2025 Kia Syros Buying Guide: Price, Features, Variants

The Kia Syros is causing all kinds of chaos in the sub 20 lakh SUV segment in India. Not only is it threatening other sub-4 metre SUVs such as the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Tata Nexon, but it is also looking menacingly at its own sibling, the Kia Sonet. Furthermore, Syros’ gaze is not just limited to compact SUVs, but it’s even targeting larger SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq, not to mention its elder sibling, the Kia Seltos.

With so many potential rivals, it can become confusing to see the Kia Syros for what it really is, a small SUV that loves to play with the big boys and can even go toe to toe with them on many fronts. So, will the Kia Syros be a potential match made in heaven for you, or should you give this unique looking SUV a miss? To solve this dilemma, we have put together this article which is a complete guide to buying a Kia Syros.

Kia Syros Specifications

Before we dive deeper into the pros and cons of the Kia Syros, here’s a look at the most important specifications of the Kia SUV.

The Kia Syros is offered with an option of a petrol or a diesel engine, both of which come mated either to a manual or automatic transmission. In terms of size, it is similar to other sub-4 metre SUVs but the wheelbase has been stretched to maximise cabin space. On the safety front, the most crucial features are standard on all variants of the Kia Syros.

Kia Syros Variants

The Kia Syros has a pretty straight forward variant lineup. It is available in six variants: HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTX, HTX+ and HTX+ (O). Furthermore, there are four powertrain options: Petrol Manual, Diesel Manual, Petrol Automatic and Diesel Automatic. The base HTK variant is only available with the petrol engine and manual transmission. The HTK (O) variant can be had with a petrol or diesel engine, albeit only with a manual transmission. The HTK+ and HTX variants can be had with the same powertrain configurations with the addition of a petrol-automatic combination. The top spec HTX+ and HTX+ (O) variants can be had with a petrol or a diesel engine, but only with an automatic transmission.

The price range of the Kia Syros is quite vast. The base variant of the SUV is priced at Rs. 9 lakh whereas the top variant is priced at Rs. 17.80 lakh, which is almost double of the base variant. However, each variant of Kia Syros offers great value in terms of features.

Best Kia Syros Variant to Buy

If you are on a tight budget but are still considering the Kia Syros, chances are, you want a small SUV that also offers a good blend of features. Therefore, even though the base HTK variant of the Syros is decently equipped, however, we suggest you skip that and the HTK (O) variant that comes after that and instead opt for the HTK+ variant. It brings highly desirable features such as a panoramic sunroof into the equation while adding other essential features that are instrumental for the modern day driving experience.

Furthermore, the petrol manual powertrain with the HTK variant is priced at a relatively modest increment of Rs. 2.5 lakh over the base HTK variant. If you opt for the petrol engine with an automatic transmission, you get additional features such as drive modes, rear wheel disc brakes and more.

On the other hand, if you are opting for the Kia Syros because of its compact dimensions, but want a fully loaded experience, we recommend that you opt for the HTX+ variant of the Syros. It gets all the bells and whistles and that too at a reasonable price. It does miss out on the ADAS system that can be considered the crown jewel of the Syros.

However, if you are going to be driving mostly in urban environments, ADAS isn’t going to be all that helpful. Alternatively, if you undertake a lot of highway journeys and plan to do the same with the Syros, in that case the ADAS system will come in handy and you should go for the top of the line HTX+ (O) variant.

Kia Syros Warranty and Service Cost

The Kia Syros is covered by a 3 year/Unlimited km warranty. However, the audio system on board, which covers the audio, video and navigation system is manufactured by Mobis and is subject to a warranty of only 2 years/50,000 km. Furthermore, the audio system isn’t covered by the extended warranty mentioned later in this article. Lastly, the 12V battery equipped with the vehicle is also not covered under the above mentioned warranty, and is instead governed by the warranty guidelines of the battery supplier such as  Exide and Amaron.

Kia offers an extended warranty program with the Syros which extends the coverage to 4th and 5th years of ownership. However, customers have to choose between extending the coverage for 1,00,000 km (4th year) or 1,20,000 km (5th year). Additionally, the option to extend the coverage for unlimited number of kilometres in the 4th and 5th years is also available.

The price for the extended warranty depends on when it is bought and also differs for petrol and diesel models. Take a look at the table below for the exact price.

The ownership experience of a vehicle is also greatly influenced by the service costs of a vehicle. Kia mandates that the Syros needs to be serviced every 10,000 km or 1 year, which occurs earlier. To make things easier, we have given the service costs for both petrol and diesel models of the Syros up to a period of five years.

Why should you consider the Kia Syros

The Kia Syros is a unique answer to a question not many car buyers were asking, but definitely desired. Take a look at why the Kia Syros will be a great SUV for you.

Compact Size

Indian roads aren’t exactly always wide and with traffic density increasing every year, and this is true across tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India, a compact vehicle holds a key advantage over bigger SUVs. The Kia Syros is also under 4 metres in length and meets the powertrain criteria to be taxed lower under the sub-4 metre rules. Lastly, a compact vehicle is also easy to park, especially when parking in today’s day and age comes at a premium.

Great Features

Carrying on from the earlier point, compact cars aren’t usually offered with premium features, but the Kia Syros decisively breaks that mould. The biggest feature which will appeal to car buyers is the panoramic sunroof. A regular sunroof isn’t always a given in compact cars, but Kia has gone out of their way to offer a panoramic unit which definitely works wonders to uplift the cabin ambience.

Furthermore, two 12.3 inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system, 64 colour ambient lighting, ventilated seats in the front and back, dual dash camera, air purifier, and an 8 speaker Harman Kardon audio are also offered on the Kia Syros.

Rear Seat Slide and Recline

Another thing that is not often considered is the comfort of rear passengers in a compact car. However, the Syros does things differently. Not only are the rear seats ventilated, but they can also feature a sliding and recline feature. This is a highly practical feature, which in our opinion, and one that will be appreciated by all Syros owners.

Premium Quality Interior

The interior quality of compact cars isn’t always a priority but Kia designers have made sure that the Syros stands apart. The touch points have been carefully draped in soft touch materials. In places where hard touch plastics have been used, they have been given a textured finish which gives them a modern aesthetic, and also nicer to touch. The quality of buttons and switches also have a certain heft to them, often not found in similarly sized cars.

Why should you not consider the Kia Syros

The Kia Syros is a great compact car, but it might not suit everyone’s driving requirements. Here are a couple of reasons why you should avoid the Kia SUV.

Petrol Engine for Urban Use

If you drive mostly in urban areas and are opting for the petrol engine, you might want to reconsider. The 1.0 litre turbocharged engine isn’t highly fuel efficient and this issue is greatly highlighted in urban environments where gear shifts are frequent. This problem becomes even more serious with the automatic transmission, which continuously shifts gears in slow moving traffic, leading to increased fuel consumption and a slightly jerky drive experience.

A manual transmission will solve a bit of this issue, however, if fuel efficiency is a primary concern and your office commutes include bumper to bumper traffic, we recommend you skip the petrol engine.

Rear Shoulder Room

The rear seat of the Kia Syros is highly comfortable in most aspects, barring one, and that is its ability to seat three people abreast. Being a compact car, the Syros is relatively narrow and three adults in the second row will end up jostling for shoulder room, although two adults and a child will fit in snugly. Ultimately, if you are often going to be driving around with five adults, the Kia Syros will not offer the most pleasant experience for back seat passengers.

Summary

The Kia Syros has taken the Indian market by surprise. Previously, car makers have been hesitant in betting big on the compact SUV space, but the Kia Syros is definitely paving the way. In essence, anyone who wanted a small car but didn’t want to miss out on the premium features offered on bigger SUVs will love the Kia Syros.

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