allows a superior spread of power and the gear ratios are perfectly chosen. Additionally, the 6th gear brings relaxed cruising ability. The car sees 100 km/h @ 2,000 rpm and 120 km/h @ 2,400 rpm. The engine has an enjoyable mid-range too. It revvs till 5,200 rpm, but as is the case with most diesels, there is no point in going so high on the gauge. Not much go available after 4,500 rpm.

The diesel’s 6-speed gearbox is surprisingly smoother to operate than the petrol’s, with short throws and a light shift action. The gates are well-defined. Its clutch is light enough, although the pedal has a longer travel range than you’d expect in a monocoque crossover.

Coming to NVH levels, this 1.5L engine is among the most refined diesels around. It never sounds rough or too loud. In fact, when cruising on the highway, it doesn’t sound like a diesel at all. Things get loud only near the redline (4,500 rpm). Other than that, the engine is sweet & smooth. The ARAI-certified fuel economy of the Diesel MT is 20.8 km/l, which is higher than the Creta 1.6 diesel’s 19.67 km/l.

Spec Sheet from Autocar India

Verdict

All it takes is one drive in the Seltos to make you an admirer. This car is so well packaged, it has everything this segment demands. The multiple engines and transmission combinations mean buyers have a wide range of options to choose from too. Those who enjoy driving will love the turbo-petrol, while the ones who cover more miles will be happy with the frugal diesel engine. The Seltos drive well too. Its interiors set a new benchmark in the segment when it comes to quality and fit-finish. The car is spacious, comfortable and practical, and it is loaded to the brim with premium features, many of which are segment-firsts. So for the money, the Seltos is a package that’s really hard to fault. If we had to nitpick, we’d say it doesn’t feel as robust as rivals like the Renault Duster or the larger Tata Harrier. The ride is a bit on the stiff side, and the variant mix is extremely confusing. But none of these are real deal-breakers for those seeking a posh, modern and urban SUV. This is a quality product by Kia that represents outstanding value for money. It’s no surprise then that the Seltos won our Car of the Year 2020.

First Drive Review from Autocar India

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