Ritesh Madhok
Kia Motors is all set to enter the Indian auto market with their very first offering, the Seltos SUV. The Korean car maker is late to the party here and wants to ensure they have a flawless takeoff into the Indian auto market with the Seltos SUV.
Exteriors
The Kia Seltos will be available as the Tech-Line and the GT-Line trims, and we drove both of them. The Kia Seltos looks extremely dynamic and trendy at first look. The SUV has a very upmarket, striking styling. The face gets the unique Kia Tiger Nose grille with the broad face, surrounded by thick textured chrome surrounds engulfing the diamond styled grille. The wraparound headlights adorn crown jewel styling and get a white LED glow in them. The headlights also get a very unique heartbeat LED DRL in them. The headlights extend themselves into the front grill in form of a slim design LED strip that runs just below the bonnet sill. The front bumper has a smart chiseled styling and houses the very differently styled ice cube design white LED fog lamps. The Seltos also gets a faux skid plate, adding to the overall SUV styling. The side styling on the Seltos gets highlighted by fiber cladding around the wheel arches, chrome door garnish and chrome belt around the windows. Electric sunroof is also part of the equipment. The rear styling on the Seltos is highlighted by a thick chrome band that runs across the bootlid, neatly integrating into the unique design heartbeat LED tail lamps.
Interiors
Step inside and you realize the level of premium comfort and features the vehicle comes loaded with. The dashboard and door pads get a dualtone shade in black and beige color on the Tech-Line, while the GT-Line gets an all black cabin with red stitching. The highlight of the Seltos is the 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system. This unit comes loaded with features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Kia UVO, FM, Navigation, screen for the 360 degrees camera etc. The instrument cluster also has a 7 inch color display screen that not only reads out all the tell tales, but also doubles up as the compass, tyre pressure monitor and blind spot display when using the turn indicators. Both, the normal and flat bottom steering with metal inserts, feel extremely chunky and premium to grip and also come with the MFD control buttons neatly laid on them. Driver seats come with full electric adjust and the front seats also get cooled ventilation option on them. Rear seats get three adjustable headrests and also two settings for inclining the back angle as per comfort. Other highlights of the Kisa Seltos is the perfumed auto air purifier with a 2.16 inch LED display.The display shows the AQI (air quality index) readings in live time and also the fan speed etc. Another key highlight on the Kia Seltos top trims is the Bose music system that comes with 400Watt of sound output from 8 speakers, including a 3.25 inch center speaker and a 8 inch subwoofer. The music system is connected to the mood lighting, which in turn kind of dances on the musical notes, you can also choose between just the ambient lighting or the ambient music lighting.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
The Kia Seltos gets 3 engine options, with all engines being BS VI ready from day one. Two petrol and one diesel engines are on the lineup. 1.4T GDI Turbo has a power output of 140Ps and 242Nm of torque mated to 6-speed manual and 7-speed DCT Automatic transmission options. The 1.5 Petrol engine makes 115Ps of power and has 144Nm of torque output and comes with either a 6-speed manual or a smartstream automatic transmission option. The diesel engine on the lineup is the 1.5L VGT motor with 115Ps of power and 250Nm of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed auto transmission.
We drove the 1.4 GDI and the 1.5 Diesel versions. All three engine options are very well suited to the needs and requirements of different buyers. Our pick was the 1.4L GDI Petrol, where the engine feels extremely free revving and responsive. The drive quality is very plush and so is the handling. The steering feels nicely weighted with adequate feedback at all speeds. Pickup and power delivery is extremely good with super smooth shifts on the DCT automatic. The Manual version also offers loads of fun. The DCT automatic trim also gets drive modes to choose from, Normal, Eco and Sport modes can be selected using the dial. Apart from these modes you also get three traction modes to select -Mud, Snow/Wet and Sand mode. Toggling between these drive and traction modes was fun, especially on the wet Goan roads.
The diesel Seltos was no less fun to drive, with tons of torque available at all speeds and great drivability across the powerband.
Verdict
The Korean SUV is loaded to the brim in terms of comfort, convenience and safety features. The Seltos looks extremely trendy and the overall package is second to none currently in the segment. Kia has given a choice of Engine and transmission options to choose from. Kia Motors have done their homework and will launch the Seltos at an attractive price on of August22.
