We drove Kia Seltos 1.5 Petrol Manual (HTX variant). The SUV was updated last year with new logo, got variant rejig. Apart from this, is there any improvement in drivability too? We will cover all details in this article.
Even with close to 3 years of its existence, Kia Seltos is still one of the stylish SUVs in the segment. Upfront, it gets LED headlamps which extends with the help of light bar. Front grille has got piano black finish while the carmakers have worked a lot of detailing which is visible in Ice cube LED fog lamps, Heartbeat DRLs and even the light bar.
We had HTX variant of the SUV which has got these grey finished alloys while the top trims rides on those beautifully styled 17-inch crystal cut alloys. Chrome has been used in adequate amount here, whether it is on the door handles or the window belt line.
Moving to the rear, the tail lamps do look modern with chrome bar joining the lights. As you move slightly lower, you feel this area to be quite busy. Rear bumper has dual muffler design and silver skid plates.
Seltos has one of the most premium cabin in the segment plus the quality of material used here is top notch, which is evident from leather finish on dash & door, honeycomb pattern on seats, climate control & drive/traction mode switcher (available in GTX+ auto variants), everything is nicely placed.
As we mentioned, the cabin feels luxurious, however, it doesn’t feel as spacious or as airy as compared to Creta, which has panoramic sunroof as an advantage.
The front and rear seats offers good comfort even for healthy passengers. As of rear seats, Seltos offers slightly less under thigh support as compared to its chief rival which is a bit more comfy on long journeys.
Kia Seltos is loaded to the brim. Some of the top features on offer are:
| PETROL | Hyundai Creta | Kia Seltos | Skoda Kushaq | VW Taigun | MG Astor | Renault Duster | Nissan Kicks |
| Engine | 1.5 L MPI | 1.5 L MPI | – | – | 1.5 L Petrol | 1.5 L H4K | 1.5 L H4K |
| Capacity | 1497 cc | 1497 cc | – | – | – | 1498 cc | 1498 cc |
| No of Cylinders | 4 | 4 | – | – | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Power | 113 BHP | 113 BHP | – | – | 108 BHP | 105 BHP | 105 BHP |
| Torque | 144 NM | 144 NM | – | – | 144 NM | 142 NM | 142 NM |
| Transmission | 6 Speed MT / 6 Speed iVT | 6 Speed MT, iMT, 7 Speed IVT | – | – | 6 Speed MT / 8 Speed CVT | 5 Speed MT | 5 Speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 16.8 kmpl / 16.9 kmpl | 16.5 kmpl / 16.8 kmpl | – | – | – | 14.19 kmpl | 14.19 kmpl |
The 1.5-litre MPI petrol engine of Seltos also powers Creta. The output figures are 113 BHP and 114 NM torque. Seltos feels much more responsive even to the slightest of throttle inputs. Low end shove as well as mid range is strong and better than Creta.
In the department of NVH, Seltos is quite close to Creta which has set benchmarks in terms of refinement in the segment.
The claimed mileage of Seltos 1.5 Petrol Manual is 16.5 kmpl. In city, we got 10-11.5 kmpl while driving on the open roads and highways, it delivered fuel economy of 17 kmpl.
| Fuel efficiency | |
| ARAI certified | 16.5 kmpl |
| City | 10-11.5 kmpl |
| Highway | 17 kmpl |
Clutch travel is short which aids in easy manoeuvrability in the city. Gear shifts are slick and smooth, however you do feel whenever you slot the gear into the gate.
Steering wheel carries weight even at the low city speeds as compared to Creta. The steering unit is direct and has some amount of feel although the feedback could have been better. Thanks to heft to the steering, it doesn’t feel nervous at high speeds.
Brakes are sharp in Seltos and has good stopping power as well. While the suspension which earlier used to be stiffer, with every undulation filtering inside the cabin, has now become slightly soft albeit it still errs on the stiffer side. Now it handles rough patches with more confidence and the unevenness of the road now doesn’t faze the front occupants much while the passengers at the rear do feel that the car is passing through bad roads,
Stiffer suspension and well set up chassis provides great high speed stability. Body roll is well under control and the SUV tackles the corners with ease.
Overall, Kia Seltos 1.5 Petrol Manual is a good choice for those who want to drive in city and have occasional highway trips. Also, it has a sporty edge in terms of power delivery, steering feel as compared to other NA petrol cars. One big reason for customer opting for Creta over this SUV was its harsh drivability which has finally been improved.