Kia Motors India has launched its first SUV, the Kia Seltos. The Kia Seltos comes in 16 variants, in two trim lines, with three different engine options and four transmission choices. Basically, Kia is trying to ensure there is a Seltos model for every kind of buyer.
Prices of the Kia Seltos start at Rs 9.69 lakh, going up to Rs 15.99 lakh for the top-spec version. Kia claims it has already got 32,000 bookings for the Seltos. It has an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles, so it claims it can meet demand. It already has 5,000 vehicles ready for delivery.
Kia Seltos Variants & Prices
Kia Seltos HT E 1.5 Petrol 6MT: Rs 9.69 lakh
Kia Seltos HT K 1.5 Petrol 6MT: Rs 9.99 lakh
Kia Seltos HT K+ 1.5 Petrol 6MT: Rs 11.19 lakh
Kia Seltos HT X 1.5 Petrol 6MT: Rs 12.79 lakh
Kia Seltos HT X 1.5 Petrol IVT (Auto): Rs 13.79 lakh
Kia Seltos GT K 1.4 Turbo-Petrol 6MT: Rs 13.49 lakh
Kia Seltos GT X 1.4 Turbo-Petrol 6MT: Rs 14.99 lakh
Kia Seltos GT X+ 1.4 Turbo-Petrol 6MT: Rs 15.99 lakh
Kia Seltos GT X 1.4 Turbo-Petrol 7DCT (Auto): Rs 15.99 lakh
Kia Seltos HT E 1.5 Diesel 6MT: Rs 9.99 lakh
Kia Seltos HT K 1.5 Diesel 6MT: Rs 11.19 lakh
Kia Seltos HT K+ Diesel 6MT: Rs 12.19 lakh
Kia Seltos HT K+ Diesel 6AT (Auto): Rs 13.19 lakh
Kia Seltos HT X Diesel 6MT: Rs 13.79 lakh
Kia Seltos HT X+ Diesel 6MT: Rs 14.99 lakh
Kia Seltos HT X+ Diesel 6AT (Auto): Rs 15.99 lakh
These are the introductory prices. Kia may hike prices within a few months of production.
The Kia Seltos competes with the Hyundai Creta, MG Hector and Jeep Compass among five-seat mid-size SUVs. With its feature list it will also draw some buyers away from the Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Harrier too, if size isn’t a priority.
Kia Seltos Variants Explained
Kia has two trim lines on the Kia Seltos - the HT or tech line and the GT line. Among these, the E variants are the entry-level ones, followed by K, X and going up to the X+, which is the fully loaded variant.
It comes with three engine options. There’s a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 115 PS of power and 144 Nm of torque. This engine comes with a six-speed manual transmission or an IVT (a derivative of a constantly variable automatic transmission).
Then there’s the enthusiast’s delight, the 1.4-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 140 PS of power and 242 Nm of torque. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT), with multiple drive modes.
For long-range drivers, there’s the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel motor that puts out 115 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque. This comes with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
All the engine options are BS6 emissions compliant. Kia says these motors can safely be used with BS4 fuel as well.
Kia Seltos Features
The variant to pick if you want all the goodies is the Kia Seltos HTX+ or GTX+ variants. These variants of the Kia Seltos come with Bose sound systems, UVO app for remote vehicle functions, sun roof, air purifier, ventilated seats, 360 degree camera, blind-spot camera, heads up display, powered driver’s seat and six airbags, besides the other standard features in the vehicle.
The K variant onwards get full LED lighting as well. The K+ variant gets alloy wheels and cruise control too.
The base E models are also fairly well equipped. It gets all four disc brakes, projector lamps, keyless entry, 4-speaker sound system, steering mounted controls, rear AC vents, two airbags and ABS as standard features.
It’s hard to beat the feature list, when you look at the competition such as the Hyundai Creta or MG Hector. The Jeep Compass isn’t even in the reckoning at this price point. In comparison, prices of the Tata Harrier start at Rs 12.99 lakh, the Hyundai Creta at Rs 9.6 lakh, going to Rs 15.6 lakh and the Jeep Compass at Rs 15.6 lakh going to Rs 23.11 lakh.
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