The owner of the 2024 Kia Seltos shares his detailed experience after driving it for over 3,500 km. In this ownership review, he talks about why he chose the Seltos over other SUVs in the segment, how it performs in real-world conditions, and whether it truly lives up to its price. Here’s what he feels about the design, features, drive quality, and overall value the Seltos brings to the table.

Driving Experience and Performance Impressions

The owner highlights the peppy performance and thrilling pickup of the Seltos. He says the SUV feels powerful, thanks to its 150+ bhp engine, and delivers an exciting driving feel, especially when accelerating. He appreciates how gear shifts are smooth and almost unnoticeable, making city and highway driving effortless. He feels the power delivery is responsive, and the torque kicks in nicely, making the drive feel planted and enjoyable.

He also mentions that he drove both the 1400cc and 2000cc engines in other SUVs, including the Tata Harrier, but felt that the Seltos offered more than enough punch, even in its 1.4L version.

Comparison with Rivals Before Purchase

Before finalising the Seltos, he considered multiple alternatives such as Tata Harrier, Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder, and even the N Line versions of Hyundai. He test-drove these cars and compared features, comfort, and design.

The owner states that the Harrier had good road presence but didn’t feel as refined or sophisticated in its interior layout. He found the Seltos to be better finished and more premium-feeling inside. Compared to Creta and Elevate, he felt the Seltos had more features and a more modern design approach, especially in cabin layout and tech integration.

Feature-Loaded Cabin and Comfort

The owner says the Kia Seltos offers a feature-rich experience even in lower variants. He especially appreciates the Bose sound system, ventilated seats, panoramic sunroof, connected LED tail lamps, and the sharp headlamp throw. He adds that the electronic driver seat and rear seat comfort stand out in daily use.

Having upgraded from an i20, the owner finds the Seltos to be a huge leap in terms of space, features, and comfort. He says the interior makes you feel like you’re in a luxury segment and mentions small details like functioning twin exhausts and ambient lighting that enhance the ownership feel.

Fuel Efficiency, Practicality, and Real-Life Usage

Speaking about practicality, the owner shares that the diesel variant offers great mileage and long-distance usability. He says four passengers can travel comfortably and five adults can also be accommodated without feeling cramped. He’s particularly happy with the ground clearance and highway manners, making it a well-rounded vehicle for city and outstation drives alike.

The owner adds that his inspiration for buying the car came from a relative whose Seltos has run over 1.25 lakh km and still performs smoothly. This long-term reliability gave him the confidence to go for the SUV.

After-Sales Experience and Service Satisfaction

The owner praises Kia’s after-sales support, saying they go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. He mentions that service advisors proactively follow up to check if the car is performing well or if the owner has faced any issues. This level of customer care makes him feel valued and assures him that his investment is backed by reliable support.

Positive

• The owner says the pickup and throttle response of the Seltos feel exciting, giving a true SUV-like driving thrill.
• He appreciates how gear shifts are smooth and almost unnoticeable, enhancing driving comfort.
• The Seltos offers a rich feature set including Bose speakers, ventilated seats, panoramic sunroof, LED tail lamps, and electronic seat adjustment.
• The cabin quality feels premium, and the fit and finish are described as better than rivals like Harrier and Elevate.
• Real-world fuel efficiency, especially in the diesel variant, is said to be impressive for long drives.
• Ground clearance and highway manners are appreciated for adding confidence on mixed terrain.
• After-sales service is said to be proactive and customer-friendly, with regular follow-ups from the dealership.
• Even after 1.25 lakh km, another Seltos (from a known owner) is still running smoothly, boosting confidence in long-term durability.
• Compared to rivals like Creta, Elevate, and Harrier, the owner says the Seltos feels more complete and balanced.
• He finds the seating spacious for four to five adults and says the cabin feels luxurious compared to his previous i20.

Negative

• The owner admits that finding negatives in the Seltos was difficult and took time, which he says is a strong positive in itself.
• He mentions that the panoramic sunroof was not available in his specific variant (X-Line 2023), which felt like a missing premium feature.
• Mileage in the petrol version isn’t as strong as the diesel, which could be a concern for long-distance users.
• He personally doesn’t like the exterior and interior styling of rivals like the Harrier and Elevate but admits that’s subjective.
• He says Tata’s luxury feel is still catching up, but also notes that it will take them more time to match the Seltos’ refinement.

Final Thoughts

In his closing thoughts, the owner says the Seltos is truly a value-for-money SUV. He believes that those considering it in the ₹12–23 lakh price range can go ahead without second thoughts. He calls it one of the best choices in its segment, and mentions that people who once felt it was overpriced will change their opinion after actually using it.

He concludes that the car ticks all the right boxes and confidently recommends it to anyone looking for a premium, feature-rich SUV that performs well and offers long-term peace of mind.

Source: 4 Wheel Reveal