Kia has made a smashing entry into the Indian car market with the unveil of the Seltos SUV. The vehicle was first showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo as the SP2i concept. Post which, multiple sightings of the SUV doing its test rounds have been noted. Kia also diligently reminded the press about their upcoming vehicle with teasers and more. Let’s then delve deeper into this B-segment SUV that will go on sale in a couple of months from now.
The name
Hercules, the Greek god’s son was called Celtos. Kia happened to mix the words Speed and Celtos to create Seltos. This name isn’t in use in any of their global products as well.
Platform?
Kia and Hyundai are sister concerns. For the Indian market, the Seltos shares its platform with the Creta. This from experience should tell you that the Seltos should be as robust as the Creta. It should also have good highway manners and a nimble handling in town. While the length, width and height numbers haven’t been released yet, we expect the Kia to be no bigger than the Hyundai. Or perhaps just a smidgen bigger, from what we have seen. This Kia will be available with 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheels. There may not be a steel wheels option, however, Kia will provide wheel caps on the base trim. Speaking of which, ExpressDrives has come to know exclusively that the Seltos will be sold in a High as well as GT-line trims. The subdivisions of these, however, are yet to be confirmed.
Safety
The Indian government norms now mandate a driver airbag, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, speed alerts as well as driver and co-passenger seatbelt reminder on all new four wheelers. The Kia Seltos will have all of this and since it operates in the premium segment, we can expect a bit more as well. For example, the base Kia trims will have a passenger airbag too. The vehicle shown at the unveil had six airbags, 360-degree camera, blind spot monitor, front parking sensors, auto headlights/wipers, dedicated SoS as well as roadside assistance button and then some more. Hill start assist, vehicle stability management and electronic stability control are some of the other electronic nannies available.
Kia also says that they have made use of high tensile steel which improves the Seltos’ crashworthiness. However, given that the vehicle hasn’t been crash tested yet, we will reserve our comments on the latter.
Features
It is a traditional Kia alright. This means tons of features. While the variant/feature spread hasn’t been revealed yet, the vehicles shown at the unveil looked pretty loaded. On the top trims, Kia will offer all-LED lights on the outside while on the inside, there will be eight different ambient lighting available. Kia also has mood-based lighting in the cabin that will actually adjust the lights based on the song played. Moreover, the driver’s seat is powered while the front seats are ventilated as well. There is a head-up display, electric sunroof, air purifier and a single zone climate control with rear AC vents. Speaking of which, these rear vents also have a digital display on top. Hyundai will also offer its UVO connected car technology which is similar to the one in the Hyundai Venue. This one brings in live vehicle tracking, remote engine start-stop, immobilisation of the vehicle, remote air purifier as well as air conditioning start, collision notification and safety alerts. The Seltos also has AI-based voice commands.
The infotainment system boasts a 10.2-inch head unit that will host navigation, Android Auto, Mirror Link as well as Apple CarPlay. However, it was observed that one of the vehicles on display had a smaller infotainment system, much like the Creta’s.
Engines and transmission
The Kia Seltos has a choice of two petrol and one diesel motor. All these engines will be BS-VI compliant right from the onset. While Kia wasn’t too generous with the specifications of each at the time of unveil, we expect the following to be the power outputs. The 1.6-litre turbo diesel, is shared with the Creta and should make 134hp. It will be mated to a 6-speed torque converter or a manual. Next up is the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated, four cylinders, petrol engine that should make 147hp. Kia will align this engine with a CVT and manual transmission. Both the lower powered petrol as well as diesel engines are being dubbed Smartstream. The top of the line and most powerful motor will be a 1.4-litre GDI turbo petrol that boasts 175hp. This engine will exclusively be sold with a 7-speed DCT.
Design
This is a subjective topic as we all know. However, everyone present at the unveiling univocally said that the Seltos is a very good looking car. Be it the stance, LED DRLs, headlamps, the skid plates or even the cohesive arrangement of the rear lights. We remember that the Hector had everyone split about its design language, the Kia is more like the Harrier and has less detractors as far as design is concerned. This pertains to the cabin as well.
Price
This was just an unveil with lots of questions left to be answered and that includes the price as well as launch date. Kia is likely to price the Seltos from Rs 11-17 lakh, ex-showroom. This will make it one of the most expensive vehicles in its segment, however, given that the prices of its peers are also ever increasing, it may offset things a bit. Kia is aiming for a very competitive pricing strategy given that the vehicle is heavily localised as well as made-in-India. Kia has a plant in Anantpur which has a production capacity of three lakh vehicles per year and can also be ramped up. The company has so far invested 14,000 crore in its India operations. The launch is scheduled for the current quarter (August-Sept) post which the vehicle will also be available in other regions of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Kia will establish 260 touchpoints or dealerships in layman speak across India before the launch. Post which, the brand aims to touch 300 showrooms by end of this year. This will be spread across more than 160 cities in India. The standard warranty of the Seltos is also expected to be segment-best. Within the next two years, Kia aims to introduce three more new products in the Indian market.
Competition check
The competitors include the Mahindra XUV500, MG Hector, Tata Harrier, Hyundai Creta as well as the Jeep Compass. The Nissan Kicks and its cousin, the Renault Captur too will be in the crosshairs. Thinking of buying an SUV in this segment? We suggest you wait for the Seltos launch.
Lijo Mathai