The Kia Seltos is the coolest mid-size SUV today.

17 min readAug 28, 2019

(Disclaimer: From this review onwards, I will be trying out a different format. Instead of going through every small detail of the vehicle, I will now be summarising and rating each vehicle based on various parameters, such as styling, features/technology, safety, comfort, practicality, quality, driving experience and value on a scale of 1 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest). The calibre and price of the vehicle does not affect the overall score)

Before I move on to the product itself, let me give you a brief introduction about the brand. KIA, is the second largest Korean brand in the world, after Hyundai where both brands are owned by the same parent company.

The Hyundai-owned brand marked its official entry into the Indian market in July 2019 with their ‘Made for India’ SUV- SP2 Concept now announced as the global mid-sized SUV KIA Seltos, with the official launch and price reveal taking place in August 2019. Kia has committed investments to the tune of $1.1 billion to develop operations in India including investing in a network of over 250 customer touch-points that include service, sales and spares establishments.

Now, onto the product.
The KIA Seltos is KIA’s first model for the Indian market, as well as the latest entry into the highly competitive mid-size SUV Segment which is currently lead by its cousin, the Hyundai Creta. Currently, the Seltos’s base price undercuts the Creta’s base price by ₹31,000, however, the highest versions of the Seltos exceeds that of the Creta’s by almost the same amount.

It is important to note that the Kia Seltos has got nothing to do with the existing Creta as far as platform is concerned. In fact, it is actually built on a new platform that will underpin the upcoming second-gen Creta that is expected between winter and spring, 2020. The Seltos also uses a newer set of engines, all of which are BS6 ready.

The Seltos is currently offered in 15 different versions including 3 different engines options and 4 different gearbox options! Yes, you read that right. Its rare for a vehicle to offer more gearbox choices than engine choices, however I will be reviewing and rating the flagship variant powered by the sweet 1.4 GDI mated to a 6 speed manual transmission which is standard across the range.

I would be awarding points as we take a tour of the Seltos and as usual, we will begin with the aesthetics.

1. Styling
The Seltos measures 4,315 mm x 1,800 mm x 1,630 mm (LxWxH)

Although it may be a little cumbersome to judge the looks with the amount reflection, KIA has decided to go aggressive with the overall styling, which is rather unusual, considering that KIA’s global products impose a slightly more conservative yet sleek design for its global products.

While the outline of the grille up front saw dollops of chromes (which do not suit my preferences), this has been reduced on the side. Instead of excessive chrome, KIA has decided to add some black cladding as well as squarish wheel arches to give it a rugged SUV look.
The Seltos looks well proportionate on its 17-inch, diamond cut wheels. Interestingly though, only the front brake calipers come finished in red.

Yes, the crazy amount of chrome does not stop there. Yet the strip of chrome that runs across the tailgate does not look out of place as the tiny chrome strip that looks out of place on the Creta’s tailgate. Chrome aside, KIA has added a lot of black cladding along with fake skid pads on the front and rear bumper to provide an overdose of ruggedness.

Turn signals are in the form of Adidas-style stripes. Notice the LED strip that runs all the way till the middle of the chrome outlining of the grille.

The red outline around the KIA emblem add to the sporty touch in these 5 spoke, 17" diamond cut rims. The rim itself looks sporty, clean and truly represents what a fully specced model should look like. (TATA, are you listening?)

Score: 5/10.
While the Seltos isn’t disproportionate, ugly or offensive, its definitely overstyled to my liking. I personally like cleaner designs with subtle or little use of chrome all around. In comparison, I personally like the cleaner styling of the Creta despite it being 4 years older than the Seltos. At the same time, I personally dislike the disproportionate styling of the recently launched MG Hector. I would have given the Creta a respectable 7, and the Hector a 2.

2. Features/Technology
Since it’s the most expensive version of the Seltos we are talking about, it is expected to be well equipped. Guess what! The level of equipment available for this price point in this segment is beyond impressive! Since the equipment list is extremely long, I have decided to highlight the most noteworthy features.

Air pollution in India is already at dangerous levels, and it is thoughtful of KIA to offer a world-first built-in, smart air purifier. The display is integrated at the back of the centre armrest. The unit can be controlled by either adjusting the level on the infotainment screen, or through the mobile app making it very convenient if you want to walk into your vehicle with fresh air inside.

Cooled seats are a blessing in our hot and humid conditions to prevent your back from sweating while on the go. The Seltos is the second vehicle at this spectrum of the market (After the Verna) to offer cooling seats. This feature, although rare in India, is common in most vehicles in other markets along with heated seats.

I applaud KIA for providing two cameras (known as the blind-view monitor), placed below each ORVM instead of a fancy (and unnecessary) virtual cockpit. The side on which the camera activates depends on which side you flick the indicator stalk. For example, if you turn on your left signal, the left camera will show and…

If you turn on the right signal, the camera on the right will activate. In other words, the whole intention of these cameras is to eliminate the problem of blind spots, allowing the driver to make a lane changing decision more wisely. The best part? The camera display is located right on the instrument cluster instead of the infotainment screen (like the Honda Accord) so that the driver does not have to take his/her eyes off the road.

(HUD) Heads up displays have been restricted to high end luxury cars in India for quite a while. Slowly, we will start witnessing features (like the HUD) that were once exclusive to luxury cars only a few years ago, trickle down to segments even the Alto belongs to, in a few years from now. Interestingly, the HUD is retractable and expandable according to your preference, allowing you the choice to retract the HUD even while driving.

KIA not only allows you to choose between various mood lightings, it also gives you the freedom to choose between various themes as per your choice. Not many luxury cars give you the liberty to customise your interiors with only a few taps.

Also part of the equipment list is Kia’s eSIM-based UVO connected tech that packs in 37 different functions, including live location, geo-fencing, panic notification and remote engine start/stop which is exclusive to automatic variants. Unfortunately, this particular vehicle did not contain a sim card for me to explore any of the features, yet its an impressive thought by KIA.

Below the auto-dimming IRVM are 3 buttons for 3 different functions. The first button on the left reads “SOS”. The middle button automatically calls for a tow truck to take your seltos to the nearest service station. The third button that reads “UVO” allows you to make full use of the features mentioned above.

When the third generation Hyundai Verna launched in late 2017, it took market by storm with its projector fog lamps. Today, KIA has taken projector fog lamps to another level. Instead of adding just one, they added three to each side. The fog lights are surrounded by a lot of black cladding. Attention to detail at its finest!

Score: 9/10
The Seltos in the fully loaded GTX+ trim level is overly equipped. Its easily far more equipped than literally every other vehicle in this price point. Its more equipped than most vehicles in the luxury segment as well. It loses a point as it does not feature a couple of things most owners may not even bother with, like the virtual cockpit and the panoramic sunroof.

3. Safety
Six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, traction control, stability management, hill-start assist control or HAC, brake assist, rear and FRONT parking camera, and even a 360 degree camera for all around the car visibility and several more active safety features are present in the Seltos GTX AT/GTX+

Fortunately, KIA has provided 3 adjustable headrests for the Seltos. Very useful incase of a whiplash situation. On the flip side…

…They have provided all the possible safety equipment, but could not provide a proper 3-point seatbelt for the middle occupant. Seriously, what were the folks in the safety department thinking? Why don’t you learn a thing or two from Toyota?

Score: 7/10
While KIA has offered boatloads of safety features on the higher spec versions of the Seltos, not all of them will make it to the lower versions. Additionally, the Seltos loses 3 points; Firstly, it has not been crash tested as yet but it is assumed to be structurally stable which is expected as the Seltos is based on an all new platform. Secondly, It loses a point as KIA did not offer a 3-point seatbelt for the middle occupant. Finally, it loses a third point as not all the safety equipment is available across the range (Take a look at the Toyota Yaris as an example)

4. Comfort
Getting in and out of the Seltos is relatively effortless due to the height of the cabin.

The front seats provide adequate bolstering and under thigh support. The driver’s seat can be electrically adjusted as well (not pictured here). The leather is of good quality and it is fairly easy to find the correct driving position

The situation with the rear bench is similar, in a good way. The seats are well reclined with acceptable under thigh support and a decent amount of padding, although the bench is almost flat, is best suited to 2 adults and one child in the middle

Although the leg room isn’t as much as the bigger Hector and XUV5OO, there is adequate amount of space for a mid-size SUV and definitely more leg room than the Creta. This is the amount of space available behind my own driving position.

Factory fitted alternatives to illegal sunfilms such as window shades are a boon in hot weather conditions. Other solutions available to counter the sunfilm ban are factory fitted tinted glasses which are available in the Maruti Baleno at the moment.

The Seltos sits a decent 190mm above the ground and boasts a fairly respectable ride. The suspension felt slightly on the stiffer side at lower speeds but irons out smaller bumps really well at higher speeds, making it a pretty good choice for travelling on some state highways.

Score: 7/10
While comfort is not exceptional, it is in line with the segment norms. Decent legroom, ride and comfort features such as window shades help bring the score to a respectable 7. The Creta would have recieved a 6 and the XUV5OO would have recieved a mediocre 4.

5. Practicality
As mentioned a little earlier, the Seltos sits 190mm above the ground so tackling most bad roads should not be an issue.
It also has a tank capacity of 50 liters which, to be honest is a little small for the segment it belongs to. Drive the 1.4 GDI turbo the way it should be driven, and the tank will be empty in no time.

433 liters of cargo area isn’t what i’d call massive by any means. It isn’t very well shaped either as the tyre well eats up a considerable amount of space in the trunk. It is best for one large suitcase and two cabin bags, or maybe two mediums and one cabin bag without folding the seats down. On a positive note, a 60:40 split is offered on this vehicle.

Score: 6/10
Not the most practical vehicle if you want to carry a lot of luggage. It certainly will not be very embarrassing during airport runs either. Being a mid size SUV, the trunk was expected to be of this size.
Had it been the diesel version, it would have received a very respectable 7 for its fuel economy.

6. Quality
Quality comprises of materials, fit and finish and reliability. As expected from a KIA, quality of materials, fit and finish, and reliability should be pretty strong as KIA is owned by Hyundai Motor Company, which owns Hyundai which is also known for putting high quality materials in its vehicles so a little bit of part sharing is expected which isn’t a bad thing as far as cost savings are concerned.

Not only is the dashboard really beautiful to look at, the high quality of materials such as soft plastics make it a pleasant sight to behold on a daily basis. There are absolutely no rough edges as well as no visible evidence of cost cutting. Fit and finish is top notch at this price point. The steering wheel is leather wrapped and is of extremely high quality and the flat bottom along with red stitching really adds to the overall ambience of the cabin.

As mentioned earlier regarding the seats, the leather is of excellent quality at this price, making the seats more welcoming and comfortable for longer journeys.

Score: 8/10
The Seltos is a vehicle you would like to spend time inside for its excellent choice of materials used inside the cabin. Everything inside looks neat and easy to operate as well. What surprised me the most was the fact that the Seltos is an India-specific model and yet, they did not compromise on the quality compared to its global models. For the sake of reference, take a look at the Dashboard of KIA’s premium, the Stinger.

Although the Stinger has been in the market for over a year, it remains the second most expensive sedan in KIA’s lineup, after the flagship K900.

7. Driving Experience
This category takes into account the engine’s performance, handling, braking, gearbox, clutch (for manuals) and NVH levels.

As mentioned earlier, the Seltos is offered in 3 engine options and 4 different gearboxes. I was able to get my hands on the most enthusiastic engine/gearbox combination in the lineup, which is why I would be talking only about my experience with this particular version.

While the engine bay is below average to look at, the engine itself is way above average. The unit pictured above is the flagship 1.4 turbo GDI and will definitely be the pick of the lot if budget is not much of an issue.

This relatively small motor produces very respectable figures. More specifically, 140hp@6000 rpm which is quite high considering the redline is only 500rpm away and a healthy 242nm of torque at a fairly low 1500rpm, as expected from a turbocharged engine. If you are excited to know how the Seltos is to drive, the news is very good and you’re in for a treat.

After cold-firing the engine to life, the 1.4 GDI does a great job of minimising that annoying humming sound to warm up the engine. After a minute of starting her up, not only do things settle down very well, it almost feels like an electric car.

A contributing factor to above average NVH levels is the use of bonnet insulation, which is commonly found in diesels and rarely found in petrols. The NVH levels at idle are so good, I almost forgot that the vehicle had been turned on.

While the 1.4’s turbo lag is a little prominent in the city, highways are where this gem of a motor shines. Most of the bumper to bumper traffic was on second gear as it is the best gear to measure drivability. Below 1500 rpm, turbo lag is quite prominent and requires you to be a little patient and wait till the needle touches 1500 rpm. Once the needle touches 1500 rpm, there is no looking back. There is ample of power available at your disposal right till the end of the rpm range and the 1.4 does not lose any momentum.

Turbo kick is pretty addictive and the turbocharged engine allows the vehicle to pick up speeds really quickly. Mash the throttle to the ground and you’ll reach triple digit, illegal speeds before you know it. Once you’re on the highway, overtaking can be effortless. A slight tap on the throttle if you’re at the right gear at the right speed and you’re guaranteed to make a pass on the driver in front of you, eliminating the need to plan the move in advance and drop a gear.

To be honest, the Seltos in its turbo-petrol guise is one of the few vehicles in this spectrum of the market to offer that “push back into the seat” feeling. Additionally, the noise at higher rpms is a delight to the ears. It can get vocal in a good way that enthusiasts will enjoy.

6 speed manual is standard across the range. It is easy and light to operate and you will never miss a shift. That said, under hard acceleration, you may lose a couple of tenths of a second under each gearshift. Yet, the gear lever is comfortably positioned for my liking and not one bit did I feel drained after a part of the experience in bumper to bumper traffic, which is also due to the fact that the clutch is fairly light and provides excellent feedback and being a turbo-petrol engine with diesel-like torque, one does not need to slip the clutch excessively to get going. It is very easy to identify that sweet spot, which is that point where you depress the clutch to get the vehicle moving. KIA has nailed the engine/gearbox combination for the GTX+ variant. While the 1.4 turbo mated to the dual clutch is supposed to be the best as far as outright pace is concerned, the same engine mated to the standard manual gearbox is supposed to be the most fun-to-drive variant.

Once again, KIA has gotten the dynamics of the Seltos pretty sorted. The steering provides a good dose of feedback at varying speeds. At parking speeds, the wheel is extremely light and requires just a finger to turn and as you build speed, the feedback provided from the wheel allows you to get that feeling of great control over the front wheels. The added weight to the steering at highway speeds along with a very well controlled body roll allows you to swerve between lanes with confidence and cruise at triple digit speeds confidently, although it is no corner carver like the Stinger. High speed stability is a strong suit on the Seltos. That, along with the 6th gear brings together the right ingredients.

Score: 7/10
A fairly high score for the segment the Seltos belongs to, but it would be an insult to give it anything lower than 7, considering the fact that KIA has done its homework right in the engine/gearbox, as well as the ride and handling department. Although it’s no sports car, it certainly is a fun to drive, family SUV.

8. Value
The base variants of the Seltos starts at a respectable ₹ 9.69 lakhs, ex showroom. There are many variants in the lineup between two styles, the Tech Line and the GT Line, which is the type of Seltos which you have been looking at for the last 15 minutes. This is why the price of the fully specced versions can go to to ₹ 16 lakhs, ex showroom. In fact, the Seltos has 3 variants that cost exactly the same.
Although KIA’s first product for India in its fully loaded guise may not seem like good value at ₹ 18.91 Lakhs, on road due to its smaller dimensions, it is important to note that the GTX+ version is overly equipped for this kind of money, coupled with positive driving dynamics does make this a good value at this price point. For this particular variant, I’d give KIA a solid 8/10 in the value score.

Verdict: Should you buy the Seltos?
Here’s my answer — Definitely, if budget isn’t much of a restriction and a good driving experience is a must, the 1.4 turbo GDI should be your pick of the lot, regardless of transmission choice. I look at it as an extremely good value at this price point if you have anything under ₹20 lakhs to spare, although I wish the Seltos looked more like the clean and subtly designed Sportage instead of an overdose of chrome and aggressive crease lines.

Final score: 57/80:
The Seltos did a pretty good job in almost all categories, except for the overall design which, some may really like but I personally am not a fan of its looks, a bit too much of bling for my tastes.

Smaller, yet significant things: