Kia Seltos SUV is priced aggressively than the Hyundai Creta and offers plenty of new premium features and technologies
Kia Motors India has certainly taken a page out of Hyundai’s book in positioning the Seltos SUV. Just as Creta, the Seltos is offered in an expansive range with three engine choices, four transmissions and many trims ranging between Rs. 9.69 lakh and Rs. 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The success of Hyundai Creta over the last four years has been down to its variety of variants appealing to different sets of customers.
The Seltos SUV has now inevitably become the main competitor of the Creta from its parental brand. Priced from Rs. 9.99 lakh for the entry-level E Plus diesel variant, it goes up to for the SX 1.6 (O) Executive diesel Rs. 15.66 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kio Seltos is aggressively priced to not just stand toe-to-toe against Hyundai Creta but Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Nissan Kicks and even Jeep Compass to some extent.
| Variants | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Creta |
| Petrol Base | Rs 9.69 lakh | Rs 9.99 lakh |
| Diesel Base | Rs 9.99 lakh | Rs 9.99 lakh |
| Petrol Top | Rs 12.79 lakh | Rs 12.82 lakh |
| Diesel Top | Rs 14.99 Lakh | Rs 15.39 lakh |
| Petrol AT | Rs 13.79 lakh | Rs 13.77 lakh |
| Diesel AT | Rs 15.99 lakh | Rs 15.22 (SX) |
Amidst being cheaper than the Creta, the Kia Seltos is the most technologically advanced mid-size SUV in the segment along with the MG Hector. It comes with standard features such as dual front airbags, reverse parking sensors, ABS with EBD, follow-me-home headlamps, front and rear skid plates, 16-inch wheels with covers, roof rails, shark fin antenna, rear spoiler, dual rear muffler and UVO Lite for remote control of the audio via Bluetooth based smartphone app.
| Dimensions | New Kia Seltos | Hyundai Creta |
| Length | 4,315 mm | 4,270 mm |
| Width | 1,800 mm | 1,780 mm |
| Height | 1,620 mm | 1,665 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,610 mm | 2,590 mm |
Even the barebones HT E variant offers a lot for Rs. 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom) and no wonder why Kia has garnered more than 23,000 bookings already. The range-topping GT Line trim with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine developing 140 PS and 242 Nm, mated to a seven-speed DCT transmission and with distinguishable exterior updates over the regular Seltos costs only around Rs. 33,000 more than the most expensive Hyundai Creta.
| Model | NEW Kia Seltos Diesel | Hyundai Creta Diesel |
| Engine | 1.5L CRDi Diesel Engine | 1.4/1.6L CRDi Diesel Engine |
| Power | 115 Bhp | 89bhp / 127 bhp |
| Torque | 250 Nm | 220 NM/ 260 NM |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual/6-speed Torque Converter | 6-speed MT/ 6-speed Torque Converter |
| Model | Kia Seltos Petrol | Hyundai Creta Petrol |
| Engine | 1.5L Petrol / 1.4L Turbo Petrol Engine | 1.6L, Dual VTVT Petrol Engine |
| Power | 115 Bhp / 140 Bhp | 122 Bhp |
| Torque | 144 Nm / 242 Nm | 151 Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed Manual, CVT / 7-speed DCT | 6-speed MT/6-speed Torque Converter |
Some of the highlighting features offered in the top-spec variants of the Seltos are an eight-inch head-up display, multi-functional steering wheel, a big coloured TFT screen, electric sunroof, eight-speaker Bose audio, Smart Cruise Control, Drive Mode Selector, a 10-25-inch horizontal touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite navigation, leather seat upholstery, 360-degree camera, EPB (Electronic Parking Brake), first-in-class wireless charging, ventilated front seats, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Six airbags, ESC, VSC, blind-spot monitoring and so on.
Despite the features improvements seen in the 2019 MY Hyundai Creta, it does not come close to offering as many technologies as the Seltos. The Kia five-seater SUV definitely has the upper hand over its rivals and it has a captivating premium interior with top-class fit and finish.
But it must be noted that the second-generation Hyundai Creta isn’t far away from getting introduced. Expected to debut at 2020 Auto Expo, it will be based on the same platform as Seltos and be radically different from the existing model. Until then, the Kia Seltos can run around without much competition in its way except for the Hector.