Sunny
•2wI am thinking of buying a new Kia Seltos and have decided on the HTK-O model. I am confused between the petrol and diesel variants because the diesel costs around ₹2.30 lakh more, and my driving is around 1,500-1,600 km a month. Which one should I choose?

Autocar India
With a monthly running of around 1,500 to 1,600 km, the petrol version of the Kia Seltos HTK(O) makes more sense than the diesel. Earlier, the big fuel efficiency gap between petrol and diesel helped recover the higher diesel purchase cost fairly quickly.
Today, with tighter emission norms, diesel engines are no longer as efficient as they once were, especially in city conditions. As a result, recovering the roughly ₹2.3 lakh premium you pay for the diesel is likely to take well over five years. This makes it a less logical choice purely from a cost point of view.
If most of your driving is in the city, the petrol engine will also be quieter, smoother and easier to live with daily. The diesel still makes sense only if you have very high highway usage and plan to keep the car for a long time. Otherwise, the petrol Seltos fits your usage better and keeps the initial investment lower.
If fuel efficiency is a key concern and you are open to other powertrains, you could also consider a strong hybrid like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris, which will be significantly more efficient in city driving. It is also worth noting that the next-generation Hyundai Creta and even the current Seltos are expected to get strong hybrid options by early next year.

Kia New Seltos
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Dr Narendra
•2wI would suggest don't go for cheap korean brands like KIA. I owned kia seltos diesel HTK model. Within 3 years it started showing different engine related issues at a frequent intervals and finally I had to dispose it off.
Ujnal das
•2wM using honda city for a long time. Wish to shift to SUV segment? Plz suggest
Manish
•2wBuy grand vitara or hyrider
Manish
•2wBut grand vitara hybrid or hyrider hybrid Gives 27 to 30 kmpl in city Most underrated cars Both are same ,so whatever is cheaper You will end up paying same as seltos non hybrid automatic price
Sunny
•2wMy personal favorite is creta but my wife loves seltos
Sunny
•2wThank you for your feedback. I didn’t like the interior and cabin feel of the Victoris, so I excluded it from my list. I already own an old Baleno and I’m fed up with the poor build quality of Maruti cars. I don’t want to invest any more money in my old car, so I have decided to buy a new car now.
Vishal Gupta
•2wI have seltos. I am warning u. Very poor quality with astronomically high spare parts. Buy at your own peril
Sunny
•2wCan you explain a little more Do you own a petrol or diesel?
Akshay B
•2wSimply go for petrol. It will be much more cheaper in long term.
Sunny
•2wThanks
Uya
•2wGo for elwvate
BHASKAR
•2wGo for CRET
Sunny
•2wI don't want to invest in Honda not sure about their future in India
M M Yousuff
•2wWhich car is better brezza or seltos
Gopal Chaturvedi
•2wVirtus
Adv P H Haneefa Rawther
•2wAfter paid full amount on Jan 9 for a KIA Seltos Diesel top variant, the Vehicle is not yet delivered
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Posted on: 22 Feb 2026
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