Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•7h

Go for the Kia Seltos HTX Petrol CVT for your mostly city use, as it is the smoothest and least stressful Seltos to drive.The iVT is Kia’s CVT automatic gearbox that comes paired with a 115hp, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. For your running, this powertrain will feel calm, quiet and easy-going. You still get a rich cabin, and the key features most people want, and Kia’s service reach in cities is strong. One thing to be aware of is that this petrol IVT is not as quick as the 160hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, and it doesn’t have every single feature of the top-most trim.If you truly want the full top trim and stronger power, look at the 1.5 turbo-petrol DCT in GTX+ or X-Line, but know that this twin-clutch automatic can feel a bit hesitant and jerky in bumper-to-bumper jams.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

Hyundai and Kia belong to the same parent group and share engines, gearboxes, suspension and electrical architecture, so the Kia Seltos HTK(O) IVT and Hyundai Creta S(O) IVT are fundamentally similar in the way they drive and in long-term reliability.Where they really differ is in design, space and cabin ambience. The new Seltos has a longer wheelbase, is noticeably more spacious, and as you’ve pointed out, feels more premium inside. It also feels a bit more up-to-date in terms of dashboard design and overall cabin experience. Performance from the 1.5 petrol with IVT is effectively the same in both, so you won’t feel a big difference in outright smoothness or ease of driving.For maintenance and after-sales, Hyundai still has a slight edge with its wider, more established network, which is an advantage if you’re in a smaller town or travel widely. Kia’s support has improved quickly, though, so in most bigger cities it’s no longer a deal-breaker.On resale, the Seltos currently enjoys strong appeal, and with the next-gen Creta due around 2027, the present Creta will start to feel older sooner, which can soften its resale value earlier. So, if both are similarly priced and you like the Seltos more, I would pick the Seltos HTK(O) IVT. If you can wait, the next-gen Creta is also worth keeping in mind.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

•2d

Since you already felt the Kia Seltos was more comfortable, we would recommend you go ahead with it, as it does have a more spacious and comfy rear seat experience. The Renault Duster offers a more engaging drive experience, and it excels on highways and twisty mountain ghats; however, since your driving is mostly in the city, this is not something that you would be able to appreciate. The Seltos is easy to drive in traffic with light controls and good all-around visibility. Furthermore, Kia’s service network is wider, and previous generation Seltos' have good resale value.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•3d

While the Hyundai Venue HX10 is tempting for its features and is an excellent car all around, its 1.0 T-GDi engine and 7-Speed DCT are not well suited to stop-and-go traffic, where you will encounter a lot of judder, hesitance and off-boost lag. You may have had a similar issue with your Altroz DCT that might have led to said problems. As such we would recommend a different kind of automatic for your specific application. Consider the Kia Seltos HTX (or if you can stretch your budget slightly, the GTX) but crucially with the 1.5 Petrol CVT powertrain. You'll get most, if not all, of the features you did in the Venue HX10, in a larger, more comfortable SUV. The powertrain will be a lot smoother than the 1.0 turbo DCT in the Venue and should likely give you less trouble in the long run too. It could even prove more fuel efficient than the heavily boosted Venue Turbo as well. Another alternative is the Honda Elevate CVT, which could prove a bit better value for money. But, as it's a slightly older car, you will sacrifice some of the new-age features and the wow factor you'll get in the Kia.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

Consider the Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXi automatic for your Navi Mumbai city use, it will be easier to live with, use less fuel than a Kia Seltos, and keep service costs lower. Coming from a Tata Tiago, you will like the higher seat and wide view out, the light steering, and the 6-speed automatic is a torque convertor unit. It is the smoothest type around, which will make stop-go traffic far less tiring. The Brezza’s suspension handles speed breakers and rough patches very well at low city speed and the ride is nice and plush. Maruti’s service network is huge with quick turnarounds and easy-on-the-pocket parts. It is also shorter and easier to park than a Seltos, which matters in tight city spots. One thing to consider, the Brezza is not as quick on highways as the Seltos, and its cabin does not feel as rich. In all other aspects, though, the Brezza will do well.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Tata Tiago

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•3d

Choose the Kia Seltos GTX IVT petrol - for your city-heavy use and focus on comfort. The IVT is Kia-speak for a CVT automatic gearbox which shifts seamlessly, so it feels very smooth in stop-go traffic. For your 30 km daily run, the light steering and good all-round visibility make it easy to drive, and it is steady and quiet enough for those few highway trips each year. Kia’s service reach is wide, so upkeep should be simple in most cities.One thing to be aware of: the IVT is not as quick as the turbo petrol DCT. If you really want stronger performance, the Seltos GTX 1.5 turbo DCT is the one, but its quick-shifting dual clutch automatic can feel a touch hesitant at low speeds.As for the Tata Harrier, it feels bigger, heavier and requires more effort to drive in the city. Alternatively, you can also look at the Hyundai Creta SX (O) IVT which is mechanically identical to the Seltos IVT but you get the benefit of Hyundai's more widespread service network.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•3d

Consider the Kia Seltos HTX IVT. The 1.5 litre petrol engine combined to the IVT (CVT) transmission is smooth and refined in most everyday driving conditions. Its easily one of the best CVTs around with little of the typical rubberband effect - where the engine revs rise before you feel a corresponding increase in vehicle speed. Seating comfort is also good with the new car offering a bit more space in the rear where legroom has improved significantly and will suit six-footers, headroom will be about adequate. Three average-sized adults can sit abreast in resonable comfort, and the seatback angle is adjustable. The suspension has been tuned with a focus on improving ride quality - that was firm with the previous car. The cabin interiors are also well built and equipped well, thus the Seltos would suit your requirements quite well.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•3d

Go for the Kia Seltos - it is the newer, more modern car, with a more premium and spacious interior compared to the Hyundai Creta. Both Creta and Seltos share their petrol-automatic powertrain, so efficiency and running costs will be similar.

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•2d

If it fits in your budget, go for the Kia Seltos, as it meets most of your broad set of requirements. Kias are known to be reliable enough for prolonged usage. The Seltos has a spacious and well-appointed premium interior that looks and feels upmarket. It's also pretty fun to drive, especially if you opt for the 160hp 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. The new-gen Hyundai Creta is coming in 2027 and might be worth waiting for, but you will get most of what it offers in the Seltos available today. However, as you've pointed out, it might be worth moving a segment lower to get more for your money, in which case we'd recommend the Hyundai Venue. It offers much of what the Seltos offers, including reliability, features and high-quality interior - albeit in a smaller form factor at a more affordable price. If reliability trumps all else, consider a Maruti Suzuki compact SUV like the Brezza or the Fronx.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•1d

If you found the Hyundai Creta the most comfortable but too dated, the obvious answer is the new Kia Seltos. It gives you that same relaxed, easy-going ride but is more spacious than the Creta and feels more modern and upmarket inside, which will make your frequent Jaipur-Delhi runs nicer to live with.Given your usage is mainly highway with the Polo handling city duty, we would strongly recommend the 1.5 turbo-petrol Seltos. It has a strong mid-range punch, plenty of torque for effortless overtakes, and cruises very comfortably, which is exactly what you want for long, fast runs.The new Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and Renault Duster are all very good to drive on the highway and dynamically more engaging, but as you’ve noticed, their rear seats are tighter for three adults across, and that’s a compromise on long trips with family. That’s where the Seltos scores: it strikes the best balance between space, comfort and a properly fresh cabin.

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

Volkswagen Taigun

Renault Duster