Looking at the new Kia Seltos, many of you might have wondered what the word Seltos actually means. Well, it is derived from Greek mythology and is inspired from the legend of ‘Celtos’, the son of Hercules. The S in Seltos denotes sportiness, strength and speed. True to its name, the Kia Seltos certainly looks sporty without being too aggressive.
Exterior design
The front fascia of the Seltos GTX+ is well rounded, with a large trapezoid grille, referred to as the Kia Signature Tiger Nose grille. The combination of a black grille with chrome embellishments looks fabulous, and to top it off, the Kia logo sits pretty on the bonnet, in silver and black. Front projector headlamps are massive, while the DRLs run along a thin strip from one corner of the car to the other. You will see snugly fit vertical ice cube-shaped fog lamps on the front corner, giving the front a nice compact and aesthetically pleasing look.
What was significantly noticed about the DRLs here is that since they run along a thin strip, they do not appear too bright in the night, unlike the case with many other cars. One thing is for sure- this SUV certainly gives you a sophisticated and stylish road presence, which can be further noticed through its R17” Crystal Cut Alloy wheels.
At the rear, the heartbeat LED tail lamps on the Seltos are noticeable due to major attention to details. The Kia logo showcases itself once again, above the registration plate. To add to the sporty look, Kia designers have given the vehicle two mufflers, one in each corner.
Interior design
If the Kia Seltos happens to cross you while in motion, you will be surprised that it has much more space than what you may have thought. Starting with the rear, this SUV gets a massive 433 litres of boot space, and comes with 2 rows of seats to seat 5 individuals in good comfort. Legroom is good for individuals of all heights, and getting in and out of the vehicle has never been this easy.
The driver’s seat can be adjusted in 8 different ways. Seats are fairly comfortable, and the A-Pillar does not interfere in the driver’s vision. A 10.25” Touch Screen with a Bose Premium Sound System, which comes with 8 speakers, is present at the central console. Additionally, the Bose Premium Sound System also comes with the first-in-class LED Sound Mood lights, available in 6 Multicolour themes and 8 monocolour themes. The SUV’s telescopic, multi-functional, 3-spoke steering wheel can be adjusted as per the driver’s height.
While turning a corner, the driver can visualize this vehicle from all four corners with the help of a Blind View Monitor in the cluster LCD. This is indeed a very thoughtful feature to have been included by Kia engineers for the Indian market.
For those who wish to enjoy fresh air, the GTX+ also comes loaded with an electric sunroof, which operates with the touch of a single button. As a segment first, the Seltos GTX+ also offers an air purifier as well as an eco coating which helps absorb bad odors.
There is adequate storage space in the front glove compartment, door pockets and a central armrest storage box. The only concern here, also seen in the Jeep Compass, is the height of the central armrest storage box which sometimes makes it inconvenient to pull the handbrake all the way.
Ground clearance
Kia Motors has given the new Seltos a ground clearance of 190mm, which is fairly good. At the moment, a 4x4 option is not available, but it is likely to be desired by many buyers in the future. The minimum turning radius for this SUV is 5.3m, which is fairly sharp for a car of this size.
Test drive
The Seltos is an SUV which enjoys being thrown into corners, quite unlike most other vehicles of this size. It is powered by a 1.4 GDI engine which generates 138 bhp of power and 242 Nm of torque. It enjoys hard acceleration and gets a sudden boost of power at about 1500 rpm. The Seltos GTX+ can be started with the help of a Start/Stop engine button.
Visibility from the front windscreen is pretty good, and one does view the road from an elevated position. The 6-speed MT, which we drove, is easy to use, but may take some time to get used to. On the other hand, the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) also come with traction modes and drive modes.
Safe and sturdy
The Seltos has been built using advanced high strength steel, which makes it as sturdy as a ship. Additional sturdiness is also provided by the massive 17” wheels. Adding to the features mentioned above, the Seltos comes with the following safety features:
- Side and Curtain airbags
- Highline Tyre Pressure Monitor
- Electronic Stability Control
- Brake Assist
- Hill Hold Control
- Red brake caliper (front)
As a part of the Seltos package, Kia’s UVO connected tech offers 37 different features, which include
- Geo-fencing
- Panic notification
- Live location
- Remote engine start/stop (for automatics only)
Verdict
The Seltos is an excellent product which beautifully fits into the complicated Indian automobile market. Considering the demand for SUVs, it is also a very practical and an everyday use car. By being under Hyundai, it should be relatively easy to get spare parts and all times, but only time will tell about the performance of Kia’s service locations. At present, there are 192 service points across 160 cities.
Design- 9/10
Practicality- 9/10
Gearbox- 6/10
Space- 9/10
Engine- 10/10
Value for money- 8/10
