With a price tag of Rs 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom), the Kia Seltos is now one of the best-performing cars in the segment
Kia’s entry into the Indian market sent ripples in the hotly-contested SUV segment after the Seltos managed to beat major rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, MG Hector and others. The car garnered close to 45,000 bookings in just 35 days after the launch and has quickly climbed up to be one of the most-sold SUV in India.
Hence, here are 7 things that you need to know if you’re planning to buy one:
1. On the outside
No arguments here as the Kia Seltos is easily one of the best looking SUVs out there. Unlike the Tata Harrier brings sheer size on the table, the Seltos sports sharp lines and crystal-like LED lighting to ground a solid road presence.
At the front, the car gets quad elements in the headlamps in addition to the multiple lines of DRLs. The indicators, too, are three LED strips and the fog lamps are housed in a vertical array of three lights.
The car sits on a set of 17-inch wheels, which comes with a red-brake calliper in the GT Line variant. One can also get a sharp kink along the window line extending till back that makes it look that much aggressive.
2. On the inside
The Korean manufacturer has built the Seltos in accordance with global standards making it feature-laden up to the brim. In addition to the standard features that are now a common thread among all SUVs, the Seltos gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-speaker Bose sound system with sound mood lighting, electric sunroof, a 7-inch LCD multi-info display (MID) in the instrument cluster, automatic climate control, ventilated seats, and reclinable second row with USB charger.
Moreover, the car also gets an 8-inch HUD for the driver, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera.
3. Connectivity
Like the BLuelink in Hyundai Venue, the Kia Seltos ships with UVO connect that works with the help of an e-SIM embedded in the infotainment unit enabling features such as starting the SUV remotely with the help of a smartphone, start the AC, track the car’s location, set geofencing, time-fence, speed, valet and idle. It can also automatically contact emergency services in the case of an accident.
4. Engine and Transmission Options
The Kia Seltos comes with a wide range of engine and transmission options. There is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that comes mated to a CVT, a diesel engine outputting through a 6-speed torque converter.
The company is also offering a 6-speed manual with all the 1.5-litre offerings, both in petrol as well as diesel. In addition to this, the ace of the deck is the new 1.4-litre Turbo GDI petrol motor that is offered with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
5. Rivals and Competition
The Kia Seltos met the expectations in terms of pricing with things kicking off as low as Rs 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom). The car makes an entry into the mid-size SUV segment that currently includes models such as Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, MG Hector and the Nissan Kicks.
6. The GT Line
On the outside, the GT Line’s sporty pretensions come in the form of red accents in the skid plates and door sills. It gets a different set of alloy wheels and GT Line badging on the front grille and rear tailgate help in driving the point home.
On the inside, it gets an all-black colour scheme, that is supplemented by contrast red stitching on the seats, gear lever and steering wheel. A set of sporty alloy pedals further add to the look. As against the Tech Line, the GT Line gets a dual-tone cabin with beige upholstery.
7. Safety
As for safety, the top-spec Seltos trims feature six airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill-start assist, front and rear parking sensors and a blind-spot view monitor.