Hi Team, I am looking for a mid-size SUV under Rs 20 lakhs with a diesel option. My usage will be 80% highway and 20% city. I was looking at the Seltos diesel version. Kindly suggest how to proceed further.

Autocar India

•4h

Go for the Kia Seltos, it matches very well with your requirements. With the new Seltos, Kia has tweaked the suspension setup, and you now have a ride quality that is comfort-oriented without sacrificing handling balance. Bumps are absorbed well without harshness, yet body control remains tidy. High-speed stability is also good, and the car feels composed on uneven surfaces. Kia is also known for delivering cars that are reliable, and the dealer network is widespread and delivers good service. As for mileage, the Seltos has a wide powertrain choice with a 115hp 1.5 naturally aspirated (NA) petrol, a 160hp 1.5 TGDi petrol, and a 115hp 1.5 diesel. So you can choose one ideal for your usage, since mileage is your priority, we would recommend you pick between the NA petrol or the diesel, the latter though only if your overall running is high, and once about every two to three weeks, you have a long drive of about 30 mins at speeds above 50kph. This keeps the diesel particulate filter in good health.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

Go for the Kia Seltos HTK (O) IVT for primarily city use with some highway trips; it is the smoothest and easiest automatic in this budget right now. The CVT is jerk-free and seamless in stop-go traffic, and the light steering and good all-around make driving easy. For your occasional highway runs, it feels steady at usual cruising speeds, though overtakes do require a bit of planning.One thing to be aware of: it isn't the most spirited performer, tuned more for relaxed driving. If you want a bit more performance from an NA CVT powertrain, then the Honda Elevate is a good choice too.Overall, the Kia Seltos fits your brief best and will keep daily city driving stress-free while still being comfortable on the highway.

Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

Pick the Kia Seltos GTX diesel automatic with 15-18k km a year and lots of highway use, it will cost you less to run, and it feels stronger and more relaxed on the open road. The 6‑speed automatic is smooth and friendly in traffic, and on the highway, it settles into a calm, easy drive that suits long trips. On mileage, the diesel will give you clearly better real-world numbers than the turbo petrol DCT, especially on the highway, think roughly 3-4 kpl more on long runs, and a bit more in the city too. Service for the diesel can be slightly costlier per visit than petrol, but even with that, total ownership cost usually works out lower for your usage. Resale for diesel automatics in this class is strong today, which also helps long-term cost.One thing to be aware of: the diesel is a little noisier at idle than the turbo petrol, and like all new diesels, it has an exhaust filter that prefers some highway time now, and then your driving mix suits it well.If you mainly want a quieter cabin in town and more outright performance, then the Seltos GTX turbo petrol DCT is the better choice. But expect higher fuel use and an automatic that can feel a bit jerky at very low speeds.For your pattern, the diesel automatic fits best. On your test drive, do a steady 90-100 kph cruise and a few quick overtakes from 60-80 to feel how little effort the diesel needs. Then check if you are comfortable with the engine sound at idle.

Kia Seltos