Considering all factors, the Kia Seltos is one of the best cars in its segment. However, if you are looking for a premium Kia SUV, but having to spend the cost of a brand-new mid-size SUV is giving you second thoughts, a used Kia Sonet can be a worthy option. To make this financial decision easy, this article compares the offerings of the new Kia Seltos and the used Kia Sonet as well as their costs.
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New Kia Seltos Quick Overview
In January 2026, Kia launched the second-generation Kia Seltos. The new Kia Seltos is one of the largest cars in the segment, measuring 4,460 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width, 1,635 mm in height, and with a wheelbase of 2,690 mm. With a butch design, the Seltos has an attractive road presence. On the inside, the Seltos packs a neatly laid-out interior, which feels significantly superior to that of any other car in the segment as far as the premium feel is concerned. Moreover, the Seltos offers a sufficiently wide rear seat for three average-size adults to sit comfortably; as a matter of fact, its rear seat space is second to the segment-leading Tata Sierra’s rear seat space.
The Kia Seltos is available with three engine options. A 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic. A 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine comes paired with either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT automatic. A 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine is paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque-converter automatic.
The Kia Seltos is available in eight variants: HTE, HTE (O), HTK, HTK (O), HTX, HTX (A), GTX, and GTX (A). Moreover, for the colour options, the Kia Seltos is available in Imperial Blue, Aurora Black Pearl, Gravity Grey, Morning Haze, Pewter Olive, Ivory Silver Gloss, Magma Red, Frost Blue, Glacier White Pearl, Matte Graphite, Glacier White with Aurora Black roof, and Magma Red with Aurora Black roof.
In terms of features, the Kia Seltos offers a 10-way powered driver’s seat with memory function, 64 colour ambient lighting, auto reverse ORVMS, front ventilated seats, 8-speaker Bose sound system, 5-inch touchscreen for HVAC, dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming IRVM, 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Level-2 ADAS safety suite, and more. For the safety equipment, the new Kia Seltos offers 6 airbags as standard, ESC, front and rear disc brakes, hill hold assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ISOFIX child seat anchorages, reverse camera, and more.
Key Features of New Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos offers the most premium and practical interior in the segment. Kia has generously used soft-touch material across the cabin, for example, on the dashboard, steering, door pads, and others. Even though the cabin feels extremely premium, there are no glossy elements which reflect light and obstruct the driver’s view. Moreover, unlike many other cars in the segment that have most controls integrated into the touchscreen, the Seltos offers easy-to-use physical buttons for most operations.
Spaciousness is one of the key draws of the Seltos. The Seltos is the second most spacious car in the segment, after the Tata Sierra.
Another noteworthy quality of the Kia Seltos is its ride quality. The Seltos easily absorbs all jerks from the surface underneath.
New Kia Seltos: Ex-Showroom Price
| Kia Seltos Variants & Ex-Showroom Price | ||
| Variant | Powertrain | Ex-Showroom Price |
| HTE | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT | Rs 10.99 – 12.59 lakh |
| HTE (O) | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 6 iMT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT and 6AT | Rs 12.09 – 14.99 lakh |
| HTK | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 6 iMT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT and 6AT | Rs 13.09 – 15.99 lakh |
| HTK (O) | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 6 iM and 7 DCT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT and 6AT | Rs 14.19 – 17.09 lakh |
| HTX | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 7 DCT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT and 6AT | Rs 15.59 – 18.49 lakh |
| HTX (A) | 1.5-litre NA petrol with 6MT and CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 7 DCT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6MT and 6AT | Rs 16.69 – 19.59 lakh |
| GTX | 1.5-litre NA petrol with CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 7 DCT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6AT | Rs 18.39 – 19.79 lakh |
| GTX (A) | 1.5-litre NA petrol with CVT, 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 7 DCT, and 1.5-litre diesel with 6AT | Rs 19.49 – 19.99 lakh |
Note: Prices may vary slightly by location, and dealer discounts are not included.
Used Kia Sonet Quick Overview
The Kia Sonet was launched in India in 2020. Ever since its entry in the market, the Sonet has been popular for qualities that typically characterise a Korean car in India, for example, refined and reliable powertrains with a variety of engine and gearbox combinations, premium interiors with commendable fit and finish, and a host of upmarket features at reasonable prices. While the Sonet shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue, the Sonet carries a different design and is a different compact SUV overall.
The Sonet received a first facelift in January 2024. The facelifted Sonet brought in a new design and a few more features than its predecessor.
Used Kia Seltos: Price Overview
| Production Year | Transmission | Approx. Price |
| 2024 | 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT, and 6-speed torque converter automatic. | Rs. 6 – 12 lakh |
| 2023 | 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT, and 6-speed torque converter automatic. | Rs. 5 – 11 lakh |
| 2022 | 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT, and 6-speed torque converter automatic. | Rs. 4 – 10 lakh |
The final price depends on the condition, location, and variant.
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Sonet: Financing Comparison
| New Kia Seltos GTX A 1.5-litre Turbo petrol DCT | Used Kia Sonet GTX Plus 1.0 Turbo Petrol DCT (2023) | |
| On-Road Price | Rs 23,68,000 | Rs 9,96,000 |
| Down Payment (20%) | Rs 4,73,600 | Rs 1,99,200 |
| Loan Amount | Rs 18,94,400 | Rs 7,96,800 |
| Loan Tenure | 5 years | 4 years |
| Interest Rate | 9% | 11% |
| Total Interest | ~ Rs 4,60,560 | ~ Rs 2,69,648 |
| Total Paid | Rs 18,94,400 + Rs 4,65,078 + Rs 4,73,600 = Rs 28,33,078 | Rs 7,96,800 + Rs 1,91,698 + Rs 1,99,200 = Rs 11,87,698 |
| Difference | Saves: Rs 16,45,380 |
As evaluated above, a 3-year-old top variant of the Kia Sonet – GTX Plus 1.0 turbo petrol DCT can save you over Rs 16 lakh compared to the top variant of the new Kia Seltos – GTX A 1.5-litre turbo petrol DCT.
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Sonet: Insurance Comparison
New Kia Seltos GTX A 1.5-litre Turbo petrol DCT (2025)
- Initial Insured Declared Value (IDV): Rs 16,41,297 lakh
- First-Year Premium: Rs 15,087 (approx.)
- Total 5-Year Premium (with depreciation): Rs 65,000 (approx.)
Used Kia Sonet GTX Plus 1.0 Turbo Petrol DCT (2024)
- Initial IDV: Rs 10,08,840
- First-Year Premium: Rs 8,281 (approx.)
- Total 5-Year Premium: Rs 35,000 (approx.)
So, in terms of insurance cost, a used Kia Sonet will save nearly Rs 30,000 if you choose it over a new Kia Seltos, and if the difference between the new Seltos and the used Sonet is around only 1 year.
New Kia Seltos vs Used Kia Sonet: Which to Choose?
While comparing a new Kia Seltos with the used Kia Sonet, the chief factor you need to consider is the amount of space you require in the SUV’s cabin. If you will be frequently seating five adults in your SUV, the Seltos should be the better choice, given its rear seat space can more comfortably accommodate three adults, whereas the Sonet’s rear seat is best-suited for two adults. All the same, if you need the SUV for day-to-day driving, a used Sonet will be a more value-for-money offering, for it will save you a huge amount compared to the new Seltos.
Also Read:
Comparison: Used Kia Seltos vs New Kia Sonet
Comparison: New Kia Sonet vs Used Tata Nexon
