Planning To Buy Kia Seltos: Check Out Its Key Features

Key Features of Seltos: Buyers looking for a compact SUV having a feature-loaded cabin, comfortable seating, and a fuel-efficient diesel engine can check out the Kia Seltos. The Seltos is a popular compact SUV in its segment, and the diesel engine is refined, has great fuel efficiency and a long list of convenience features such as a panoramic sunroof, a wireless charger, and more.

Recently, we drove the Kia Seltos HTX (O) diesel variant for 500 km on the city and highways and tested its fuel efficiency and other parameters. Checking out its main highlights can help buyers decide if it fits their needs and preferences.

Let’s get started!!

Fuel Efficiency

Buyers looking for fuel efficiency in the compact SUV segment can check out the Kia Seltos diesel variant. Since we tested out the Kia Seltos 1.5L diesel engine, it is known for its fuel efficiency. Kia claims the 1.5L manual variant has a claimed fuel efficiency of 20.7 km/l as per ARAI. During our drive of more than 500 km, we got a fuel efficiency of 22.4 km/l.

Features

Kia India has always been generous regarding offering features on its vehicles. However, buyers looking for the diesel top variant have to settle for less, as the HTX (O) is the top-spec variant and not the GTX+ or the X Line variant. Since it is the HTX (O) variant, many features are missing, which can be a dealbreaker for many buyers.

Kia Seltos has many convenience features such as a dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless charger, ambient mood lighting, an 8-speaker Bose sound system for music lovers, and more. 

However, it misses out on a 360-degree parking camera, an electronic parking brake, rain-sensing wipers, and other features, which are there on the GTX+ variant. 

The camera quality of the reverse parking camera was decent, and could have been better, considering the segment and the price point.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara vs Kia Seltos: Which One to Pick Under ₹20 Lakh in India?

Design

The design of the Kia Seltos is bold and muscular. The front profile continues to have its tiger-nose grill, having LED headlamps and DRLs, and LED foglamps. The throw of the headlamps was poor, and we expected a better throw of the headlights in its segment. We got the Seltos finished in the Aurora Black Pearl paint scheme, which enhanced the overall aesthetic of the SUV.  

The length is more than 4m, and since it is the HTX (O) variant, the Seltos comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels. The rear has a similar LED tail lamp design to the front.

Ride Quality

The fourth highlight of the Kia Seltos is its ride quality. On bad roads, the suspension offered a comfortable experience, and they are on the softer side. 

There is hardly any noise filtering inside the cabin from the suspension, and it glides on the road smoothly. However, at high speeds such as 100-120 km/h, the ride does become a bit bouncy.

One thing which we felt could have been improved is the feel and the feedback from the steering wheel. Though it is light to maneuver in the city conditions and traffic jams, on highways while overtaking, this lightweight can be felt and hardly offers any confidence. It could have been added with a little more weight and tuned for a better driving experience.

Price

So, talking about the price, it starts at ₹12.77 lakh (ex-showroom) for the diesel base variant. It is a great option for buyers who are looking for a diesel SUV with great fuel efficiency and features. However, the HTX (O) variant is only the top-spec variant, priced at ₹18.42 lakh (ex-showroom), that buyers can choose with a diesel manual engine. However, it misses out on some features that could be a dealbreaker to buyers. If budget is not a constraint, they can upgrade to a higher variant.