We recently booked the Seltos HTE (O) NA MT. The price difference between the manual and IVT is close to a lakh in Bengaluru due to high road tax. Do you think it’s worth considering an upgrade to the IVT? We are price-conscious and already over our initial budget of ₹12 lakh. We did not like the back seat space or refinement levels on sub-compact SUVs like the 3XO. The four-cylinder Seltos feels so refined compared to three-cylinder turbos. But at the same time, the 3rd and 4th gears on the Seltos also feel slightly underpowered in our test drives, which might be a problem during overtakes. However, since 80-90% of our usage will be within Bengaluru city, we thought it might not bother us. Are we making the correct decision here? Is there a better way to drive the Seltos during such overtakes?

Autocar India

•2d

That's a tricky requirement as strong acceleration and good fuel economy tend to be at odds with one another. A diesel engine would be good for mileage, but none of the engines in this price range is particularly quick at accelerating. Thus, we'd recommend going for a Turbo Petrol engine, which, if driven carefully, can return a good amount of kilometres for every litre.Your best option, given your requirements, is the new Kia Seltos. It's spacious, comfortable, reliable and reasonably priced in terms of maintenance. Within your budget of Rs 20 lakh, you should be able to get the HTX T-GDi DCT variant, which also includes the excellent-sounding 8-speaker Bose premium audio system. There's also a sizeable 447-litre boot that's well-shaped and good for swallowing up a sizeable amount of luggage.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•6h

In terms of safety, Tata cars usually have a better track record in crash tests than Kia, but it’s important to remember that star ratings are not the only factor that decides how safe a car is. They tell you how a particular variant performed in a specific set of tests, but things like active safety tech, tyre quality, stability at speed and how the car is driven matter just as much in the real world. The updated Kia Seltos now sits on Kia’s K3 platform, which has been engineered to meet stricter global safety norms and offers better torsional rigidity than the older SP2 architecture, so on paper it is a step up in crash protection, even though we do not yet have an official Bharat NCAP rating to point to for the India-spec car. Kia, like every other manufacturer, still has to comply with India’s mandatory crash regulations, which are aligned with UN regulations for frontal and side impact, so it is not an “unsafe” car just because it hasn’t been independently rated yet.On the Tata side, the new Sierra is built on a modern, heavily reinforced platform and is expected to score very well in Bharat NCAP, with a five-star rating widely anticipated, in line with Tata’s recent record with models like the Nexon and Harrier. That, combined with the inherent advantage of a larger, heavier SUV with a strong structure, will naturally give you more peace of mind if crash safety is high on your priority list. For your kind of usage – mostly open roads and highways over long distances – the Sierra diesel will also feel like the better long-distance car, thanks to its strong mid-range performance, relaxed cruising ability and planted high-speed manners. It is the sort of car that feels unflustered at triple-digit speeds and can munch miles comfortably, which suits your 1.4 lakh km over 10 years kind of running very well.The Seltos, particularly in its latest avatar, is also a competent highway car with a comfortable cabin and good performance, but it doesn’t feel as inherently solid or as planted at speed as a larger, heavier SUV like the Sierra. Where the Kia does score is in its more proven reliability record and aftersales experience, which becomes crucial when you’re planning to keep the car for a decade or more. Tata has improved a lot, but Kia still has the edge in consistency of service quality and hassle-free ownership in most markets. On the question of diesel’s future: stricter emission norms and the shift towards electrification will definitely make diesels less common over time, especially in smaller cars. But for now, for larger SUVs that do a lot of highway mileage, diesel is still very relevant in India, thanks to its superior fuel economy and long-range cruising ability. You’re not looking at a fuel that will suddenly become unusable in the next 8–10 years; what you might see instead are higher costs for emission systems and maybe fewer new diesel launches in the long run. So, if a diesel suits your driving pattern – which in your case, with frequent highway use and a long ownership horizon, it does – it can still be a perfectly sensible choice.

Kia Seltos

Tata Sierra

Autocar India

•6h

The Kia Seltos will feel like a clear upgrade over your Ignis and fits your requirements well. It was recently updated and feels modern, well equipped and premium inside. Considering your relatively limited running, we would suggest going for the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with the IVT/CVT automatic transmission. This combination is very refined and the gearbox is silky smooth, which makes the car extremely easy to drive in city traffic.Within your ₹22 lakh on-road budget, you can go for the HTX(A) variant, which comes very well equipped and even offers Level 2 ADAS, making it a strong value proposition.

Kia Seltos