Kia Seltos: Key Features Explained In Detail

Kia Motors has finally started its inning in India with launch of the Seltos compact SUV. The Korean carmaker has already had a banging start receiving over 32,000 bookings ahead of its launch and has commenced operations with 265 touchpoints in 160 cities that include 206 dealerships. The Seltos has been specifically designed for our market and is assembled at Kia's India facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The Hyundai Creta, Renault Captur, Nissan Kicks, Tata Harrier and another newcomer- MG Hector are some of its major rivals in the segment and Kia has priced it quite aggressively to give all of them a tough competition.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Compact SUV Launched In India

Kia Motors is offering the Seltos in 16 variants and two trim line options- GT Line and Tech Line.

The range starts at Rs 9.69 lakh for the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated base HTE variant going all the way up to Rs. 15.99 lakh for the 1.5-litre top end HTX+ diesel and 1.4-litre turbo GTX+ petrol variants. Kia Motors is offering 16 trim combinations on the Seltos and with three engine and four transmission options. There are also separate trims- GT Line and Tech Line for exterior and interior treatment. Let's look at all of it in detail.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Review: The New Compact SUV Benchmark

Exterior

The Kia Seltos may not be the most spacious compact SUV but sets benchmarks in quite a few departments, looks being one of them.

The Kia Seltos starts to impress right from the start and has set new benchmarks in quite a few departments, looks being one of them. It made waves with the design even when it was showcased as the SP concept at the 2018 Auto Expo and the production model stands true to the concept. As we have said in our review, you would be better off with the Tata Harrier or MG Hector is size is what you're looking for but if you want something compact, stylish and yet spacious, the Seltos is an ideal pick. A key differentiator in the GT Line variants are the red highlights in the along the cladding and the GT badge on the grilled which add a bit of sportiness and go well with some paint shades.

The overall design of the Seltos is aggressive and sharp creases on the face and shoulder helps shape its bulges aesthetically. The face boasts of the wide Tiger nose grille in glossy black mesh pattern and there are textured chrome surroundings around it. Sleek LED headlamps, DRLs, bold claddings which incorporate the silver skid plates and angular detailing across the facade build up on the modern design. A bit of Creta flavour is also visible in the profile, especially the way the pillars have been designed. However, rising window line and sculpting on the rear haunches are fresh and the Seltos gets a profile of its own. The rear of the car looks very urban and the tailgate is proportionately segmented as well, giving almost equal area to the raked windscreen and lower sections. Elements like sleek chrome bar which insets into the tail lamps and dual exhaust finished in faux silver add to the looks as well. What also build upon the contemporary looks are in-trend elements like dual-tone roof, silver roof rails and 17-inch machined alloy wheels.

Also Read: Kia Motors Receives Over 32,000 Bookings For Seltos Compact SUV

Interior

The red highlights in the GT Line contrast well with the all-black cabin.

The cabin of the Seltos looks clean and uncluttered despite there are quite a few number of switches on the central console and enough profile lines across the dash and doors to shape the interiors. You get two colour options for the cabin- all black and black and off-white. The GT Line trim looks particularly sporty with black interiors as the red stitching on the seats and dash further along with the GT Line lettering on the seats contrast well with the black theme. The Tech Line trim comes along really well in the black and off-white interior theme and feels a bit more plush and sophisticated, also giving you a better sense of space inside the cabin. Having said that, elements used in both variants like the piano black treatment on door pads and dashboard or the faux silver highlights around the edges really help setting a new benchmark as far as interiors are concerned.

The black and off-white interior feels more plush and premium and gives a better sense of space.

As said earlier, the Seltos is not the most spacious SUV in the segment but it's not something you will complain about. The legroom and headroom are more than adequate, the rear seat comes with a two-step recline position and you get rear air-con vents which do the job pretty well. In fact, the 433-litres of boot space also look decent to gobble enough luggage for five on a road trip.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Enters Mass Production In India

Features

The Kia Seltos comes with a number of segment-first features.

You get a plethora of comfort creatures and multimedia features in the Seltos and some of them are segment-first like the ventilated seats, air-purifier, in-built perfume, eco-coating to absorb odour and traction modes among others. Moreover, it gets ambient mood lighting, and the first-of-its-kind LED sound mood lights with 8 mono colour themes and 6 Multicolour themes.

The Kia Seltos gets a 10.25-inch infotainment system along with a premium 8-speaker surround system.

The 10.25-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system takes the centre stage in the Seltos. Alongside, you get an advanced 7.0-inch colour display for the instrument cluster along with head-up display. Kia is also offering a premium Bose Sound System with 8-speaker setup which is also the best-in-class according to our review. The system monitors the vehicle speed and adjusts the speaker output as per the change without having driver to control it. The instrument cluster offers read-outs for drive information, rear park assist warning, turn by turn navigation, tyre pressure monitor, and driving mode. It also gets embedded navigation and split-screen function, and 4 ARKAMYS sound moods for scintillating music for the lower variants that do not get the Bose system. For connectivity, the infotainment system also comes with features like - Android Auto and Apple Carplay, Bluetooth, AUX-IN and USB function. Furthermore, the Seltos also gets a segment-first smart 8.0-inch heads-up display that offers read-out for speed, navigation information, cruise control and speed limit, among others.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Prototype First Drive Review

Connected Car Tech

Kia Motors is offering the Seltos with a 37 connected car features.

Well! Not as many as you'll get in a Hector but Seltos is still a connected car and the UVO tech offers 37 connected features. You get three years free subscription under 5 categories namely Navigation, Safety & Security, Vehicle Management, Remote Control and Convenience. The navigation features include - live car tracking, car location & destination sharing, live traffic information, a destination set with schedule, find my car, desired destination search, send destination route to the car. For safety and security, the UVO system is designed to send auto collision notification, SOS-emergency assistance, panic notification, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle notification, stolen vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle immobilization, and safety alert (geofence, time fence, speed, valet, idle). The system also has a remote control function as well which allows you to control the ignition, AC, air purifier, door locks, horns & lights, and tyre pressure monitor using the mobile application. The system also comes with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Voice Recognition service which can be used to control an array of features like making a phone call, maps and navigation, climate control and much more using voice command.

Also Read: Kia Seltos: What We Know!

Engine And Transmissions

The Kia Seltos is being offered with three engine and four transmission options.

Three engine and four transmission options are on offer in the Seltos. It is available in two petrol and one diesel engine options, part of the Smartstream family of engines. The engines are BS6 compliant right from the start, making the offering future ready. The 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol motor is tuned to produce 138 bhp and 242 Nm of peak torque, and comes paired with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed automatic transmission.

The 1.5-litre NA petrol belts out 113 bhp and 144 Nm of peak torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual and an IVT (Intelligent continuously variable transmission) automatic transmission. Lastly, the 1.5-litre VGT diesel produces 113 bhp and 250 Nm of torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Safety

The Seltos is built using advanced high strength steel.

The safety kit adds six airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, ESP, hill hold control and blind view monitor among other features. Additionally, the Seltos is built using advanced high strength steel giving it a rigid top hat along with the underpinnings.