Compared to the Seltos sold in India, the New-Gen Kia KX3 is longer, taller and has long wheelbase while the exterior looks largely identical
Dongfeng Yueda Kia has released the all-new KX3 in the Chinese market at the 2019 CDMS (Chengdu Motor Show) and it will go on sale in the final quarter of this year. The KX3 is nothing but the China-spec Seltos with bigger dimensions. Compared to the Indian model, the KX3 is 30 mm longer, 25 mm taller and has a 20 mm longer wheelbase enabling more space for the occupants on the inside – a trait that is largely preferred by customers there.
Apart from the increase in wheelbase to 2,630 mm, the Kia KX3 comprises of features like adaptive cruise control and larger panoramic sunroof compared to the India-spec Seltos. However, the design stays largely identical to the Seltos barring the addition of thicker side body cladding and the presence of a stop lamp on the skid plate at the rear.
In India, the Seltos is offered in three engine options: a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol developing 115 PS and 144 Nm, a 1.5-litre diesel kicking out 115 PS and 250 Nm and a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit pumping out 140 PS and 242 Nm. Besides having a six-speed manual transmission as standard, each engine gets one unique automatic gearbox.
For the People’s Republic though, Kia has opted to use only the 1.5-litre petrol motor connected to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed CVT automatic. It must be noted that several international markets get a 1.6-litre turbo mill producing 177 PS and 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated unit delivering 149 PS along with a 1.6-litre diesel rated at 136 PS.
The 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines used in the Seltos in India are expected to make their way into the second generation Hyundai Creta bound for next year and it was already previewed through the latest ix25 back in April 2019 at the Shanghai Auto Show in China. The same engine options could also be present in the facelifted Verna with BSVI compliance.
The Seltos has a waiting period of three months for the entry-level HT E diesel variant while it increases by a month for the range-topping GT Line trims. The Seltos is manufactured at Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh for the domestic market and the plant in Gwangju, Korea meets the need of the international and Korean markets.