Hot on the heels of the recently launched Tata Sierra, the new-generation Kia Seltos has hit the market. The new Seltos is based on a new K3 platform, which has enlarged the Korean mid-size SUV. In addition to a grown body, the new Seltos brings many updates. If you are one of the keen prospective buyers of the Kia Seltos and want to thoroughly learn about it before making any decision, this complete buying guide to the Kia Seltos will help you learn why you should or should not buy it and which variant will be the best for you.
Kia Seltos Specifications
| Kia Seltos Engine and Transmission | |||
| Engine | 1.5-litre NA petrol engine | 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine | 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine |
| Transmission | 6-speed MT and CVT automatic | 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT automatic | 6-speed MT and 6-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power | 115 PS | 160 PS | 116 PS |
| Torque | 144 Nm | 253 Nm | 250 Nm |
| Mileage | Up to 17 km/l | Up to 17.9 km/l | Up to 20.7 km/l |
| Kia Seltos Dimensions | |||
| Length | 4,460 mm | ||
| Width | 1,830 mm | ||
| Height | 1,635 mm | ||
| Wheelbase | 2,690 mm | ||
| Ground Clearance | 190 mm | ||
| Boot Space | 447 litres | ||
| Kia Seltos Safety Features | |||
| Airbags | Six airbags as standard | ||
| ABS with EBD | Standard | ||
| Rear Parking Sensors | Standard | ||
| Reverse parking Camera | On all variants | ||
| 360-degree camera | HTX (A) variant onwards | ||
| Disc Brake | On all four wheels | ||
| Electronic Stability Program | Standard | ||
| Tyre Pressure Monitoring System | On all variants | ||
| ISOFIX mounts | On all variants | ||
| Hill Hold Assist | On all variants | ||
| Hill Descent Control | Not available | ||
| Kia Seltos Key Features | |||
| Voice Assisted Panoramic Sunroof | HTK (O) variant onwards | ||
| 8 Speaker Bose Sound System | HTX variant onwards | ||
| 8-way powered driver seat | HTK (O) variant onwards | ||
| Ventilated front seats | HTK (O) variant onwards | ||
| Level-2 ADAS | HTX (A) variant onwards | ||
Kia Seltos Variants
The Kia Seltos is available in eight variants: HTE, HTE (O), HTK, HTK (O), HTX, HTX (A), GTX, and GTX (A). As far as the colour options are concerned, 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.
| 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 |
Best Kia Seltos Variant to Buy
The base HTE variant of the Kia Seltos offers a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 6 speakers, steering-mounted controls, manual AC, automatic headlamps, remote central locking, 6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, and more. For a car that costs Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the base HTE variant of the Kia Seltos is impressively loaded and can be a good option for buyers looking for a capable SUV around Rs 10 to 12 lakh.
Next up is the HTE (O) variant, which adds an electronic parking brake with auto hold (automatic only), drive modes, and paddle shifters (automatic only), as well as a 60:40 rear seat split. This can be a viable option for those seeking an automatic mid-size SUV on a budget.
The HTK variant adds a tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, push-button start/stop, auto-folding ORVMs, 17-inch alloy wheels, flush-fitting door handles, rear door sunshades, and more. For its asking price, this variant misses a key feature – automatic climate control, and even otherwise, this variant does not justify its price increment over the previous variant.
The HTK (O) variant adds an 8-way powered driver seat, front parking sensors, a wireless phone charger, ventilated front seats (automatic only), leatherette upholstery, and most importantly, a panoramic sunroof. The HTK (O) variant deserves serious consideration, even though it misses the automatic climate control.
The HTX variant adds a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, auto-dimming IRVM, dual-zone AC, ventilated front seats in manual models as well, a 5-inch touchscreen for HVAC, an 8-speaker BOSE sound system, and more. For its asking price, the HTX variant is a good value-for-money offering.
The HTX (A) variant adds some features of the Level-2 ADAS safety suite, for example, parking collision avoidance assist (automatic only), smart cruise control with stop and go (automatic only), reverse parking collision avoidance assist (automatic only). Moreover, it brings in 2 side parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. This variant can be a good option for someone looking for a well-loaded automatic SUV.
The GTX variant adds a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, memory function for the driver’s seat and ORVMs, and more. However, the GTX variant does not add any important features. It would be better to skip it and move to the GTX (A) variant, which adds the full-fledged ADAS safety suite.
Kia Seltos Warranty & Service Cost
The Kia comes with a standard warranty of 3 years/unlimited kilometres. This warranty period can be extended up to 7 years/ 1,60,000 km at some additional cost. In terms of maintenance, the Seltos shall yearly demand Rs. 8-10,000 for the Diesel variants, Rs. 6-8,000 for petrol variants. This makes the Seltos’s 5-year maintenance cost fall anywhere between Rs. 40 to 50,000.
Why you should consider the Kia Seltos
Size and Space
The new Kia Seltos is 4,460 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, 1,635 mm tall, and has a 2,690mm wheelbase. Compared to the previous model, it is 95 mm longer, 30 mm wider, and has an 80 mm longer wheelbase. With such dimensions, Kia has done an outstanding job at opening more room in the Kia Seltos’s cabin. Longer wheelbase means more legroom for rear seat passengers, and the rear seat can seat three average-sized adults more comfortably than it did earlier. For the space it packs, the Seltos is one of the most spacious cars in the segment. At the same time, being over 4.4 meters long, the new Seltos is closer to the higher segment, which houses the Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV700, and others.
Best interior in the segment
‘Best interior in the segment’ might look like a tall claim, but let’s understand what we mean by that. Kia has been quite thoughtful in how they designed the interior, and focused far more on functionality rather than style. Around the driver’s seat, there are no glossy elements, which have become commonplace in the other cars in the segment and hamper the driver’s view by reflecting light. While there are no glossy plastics, the plastic that has been used is of high quality and looks and feels premium, and there are no rough edges or unfinished surfaces. The best part of the interior is the availability of physical buttons. In an era where every brand is minimising their cars’ interiors by integrating most controls in the touchscreens, Kia has opted to give physical easy-to-use buttons, which are easy to adapt to and do not require you to take your eyes off the road to operate them. Even the automatic gear knob is rather big, so it can be held easily; many cars today offer small, fancy gear knobs, which make it slightly uneasy to hold them.
Appreciable ride comfort
The stiff ride was one of the drawbacks of the previous Seltos, even though it had a firm overall feel. However, with the new generation, the ride quality has changed, even though, like the previous model, the suspension consists of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam axle with coil springs at the rear. Now, suspension is more oriented towards performance than aesthetics. Bumps and jerks are easily absorbed, and you do not feel any harsh edge to the ride. The cherry on top is that the comfier ride has not come at the expense of great body control, which was already there. Even at high speeds, the Seltos feels stable
Value for money
An interesting thing to note is that the Seltos has not received any feature additions. In fact, the new Seltos does not feature an onboard air purifier and heads-up display that its predecessor offered. So, basically, the feature list has shortened rather than lengthened. Even then, the new Seltos offers great value. Considering its growth in size and all the new exterior and interior, the new Seltos is refreshing. With a starting price of Rs 10.99 lakh, the Seltos has a Rs 50,000 more affordable starting point in its variant lineup compared to the Tata Sierra. Moreover, with its price topping at 19.99 lakh, its top variants sit below the top variants of the Hyundai Creta and Tata Sierra.
Why you should not consider the Kia Seltos
Diesel Engine Lacks the Pep
The 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine of the Kia Seltos has spent a long time in the market. It has been offered with the Seltos since its launch and is also offered with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Carens Clavis, and many other cars from Hyundai and Kia. There is no doubt that this engine is popular and a great-selling one. However, since the Kia Seltos has grown, this engine has more weight to drive. Its power delivery is linear, and you do not feel the reserve of power under the accelerator pedal. It drives the SUV comfortably and smoothly, but it does not like to be hurried. Even in the sport mode, this engine pulls the car rather smoothly but not quickly. Meanwhile, while the gearbox is smooth, the gear shift is slow, even with the paddle shifters.
Misses Some Features Offered by Rivals
It feels odd to learn that a Kia car is missing some features which its rivals offer, but it is true. As mentioned, the new Seltos does not feature an onboard air purifier and heads-up display that its predecessor offered. Moreover, the new Kia Seltos misses a power front passenger seat, which is offered in the Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, and Volkswagen Taigun. It misses the Boss Mode – a function with which the front passenger can be slid completely forward to free more room for the passenger behind this seat. The Hyundai Creta has an electronic Boss Mode, while the Tata Sierra has a manual Boss Mode. The Kia Seltos also misses a wireless charger for the rear passenger, which the Hyundai Creta offers. The other missing features in the Kia Seltos package, which are offered in many of its rivals, are a powered tailgate and puddle lamps.
Summary
Small changes can make a big difference, and with the new Kia Seltos, the Korean carmaker has easily proven that. In addition to making the Seltos larger and adding more space in its cabin, Kia has transformed the interior to become ‘the best interior in the segment.’ The elevated practicality and comfort for driver and passengers make the Seltos an appealing deal, especially considering its price. While its diesel engine lacks the zip it should have, and it misses some upmarket features offered in its rivals, the new Kia Seltos is a fabulous product, and with this buying guide in hand, you have all the info you need before you walk into a Kia’s showroom to buy one.
FAQ
Q: What are the premium features of the Kia Seltos?
The most premium features of the Kia Seltos 10-way powered driver’s seat with memory function, 64 colour ambient lighting, auto reverse ORVMS, front ventilated seats, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a 5-inch touchscreen for HVAC, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming IRVM, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a Level-2 ADAS safety suite, and more.
Q: What are the dimensions of the Kia Seltos?
The Kia Seltos is 4,460 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, 1,635 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,690 mm. Moreover, it has a ground clearance of 190 mm and a boot space of 447 litres.
Q: In which colours is the Kia Seltos available?
The Kia Seltos is available in the following colour schemes: 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.
Q: Which safety features are available in the Kia Seltos?
The safety features available on the Kia Seltos are six as standard: Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, All Wheel Disc Brakes, Electric Parking Brake with Auto Hold, ESP, Hill Hold Control, Traction Control, a Level-2 ADAS safety suite, and more.
