highlights
- 1353cc - 1497cc
- Petrol/Diesel
- Manual/CVT Auto/Dual-Clutch Auto/Torque Converter Auto
- mileage 16.1 - 21 kpl
The Kia Seltos is a mid-sized SUV with city-friendly dimensions. It’s got an upright stance, something Indian SUV buyers like, and also sports sleek styling. Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille is the focal point at the front and the Seltos also features a split headlamp arrangement, in line with latest style trends. Attention to detail and overall quality is excellent. Interestingly, Kia sells the Seltos with two style packages – Tech Line is reserved for the 1.5 petrols and diesels while the GT sportier GT Line is exclusive to the 1.4 turbo-petrol. The latter gets a few more frills such as red detailing on the outside, and is also the only one to feature an all-black interior theme.
Getting into and out of the Seltos is easy and what is sure to impress is the sheer level of quality in the interior; material quality and fit-finish is up there with pricier European cars. The dashboard is neatly laid out and usefully places the infotainment system high up and in the driver’s line of sight. Top-spec Seltos’ get slick 10.2-inch touchscreens, the instrument cluster is easy to read and there’s even head-up display. A powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a 360-degree parking camera and even an onboard air purifier are other features offered on the Seltos. Front seat comfort is good but the rear seat does lose some points for the somewhat lack of thigh support. While not the roomiest of SUVs for the price, the Seltos offers plenty of space and features like a retractable back rest and retractable sun visors also enhance the rear seat experience.
While we are yet to try out all engine-gearbox options on offer, we did come away very impressed with the 1.5 diesel-manual and the 1.4 turbo-petrol auto. The 115hp diesel is very refined and performance is pleasant. A slick gearbox and well-weighted clutch also make it easy to live with. Those looking for a sporty drive will find a good match in the 140hp, 1.4 turbo-petrol. The engine is smooth, strong and very likeable. Also good is the 7-speed dual-clutch auto that is responsive and quick to shift. What’s missing are paddleshifters.
The Kia Seltos is easy to drive. The steering requires reasonable effort and weights up well enough at higher speeds. Ride comfort is good too with nice low speed bump absorption and confident high speed manners.
Getting into and out of the Seltos is easy and what is sure to impress is the sheer level of quality in the interior; material quality and fit-finish is up there with pricier European cars. The dashboard is neatly laid out and usefully places the infotainment system high up and in the driver’s line of sight. Top-spec Seltos’ get slick 10.2-inch touchscreens, the instrument cluster is easy to read and there’s even head-up display. A powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a 360-degree parking camera and even an onboard air purifier are other features offered on the Seltos. Front seat comfort is good but the rear seat does lose some points for the somewhat lack of thigh support. While not the roomiest of SUVs for the price, the Seltos offers plenty of space and features like a retractable back rest and retractable sun visors also enhance the rear seat experience.
While we are yet to try out all engine-gearbox options on offer, we did come away very impressed with the 1.5 diesel-manual and the 1.4 turbo-petrol auto. The 115hp diesel is very refined and performance is pleasant. A slick gearbox and well-weighted clutch also make it easy to live with. Those looking for a sporty drive will find a good match in the 140hp, 1.4 turbo-petrol. The engine is smooth, strong and very likeable. Also good is the 7-speed dual-clutch auto that is responsive and quick to shift. What’s missing are paddleshifters.
The Kia Seltos is easy to drive. The steering requires reasonable effort and weights up well enough at higher speeds. Ride comfort is good too with nice low speed bump absorption and confident high speed manners.
Kia Seltos awarded 5-star ANCAP rating
Introduced to the Indian market in August, the Kia Seltos is quite an important model for the Korean brand – underlined by the fact that it is exported from India to markets in the Middle-East and South Africa; and that it is sold in North American and Australasian markets. The SUV for the Australian market, which is imported to the country from South Korea, has been awarded a 5-star safety rating by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
All variants of Kia’s smallest SUV for the market come equipped with six airbags, ABS, an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, emergency lane keeping and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TMPS). This equipment helped it score 85 percent for adult occupancy, 83 percent for child occupancy, 61 percent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 70 percent for its safety assist features. An options pack adds features such as adaptive cruise control, a more advanced version of the AEB system, a blind spot monitor and a rear cross traffic alert system, all of which improve the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist score by 7 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While standard safety kit of the India-spec Kia Seltos does comprise six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, traction control, hill-start assist, a 360-degree camera, TMPS and a blind spot monitor as standard. Meanwhile, the base trim comes with just two airbags, ABS with EBD and rear parking sensors as standard.
Still, even the base level of kit, along with the sturdy body structure (as certified by ANCAP) should help it achieve a comparable score on Global NCAP’s crash tests, which are conducted with different parameters in mind.
The Kia Seltos for Australia also differs from the India-spec SUV in terms of its powertrain options. While the India-spec Seltos has three engine options (two petrols and one diesel); in Australia, the SUV is available with either a 150hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine or a 177hp, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.
