Kia Seltos is going to launch in India on 22 August this year. Official bookings of the compact SUV have started from today with a token amount of INR 25000. Customers can book the Seltos at any of its 206 sales points in the country. In addition to this, they can also book this SUV through Kia’s official website.

Kia Seltos – Price and Variants:

Powertrain options for the Kia Seltos include a 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre petrol motor will be available with a six speed manual transmission and a CVT unit. The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor will be offered only with a seven-speed DCT unit. The 1.5-litre diesel motor can be had with a six speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission. Once launched in India on 22 August, the Kia Seltos will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, MG Hector and the Renault Duster. Expect the Seltos to arrive with a price tag of approximately Rs 11-17 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read: TATA HARRIER – an impressive SUV on a Land Rover platform!

Kia Seltos – Design:

Kia Seltos Design

The first thing to highlight that fact is the design of the Kia Seltos. The face and tail look border and the details are aplenty with the complex lighting elements and premium textures. Kia is claiming a best-in-class drag coefficient of 0.35, which is pretty normal for a high riding crossover. Like the Creta, the Seltos too boasts of a superior paint quality and if I was buying one, I would get the white Seltos in the GT line, with all its red accents and the contrasting roof.

Kia Seltos Exterior:

There’s no doubt it’s attractive looking and Kia’s design team has made sure that certain elements from the SP Concept (showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo) are carried forward to the production version. It gets the brand’s signature Tiger Nose grille with chrome surrounds, flanked by inverted L-shaped LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The muscle is added by the bumpers and the flared wheel arches. A set of ice cube LED DRLs with chrome bezels give the Seltos a signature look and a wide central airdam, and silver skid plate add more premiumness to it all. The top-end model will also get a set of new diamond cut 17-inch alloy wheels, with the shark-fin antenna and silver roof rails. The rear features a pair of sharp-looking LED taillamps and a beefy rear bumper with brushed silver styling element and a large diffuser.

Kia Seltos Interior:

Kia Seltos cabin

The cabin is pretty roomy too. There’s good enough room at the front and rear. The rear in fact gets good knee and head room and Kia even offers it with a two stage reclining function which adds to the comfort of rear seat passengers. The seats themselves are pretty good too but the addition of some side support for the thighs and even the back would have made it better. You also get a massive head up display, which gives you all the information you want, right from navigation to rpm levels to of course the speed and yes, you can adjust the HUD to your liking with a touch of a button on the infotainment system.

Safety Features:

As far as safety is concerned, the Kia Seltos offers a full range safety which includes, active, passive, health safety, security and maintenance. The Seltos gets 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, HAC, VSM and is built using advanced high strength steel (AHSS). It comes standard with 2 Airbags, ABS with EBD Additionally it gets front and rear parking sensors and blind view monitor. Working in tandem with the safety tech, the Seltos comes equipped with an array of advanced UVO connected car technology features. The UVO technology can be summoned via a dedicated button on the IRVM. The IRVM also has dedicated roadside assistance and SOS button that alert the dedicated call centre- in case of an emergency. It also gets rain sensing wipers and auto headlamps.

Kia Seltos India | First Look and Walkaround from Autocar India