Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra turbo-petrol AT real-world mileage compared

The turbo-petrol-powered Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra are competent choices if you’re looking for a mid-size SUV with a spirited driving experience behind the wheel. Though turbo-petrol engines may not be known for outright efficiency, having one that doesn’t gulp on fuel may reduce the chances of burning a hole in your pocket. We’ve put both mid-size SUVs' turbo-petrol versions in automatic guise through our real-world efficiency tests to find out which among the two is more frugal.

Explore full specs, features, and a price breakdown in our Seltos vs Sierra comparison. 

Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra: Specifications and price 

Both get 1.5-litre units developing 160hp 

Both the Seltos and Sierra get 1.5-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol engines that produce an identical 160hp. When it comes to torque, however, it’s the Sierra that’s slightly ahead with 2Nm more. A key difference is that the Seltos’ mill is paired to a 7-speed DCT gearbox, while the Sierra’s is mated with a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. However, unlike the Sierra, the Seltos also offers an iMT gearbox with its turbo-petrol engine on lower trims. Even the fuel tank capacities of both SUVs are identical. When it comes to the starting price of the turbo-petrol-automatic powertrain combo, the Kia Seltos is more accessible by Rs 1.7 lakh, and is affordable by Rs 1 lakh at the top-end.  

Kia Seltos vs Tata Sierra turbo-petrol AT: Real-world fuel efficiency 

Seltos’ efficiency outperforms that of the Sierra’s

In our real-world tests, it's the Seltos turbo-petrol that is more frugal. It outdid the Sierra, especially in the city, where it was 2.78kpl more efficient. However, the gap between the two SUVs reduced to 1.06kpl as far as highway fuel efficiency matters. Although both SUVs have an identical 50-litre fuel tank, the Seltos can cover much further distances thanks to an additional 1.92kpl of overall efficiency. Another contributing factor to the Sierra's lower efficiency numbers is its additional 85kg of weight over the Seltos. However, both SUVs' real-world mileage figures deviate by over 5kpl from their claimed efficiency values.

Autocar India’s fuel efficiency testing

Before our real-world fuel efficiency tests, we fill our test cars’ tanks to the brim and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. These cars are driven in fixed city and highway loops in and around Navi Mumbai, and we maintain certain average speeds. Throughout the tests, there is only one person in each car, running the air conditioner and other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and wipers, when required, just like a regular user would. Periodic driver swaps further neutralise variations in driver patterns. At the end of each cycle, we calculate efficiency by filling the tanks to full again.

All prices are ex-showroom, India.