The Kia Seltos was the first model launched by the Korean car maker for the Indian market. The launch happened in the middle of 2019, and the Seltos instantly became a crowd favourite among Indian car buyers. In fact such was the impact, that riding on the back of sales of just the Seltos, Kia became the fourth largest car maker in India on the basis of units sold. It’s a feat that no other car maker has been able to repeat since, and Kia has continued to build on that momentum. Not only has Kia offered newer models, but constant updates to the Seltos has meant that it remains a top choice for compact SUV buyers in India, despite rivals like the Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Therefore, the decision for you to buy the Kia Seltos is going to be an easy one. However, choosing between buying a new Kia Seltos and a used Kia Seltos is going to be tricky. After all, both choices will require different financial planning, especially if you are looking to avail a car loan to buy the Seltos. To make things easier, we have put together this comparison between a new and a used Kia Seltos to spell out the differences in the two approaches and how they will ultimately affect your ownership experience.
New Kia Seltos Quick Overview
The Kia Seltos is currently in its first generation since its launch in 2019, however, the version of the Seltos sold in India underwent a facelift in 2023. This update brought the design of the Seltos more in line with its international version, along with adding features that not only made it safer, but made the Seltos feel more aspirational as well to Indian car buyers. The Seltos is available in multiple variants, however, they can be classified broadly into three categories – Tech Line, GT Line and X-Line.
The Tech Line variants are the starting off point for car buyers looking to bring home the Kia Seltos. This cluster of variants is made up of individual trims, namely the HTE (O), HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTK+ (O), HTX and HTX (O) variants. The Tech Line variants of the Kia Seltos are aimed at regular car buyers who are primarily looking to buy the compact SUV to take care of their daily transportation duties while offering a touch of modernisation and comfort. In fact, one of the popular features of the Seltos, the panoramic sunroof, is available from the HTK (O) variant onwards.
The GT Line variant comprises a single sub-variant called the GTX+ and it is primarily aimed at offering cosmetically enhanced experience to car buyers which makes the Kia Seltos appear highly sporty. These include larger alloy wheels, body kits, blacked out interior and D-cut steering wheel among others. The GTX+ variant is also responsible for being the entry-level variant to the ADAS suite of features, which increase the safety quotient of the Seltos. The X-Line variant builds on this cosmetic identity of the Seltos by offering a matte colour option among other visual updates. Apart from that, the X-Line variant also gets a head-up display (HUD).
On the powertrain front, the Kia Seltos is offered with three options – two petrol engines and one diesel engine. The first petrol engine is a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated unit and it is available with all the Tech Line variants, except for HTK+. Furthermore, the lower HTE (O), HTK and HTK (O) variants can only be mated with a 6 speed manual transmission, whereas the HTK+ (O), HTX and HTX (O) variants can be had with a manual or a CVT transmission. The HTK+ variant is reserved for the 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine with the only transmission option being a 6 speed iMT (clutchless manual).
In case of the 1.5 litre diesel engine, it too is available with same Tech Line variants as the naturally aspirated petrol engine, and the lower three variants can only be had with the manual transmission. While the HTK+ (O), HTX and HTX (O) can be had with a diesel engine and a manual transmission too, the automatic transmission is limited to the HTK+ (O) and HTX variants.
As far as the GTX+ and X-Line variants are concerned, they can only be opted for with the turbocharged petrol engine or the diesel engine. However, both engine options are limited when it comes to transmission options and can only be paired with automatic gearboxes. In the case of the petrol unit, it is a 7 speed DCT whereas the diesel engine is offered with a 6 speed automatic transmission.
Key Updates of New Kia Seltos
When Kia introduced an updated version of the Seltos in 2023, it was deemed a comprehensive facelift for the compact which didn’t just freshen things up for the coming years, but also went ahead and set net segment benchmarks.
On the design front, Kia made big changes to the front of the SUV with updated headlight design, a larger grille, a new LED DRL signature that flows onto the grille, sequential turban indicators for front and back, connected LED tail lamps and a new front and rear bumper design. In fact, the facelifted Seltos is available with a different bumper design depending on which variant line you pick. Not just that, the alloy wheel design too has been updated and changes according to the variant line and powertrain combination, offering new car buyers a plethora of choices to make their Seltos stand apart. Also, the turbocharged petrol engine gets dual exhaust outlets which immediately give it a more sporty appearance.
On the inside, there are plethora of design and feature updates that place the Seltos in a league of its own. The dashboard design has been tweaked, with the biggest update being the twin screens (infotainment touchscreen and driver instrument cluster) being placed in the same slim housing, giving it a rather upmarket look. The screens are also of a high quality and set the Seltos apart from its rivals. The centre console has also been redesigned and now features sleeker AC vents and redesigned HVAC controls. The panoramic sunroof is one of the highlight feature updates for the Kia Seltos and it adds greatly to the cabin ambience of the SUV.
As far as feature updates go, the addition of Level 2 ADAS also gives the facelifted Seltos certain levels of autonomous driving capabilities, vastly increasing its safety quotient. Furthermore, the updated Seltos also now gets an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), dual zone climate control and an 8 inch head-up display (HUD).
| New Kia Seltos Ex-Showroom Price | ||
| Kia Seltos Variant | Transmission | Price |
| HTE (O) | Petrol MT, Diesel MT | Rs. 11.19 lakh to Rs. 12.77 lakh |
| HTK | Petrol MT, Diesel MT | Rs. 12.64 lakh to Rs. 14.12 lakh |
| HTK (O) | Petrol MT, Diesel MT | Rs. 13.05 lakh to Rs. 14.61 lakh |
| HTK+ | Petrol MT (clutchless manual) | Rs. 15.78 lakh |
| HTK+ (O) | Petrol MT, Petrol AT, Diesel MT, Diesel AT | Rs. 14.46 lakh to Rs. 17.28 lakh |
| HTX | Petrol MT, Petrol AT, Diesel MT, Diesel AT | Rs. 15.82 lakh to Rs. 18.71 lakh |
| HTX (O) | Petrol MT, Petrol AT, Diesel MT | Rs. 16.77 lakh to Rs. 18.42 lakh |
| GTX+ | Petrol AT, Diesel AT | Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 20.20 lakh |
| X-Line | Petrol AT, Diesel AT | Rs. 20.56 lakh |
Used Kia Seltos Quick Overview
As we mentioned earlier, the Kia Seltos was first launched in 2019 and received a further facelift in 2023. Since 2020, Kia has been selling around 1 lakh units of the Seltos on an yearly basis in India and the cumulative sales of the SUV have crossed the 5 lakh milestone in the Indian domestic car market, meaning that the Seltos is widely available in the used car market as well. The units of the Seltos in the used car market can be widely split into two categories, the pre-facelift model which was on sale from 2019 to 2023 and the post-facelift model which has been on sale from 2023 till the present. While we have already talked about the post-facelift model in detail above, let’s now take a closer look at the pre-facelift model of the Seltos which is now exclusively available in the used car market.
The pre-facelift model of the Kia Seltos was primarily offered in two variant lines – Tech Line and GT Line. The Tech Line variants were further split into the following variants – HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX and HTX+. Furthermore, unlike the Seltos of today, the GT Line was also available in multiple sub variants. At the time of the Seltos’ launch in 2019, the GT Line was available in GTK, GTX and GTX+ variants. In 2020, when the Seltos became BS6 compliant, the GTK variant was dropped and only the GTX and GTX+ variants remained on sale.
Speaking of their powertrain, the Tech Line variants were offered with a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.5 litre diesel engine. To further simplify the classification, the HTE and HTK variants were only offered with both engine options, albeit with only a 6 speed manual transmission. The HTK+ offered the additional option of a diesel automatic combination whereas the HTX variant offered the petrol automatic powertrain combo. The HTX+ variant was exclusively available with the diesel engine and could be specced with both manual and automatic transmission options.
As for the GT Line variants, it was mostly offered with a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine. The 2019 units, the ones that conformed to BS4 emission norms, were available with only a 6 speed manual transmission for the base GTK variants, and the GTX and GTX+ variants could be specced with either a manual transmission or a 7 speed DCT. In 2020, once the GTK variant was dropped, the GTX variant was only available with a manual transmission and the top of the line GTX+ variant was offered with the option of both manual and automatic transmission options. Furthermore, the GTX+ variant for both 2019 and 2020 Seltos units was also available with a or a 1.5 litre diesel engine, although it could only be specced with a 6 speed automatic transmission.
In 2022, Kia gave the Seltos a few updates before its facelift in 2023. Primarily, this included the X-Line variant of the SUV which went onto become the first matte colour option from the factory offered on a car made in IndiIt was available in a single top of the line variant and was available with the 1.4 litre turbocharged engine and the 1.5 litre diesel engine. However, the transmission option was limited to an automatic only option for both engines.
In the same year, Kia also introduced an update for the Seltos as a whole, which involved the trickling down of features from the higher to lower variants, along with restructuring of the variants. The variant restructuring primarily happened for the GT Line variants, with the GTX variant being removed and the GTX (O) variant being introduced in its place. Kia also took this opportunity to introduce the iMT (clutchless manual) transmission on the Seltos, a technology that it co-developed with Hyundai and is only available on Hyundai and Kia cars. The iMT gearbox was available with the naturally aspirated petrol engine and the diesel engine and that too only in the HTK+ variant.
| Used Kia Seltos Price | ||
| Production Year | Transmission | Price |
| 2019 to 2023 | Petrol MT, Petrol AT, Diesel MT, Diesel AT | Rs. 8.55 lakh to Rs. 16.84 lakh |
| 2023 to Present | Petrol MT, Petrol AT | Rs. 15.54 lakh to Rs. 17.68 lakh |
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Seltos: Financing Comparison
Once you have decided on buying the Kia Seltos, there is one key decision that still remains. Should you buy a new Kia Seltos from the showroom or turn towards the used car market and buy a used Kia Seltos? While it might seem like a simple question at first, your choice will have a great impact on your ownership experience and also the financial planning for buying the car. A new Kia Seltos will have a much higher overall cost compared to a used Kia Seltos that was first sold about two to three years ago, mostly because the value of a car depreciates vastly in the first few years before stabilising. If you will be opting for a car loan to buy the Kia Seltos, the financial calculations will once again differ due to the differences in the rate of interest and loan amount between a new and used Kia Seltos.
To give you an example of the differences, we have put together a comparison between the costs of buying a new Kia Seltos and a used Kia Seltos when availing a car loan. For the purpose of this comparison, we have opted to choose the GTX+ variant of the Kia Seltos with a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 7 speed dual clutch transmission as it is a highly sought after variant of the SUV. The used car model in question is from 2024.
| New Kia Seltos | Used Kia Seltos (2024) | |
| Total Cost of Vehicle | Rs. 23.54 lakh (Mumbai) | Rs. 16.80 lakh |
| Down Payment | Rs. 5 lakh | Rs. 5 lakh |
| Loan Tenure | 5 years (60 months) | 5 years (60 months) |
| Loan Amount | Rs. 18,53,991 | Rs. 12,33,863 |
| Rate of Interest | 10% | 12.9% |
| Interest Amount | Rs. 5,09,469 | Rs. 4,50,397 |
| Total Paid | Rs. 23,63,460 | Rs. 16,84,260 |
In the table above, the variant in question is the same for both a new and a used Seltos. Furthermore, the downpayment amount has been set at Rs. 5 lakh, which is again same for both. Lastly, the loan tenure has been set at 5 years for both scenarios. These options depict the most commonly made car loan choices by Indian car buyers today. Even before we take into question the finances of the loan, one look at the total cost of a new Kia Seltos and a used Kia Seltos gives a clear picture of the difference between their prices. When opting for a used Kia Seltos, you save close Rs. 8 lakh in the upfront cost of the vehicle.
Now coming to the car loan, the loan amount is more than Rs. 6 lakh lesser for the used Kia Seltos because of its lower upfront cost. This becomes a major savings factor for those opting for a used Kia Seltos. Despite the higher rate of interest on a used Kia Seltos (financial institutions charge a higher rate of interest for used car loans), the total interest paid for a used Kia Seltos over a five year period ends up being close to Rs. 60,000 less than that paid for a new Kia Seltos. Ultimately, the total amount you pay the bank via EMIs for a used Kia Seltos over a period of five years is once again close to Rs. 8 lakh less than what you would pay for a new Kia Seltos.
It is then clear from the above example that buying a used Kia Seltos via a car loan, even with a higher rate of interest, will result in more savings than a new Kia Seltos. Furthermore, the used car example we have taken is a 2024 unit, and is thus considerably more expensive than older units in the used car market. A 2022 or 2023 model year Kia Seltos will cost even less, and will thus result in more savings.
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Seltos: Insurance Comparison
Insurance is another cost which can significantly jack up the price of car ownership. The price of insurance premiums changes from broker to broker. Furthermore, the premium is also dependent upon the type of insurance. For example, the premium for a comprehensive insurance which covers most areas of a car will be lower compared to a zero depreciation insurance which pays out the full value of car parts irrespective of their age. Add-ons such as engine water damage and lost keys can also increase the price of the insurance premiums. Generally speaking, the insurance premium for a new Kia Seltos can range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80,000, depending upon the type of policy and the variant selected.
One way to save money on insurance premium is to opt for third party insurance. However, this is the most basic type of insurance and the minimum required to legally run a car on public roads. A third-party insurance is useful only to payout to third parties in the event of an accident, and it won’t cover any type of damage to your vehicle. That said, third party insurance premiums are regulated by IRDAI, a body which governs the insurance policies in India. New cars in India are required to be sold with a minimum of three-year third-party insurance, post which it can be renewed yearly. The costs for such an insurance policy are given in the table below and are significantly lower than comprehensive or zero depreciation policies.
| New Kia Seltos | Used Kia Seltos | |
| Third Party Insurance | Rs. 10,640 (for three years) | Rs. 3,416 (for one year) |
Ultimately, third party insurance will cost you the least, however, you should also consider that it deprives you of insurance payout in case of any damage to your vehicle or if your vehicle is stolen.
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Seltos: Which to Choose?
Having compared the financial outlay behind buying a new Kia Seltos and a used Kia Seltos, it is easy to understand that you will save a considerable chunk of money when you opt for a used Seltos. Apart from the lower total interest paid on the car loan and the lower EMIs over a five year period, a Seltos that is a couple of years old will have already gone through its accelerated depreciation phase that every new car goes through.
Therefore, not only will you pay a substantial sum of money when buying a Seltos that has been used for two to three years, but the value of your used Seltos will depreciate at a much lower rate compared to if you had bought a new Kia Seltos. Ultimately, if you are looking to make a financially sound decision, a used Kia Seltos offers more value compared to a new Kia Seltos.
FAQs about Kia Seltos
Q. What is the price of a new Kia Seltos?
A new Kia Seltos is priced between Rs. 11.19 lakh and Rs. 20.56 lakh, both of which are ex-showroom prices.
Q. Is the Kia Seltos available with a turbocharged petrol engine?
Yes, the Kia Seltos is available with a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine, however, it is limited to certain variants of the compact SUV. The only manual transmission option is an iMT (clutchless manual) and it can be paired to the turbo-petrol engine in the HTK+ variant. Furthermore, the GTX+ and the X-Line are the only two other variants that can be opted for with this engine, albeit only with 7 speed DCT.
Q. What is the insurance cost of the Kia Seltos?
The insurance premium for a new Kia Seltos can range anywhere from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80,000, depending upon the variant. However, a third party insurance premium for a Kia Seltos is much lower and can be had for Rs. 3,416 (plus GST) for one year.
Q. Which is the more feature loaded variant of the Kia Seltos?
The X-Line variant is the most feature loaded variant of the Kia Seltos. Apart from all other features available on variants below it, the X-Line promises cosmetic updates and an 8 inch head-up display (HUD).
Q. Does the Kia Seltos have ADAS?
Yes, Kia gave the Seltos a facelift in 2023 and part of the update included a Level 2 ADAS system. Older model year units of the Kia Seltos, however, do not feature any form of ADAS.
Q. Does the Kia Seltos have a sunroof?
Yes, the Kia Seltos is offered with a panoramic sunroof which greatly enhances the ambience of the cabin. It is available on all variants from HTK (O) onwards.
