Kia Seltos

The five seat Seltos SUV is Kia’s first model for India and has the task of establishing the Korean carmaker in our market. It does have the right ingredients for the job. The Seltos is attractive, keenly priced and comes with a wide range of engine and gearbox options. On offer are 1.5-litre petrol, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, each available with manual and automatic gearbox options. Impressively, all versions of the Seltos comply with BS6 emission norms from launch.

The Kia Seltos is a mid-sized SUV with city-friendly dimensions. It’s got an upright stance, something Indian SUV buyers like, and also sports sleek styling. Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille is the focal point at the front and the Seltos also features a split headlamp arrangement, in line with latest style trends. Attention to detail and overall quality is excellent. Interestingly, Kia sells the Seltos with two style packages – Tech Line is reserved for the 1.5 petrols and diesels while the GT sportier GT Line is exclusive to the 1.4 turbo-petrol. The latter gets a few more frills such as red detailing on the outside, and is also the only one to feature an all-black interior theme.
Getting into and out of the Seltos is easy and what is sure to impress is the sheer level of quality in the interior; material quality and fit-finish is up there with pricier European cars. The dashboard is neatly laid out and usefully places the infotainment system high up and in the driver’s line of sight. Top-spec Seltos’ get slick 10.2-inch touchscreens, the instrument cluster is easy to read and there’s even head-up display. A powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a 360-degree parking camera and even an onboard air purifier are other features offered on the Seltos. Front seat comfort is good but the rear seat does lose some points for the somewhat lack of thigh support. While not the roomiest of SUVs for the price, the Seltos offers plenty of space and features like a retractable back rest and retractable sun visors also enhance the rear seat experience.
While we are yet to try out all engine-gearbox options on offer, we did come away very impressed with the 1.5 diesel-manual and the 1.4 turbo-petrol auto. The 115hp diesel is very refined and performance is pleasant. A slick gearbox and well-weighted clutch also make it easy to live with. Those looking for a sporty drive will find a good match in the 140hp, 1.4 turbo-petrol. The engine is smooth, strong and very likeable. Also good is the 7-speed dual-clutch auto that is responsive and quick to shift. What’s missing are paddleshifters.
The Kia Seltos is easy to drive. The steering requires reasonable effort and weights up well enough at higher speeds. Ride comfort is good too with nice low speed bump absorption and confident high speed manners.