Photography: Saidatta Naik, Shrenith Bhandary
There’s no two ways about the fact that the Seltos has been Kia India’s star performer for over half a decade now. The Korean car maker kickstarted its India innings with the Seltos in 2019, pitting it right against its own cousin and a formidable name in the midsize SUV space, the Hyundai Creta. The Seltos had no trouble carving its own niche though and was quick to appeal to buyers looking for a stylish, feature-rich SUV with a sporty demeanour. Kia followed up the launch of the Seltos with some very successful products like the Sonet, Carens and the Carnival too, but the Seltos is arguably its most successful offering in India. And six years later, Kia has launched the all-new, second generation Seltos that’s aiming to recreate the success of the original.
The first thing you’ll notice about the new Seltos is its front end, which looks far more aggressive than its predecessor. The vertical design of the DRLs and the grille itself, which spans almost across the entire width of the front end and integrates the headlamps, remind of the Telluride, Kia’s big SUV sold in the US. And that’s one key aspect about the new design – the new Seltos has been designed to look and feel larger and more imposing. It also sits on Kia’s new K3 platform and is 95mm longer now, making it the longest in its segment at 4,460mm, while wheelbase is up by 80mm in a bid to offer more cabin space.
The silhouette from the sides is similar to the previous generation Seltos but there are some new and interesting design cues, like the sharp crease on the front door and the kink at the back, though I don’t quite like the idea of flush door handles. The cladding over the wheel arches is thicker but is finished in gloss black now, making it prone to scratches. I am not a fan of the wheel design either, as the wheels look similar to the Carens Clavis EV’s, and I would have liked a more aggressive design. The rear is a mix of elements from the older Seltos and other Kia SUVs, like the squared-off tail lamps. But while the rear end is good looking, it looks a little too similar to Carens Clavis and Sonet’s given the tail lamp design, robbing the Seltos ofa bit of its exclusivity.
Interiors are all-new but with an air of familiarity. I like the dashboard layout, as besides the rich feel and high quality plastics, the integration of displays into the dashboard is neat. In fact the Seltos borrows the Syros’ triple screen setup, which includes a touchscreen for climate control too. Thankfully Kia has not eliminated physical buttons, and the switches for crucial functions like climate control and the music system are large and easy to use. Another highlight is the futuristic-looking steering wheel which also has switches for changing drive modes and traction modes nestled into its bottom spoke now. Kia has done away with a physical switch for the electric parking brake entirely though, and the brake is applied automatically every time you get out of park mode in the automatic version. The redesigned front headrests deserve a mention too given their mesh foam – they look very appealing and also offer better comfort than conventional headrests by letting you sink your head in and I’m expecting more manufacturers to follow suit in terms of the design.
Expectedly the new Seltos also continues the old one’s trend of being loaded with features. Higher variants come equipped with 360 degree view, a panoramic sunroof, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, Level 2 ADAS, ventilated front seats and more. There’s a Bose audio system as well, the powered driver’s seat and ORVMs now get a memory function and the driver’s seat also gets an entry/exit function, meaning the seat will slide back (you can set it too!) every time you’re getting in or out. Surprisingly the air purifier from the older Seltos is gone though, and the ventilated rear seats from the Syros haven’t made it here either. On another note, the increased wheelbase results in more space in the second row and overall spaciousness is better too. There is no Boss mode here yet, unlike the Carens Clavis, but thankfully, there’s a set of functional sun blinds on the rear windows.
The list of powertrain options remains unchanged meaning the Seltos continues to be offered with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine. I drove the diesel first which impressed with its performance and overall refinement as always, though it felt a tad noisy and also had mild vibration creep in through the gear lever and floor at high revs. The turbocharged petrol engine is my favourite – we are TURBOCHARGED after all! On a serious note, with 160PS and 253Nm on tap this engine feels as impressive as ever, along with the dual clutch automatic gearbox it is mated to. Surprisingly though, Kia is only offering this engine with its clutch less iMT manual besides the DCT and not a proper manual, which is a bit of a letdown.
Another big – and very impressive – change is on the dynamics front, as Kia has retuned the suspension to improve ride quality noticeably, keeping family SUV buyers in mind. It soaks up bumps and potholes better now, but I’m also happy to report that thankfully, the Seltos hasn’t sacrificed its sporty edge in the process and impresses with its handling and steering feel and feedback. Overall, this new Seltos offers a strong sense of familiarity while feeling all-new, which is a good thing. It looks good, sharp and aggressive, feels more premium and is on offer with powertrains we’ve always liked, and thus builds on the strengths of the original well.
Kia has also priced the new Seltos very aggressively, and prices begin from just ₹ 11.99 lakh ex-showroom despite the generation change. Things in the midsize SUV segment have been heating up all over again though, as Maruti has just launched the Victoris, Tata Motors has launched the Sierra and Renault is launching the all- new Duster, so it should be interesting to see how the new Seltos takes on its new rivals.
