Kia Seltos 1.4 DCT: what causes excessive engine revving?

My Seltos 1.4 DCT revs before shifting gear, which leads to a lag in gearshifts. The dealer has replaced my clutch twice in three years, and the issue is still not resolved. My friend recently borrowed my car, and he also acknowledged the problem. I escalated the matter to Kia, but they haven’t responded to my complaint. Please suggest what else could have gone wrong.

Ramesh K, Bengaluru

Autocar India says: The problem of excessive engine revving and subsequent lag in gearshifts is likely due to transmission slippage, which, beyond the worn-out clutches, can also be caused by low or insufficient transmission fluid in the gearbox.

Since the DCT in the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol version of the Kia Seltos comes as a maintenance-free, sealed-for-life unit that does not get a dipstick to determine the quantity of automatic transmission fluid (ATF), it is hard to ascertain the level of ATF.

Considering the rare possibility of low ATF levels in this particular gearbox right from manufacturing, we would advise you to ask the authorised service centre to drain the entire transmission fluid and refill it to the appropriate level as per the workshop’s service manual.

While the problem is highly likely to get resolved with the ATF replacement, followed by a transmission control unit (TCU) software update, we would advise escalating the matter to Kia’s regional service manager to diagnose and rectify any other fault that may lie with the transmission valves, solenoids, or gears, if the issue persists.