Should you go ahead and buy the Kia Seltos or buy the 7-seater MPV Kia Carens? From these two models, which is the best Kia under Rs. 20 lakhs? Let’s compare these two models against each other and hunt the answer!
From the outside, the Kia Seltos has the Kia’s signature nose grille which is basically having hexagonal shape in the grille, quad-cube shape LED headlamps with curved L shaped indicators below the headlamps and the fog lamps are LED in cube-shape positioned vertically. The front nose of the Seltos is covered by the Chrome that contributes towards the front design of the SUV. The bumpers of the SUV are skid plate finished in white. The bumpers has cuts for the aggressive look. Moving to the side, it has thin wheel cladding for the 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails on the top, chrome line on the bottom of the window lamp that extends till the D-pillar. From the rear, it has LED taillamps that a chrome bar with KIA logo at the center, roof spoiler and shark fin on top, and rear wipers on the rear windscreen.
From the front, the Kia Carens has an LED DRLS and below it is the LED headlamps, and between the two LED headlamps is a blacked out element with chrome line. Below is the hexagonal grille that has a chrome cover that contributes towards the design with LED foglamps right next to it. Moving to the side, it has thin wheel arches, chrome door handles, non-functional roof rails, with a little cut on the body, and has 16-inch alloy wheels. On the rear side, it has roof spoiler with shark fin antenna on the top. It has sort-of a L-shaped connected LED taillamps and the bumpers are finished in matte black to blend with the exterior design of the MPV.
For the Seltos, it has the 10.25-inch infotainment system integrated with the digital instrument cluster for one seamless display. The infotainment system is placed above the AC Vents and the AC Vents at the sides are positioned vertically. The Seltos doesn’t have the dual-tone dashboard theme option unfortunately. It has three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, single-pane sunroof, and metallic finish on the pedals. Tt has rotary dial for drive modes, buttons for ventilated seats, wireless charging pad, air purifier, two charging ports at the front and rear, and sun-blinds for all the windows. The rear seats are split in 60:40 ratio with recline option as well. It also has ambient lighting inside with 64 colors option. The Seltos has the 8-speaker Bose sound system.
The Kia Carens has an 10.25-inch infotainment system that is angled in a way that makes the dashboard look one piece and the AC vents are hidden below the dashboard for the seamless look with chrome line. It has the dual-tone dashboard option as well. The Carens has a three-spoke multi-function infotainment system with a digital instrument cluster, and a single-pane sunroof. It has buttons for drive modes, ventilated seats for driver and passenger, parking sensors, parking camera, etc. Moving to the second row, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio and the third row is split in 50:50 ratio. The Air purifier is right behind the driver seats, and a table on the first row passenger seat for the second row passengers, and also has two charging rows at the front, two in second row, and two in third row. The Carens gets the 8-speaker Bose Premium sound system.
| Kia Seltos | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4315mm | 4540mm |
| Width | 1800mm | 1880mm |
| Height | 1645mm | 1708mm |
| Wheelbase | 2610mm | 2780mm |
| Ground Clearance | 190mm | 195mm |
| Boot Space | 433 litres | 216 litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 50 litres | 45 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 1,480 kg | 1,555 kg |
When it comes to dimensions, the Seltos measures 4315mm in length, width of 1800mm, and height of 1645mm. The Carens measures 4540mm in length which is 225mm shorter, 1880mm in width which is 80mm wider, and height of 1708mm which is 63mm longer. The Seltos has a wheelbase of 2610mm and ground clearance of 190mm whereas the Carens has a wheelbase of 2780mm that is longer by 170mm, and ground clearance of 195mm which is 5mm more. The Seltos has a boot space of 433 litres, fuel tank of 50 litres, and kerb weight of 1,480 kg whereas the Carens has boot space of 216 litres which is 217 litres smaller, fuel tank of 45 litres which is 5 litres smaller, and kerb weight of 1,555 kg which is heavier by 75 kg.
| Kia Seltos | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre NA petrol | 1.5-litre NA petrol |
| Displacement | 1497cc | 1497cc |
| Power | 113.43 bhp | 113.43 bhp |
| Torque | 144 Nm | 144 Nm |
| Transmission Options | 6-speed MT, IVT | 5-speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 16.8 km/l | 15.70 km/l |
When it comes to engine options, both the Seltos and Carens has the same petrol engine and everything is the same except for the transmission choice and fuel efficiency. The 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine puts out 113.43 bhp and 144 Nm of torque. In Seltos, this engine is mated to a 6-speed Manual and IVT Gearbox with 16.8 km/l fuel efficiency. In Carens, this engine is mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox only with 15.70 km/l fuel efficiency.
| Kia Seltos | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre diesel | 1.5-litre Diesel |
| Displacement | 1493cc | 1497cc |
| Power | 113.48 bhp | 114.41 bhp |
| Torque | 250 Nm | 250 Nm |
| Transmission Options | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 21 km/l – MT 18 km/l – AT | 18.40 km/l |
Not only the both the models has petrol engines, but they also has diesel engines on offer. The Seltos is powered by the 1.5-litre diesel engine that pumps out 113.48 bhp and 250 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed iMT and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 21 km/l in Manual and 18 km/l in Automatic. The Kia Carens has a 1.5-litre Diesel engine that pumps out 114.41 bhp and 250 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed iMT and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 18.40 km/l.
| Kia Carens | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre turbo petrol |
| Displacement | 1497cc |
| Power | 157 bhp |
| Torque | 253 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT |
Other than the diesel engine, the Carens has a turbo petrol engine as well. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine produces 157 bhp and 253 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed iMT, and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox. Kia had launched this engine to comply with the RDE and E20 Norms.
| Features | Kia Seltos | Kia Carens |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | LED | LED |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel Size & Type | 18-inch alloy wheels | 17-inch alloy wheels |
| Sunroof | Single-pane | Single-Pane |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Leather | Leather |
| Powered Seats | Yes | – |
| Leather-wrapped steering wheel | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient Light | Yes | Yes |
| AC | Auto | Auto |
| Rear AC vents | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated Seats | Yes | Yes |
| Instrument Cluster | Analog | Digital |
| Infotainment System | 10.25-inch | 10.25-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wireless | Wireless |
| Heads-up Display (HUD) | Yes | – |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 8 speaker Bose Premium sound system | 8-speaker Bose Premium sound system |
| Cooled Glovebox | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-dimming IRVM | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustable driver seat | Yes | Yes |
When it comes to features, both the Kia models are loaded with features. However, the Carens misses out on Heads-up Display (HUD) which the Seltos doesn’t. Rest everything between the two models is the same. So, Seltos is slightly better than the Carens in features.
| Features | Kia Seltos | Kia Carens |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Six airbags | Six airbags |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 360-degree camera | Reverse parking camera |
| Parking Sensors | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | Yes | Yes |
| Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| VSC | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Disc Brakes | Yes | Yes |
| ISOFIX anchorages | Yes | Yes |
Even when it comes to safety, both are very-much loaded with safety features. However, the Seltos has 360-degree camera while the Carens has reverse-parking camera on offer. Thus, here Seltos is better in safety than the Carens.
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Kia Seltos | Rs. 10.89 lakh – Rs. 19.65 lakh |
| Kia Carens | Rs. 10.45 lakh – Rs. 18.95 lakh |
The Seltos starts at Rs. 10.89 lakh for the entry-level ‘HTE’ variant and goes up to Rs. 19.65 lakh for the top variant, ‘X-Line Automatic’ Diesel. As for the Kia Carens, it starts at Rs. 10.45 lakh for the ‘Premium’ petrol variant and goes up to Rs. 18.95 lakh for the top variant, ‘Luxury Plus AT’ Diesel. The price difference between the two entry-level variant is Rs. 54,000 and Rs. 60,000 for the top variant.
As for the warranty, Kia is offering 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for the Seltos and Carens and can be extended up to 5 years/1,00,000 km.
In the end, the decision to buy which Kia Models depends totally on you, however, if you’ve a 7-seater MPV requirement, you can buy the Carens as it’s bigger than the Seltos, comfortable, and practical. However, if you’re looking for a 5-seater SUV, then the Seltos is the right choice since it has slightly better features than the Carens. Therefore, it depends on your requirement and since there is only Rs. 60,000 difference between the two Kia models, you can buy either of them as both are very good models. Which one would you choose?