The Kia Seltos Facelift was launched in July 2023 and, within six months since its price announcement, Kia has gathered over 1 lakh bookings for the midsize SUV. According to the carmaker, of the variants on offer, 80 per cent of buyers seemed to prefer top-spec variants (HTK Plus onwards), while approximately 40 per cent of them opted for variants equipped with ADAS, indicating growing awareness of advanced active safety features. Moreover, in a press statement, Kia also revealed that 80 per cent of the total customers would rather choose variants with a panoramic sunroof over those variants without it.
Currently, the facelifted version of the Kia Seltos is offered with a manual, iMT, torque convertor automatic, CVT automatic, and DCT automatic gearbox, depending on the engine (naturally aspirated petrol, turbo-diesel, and turbo-petrol). Of these transmissions, the automatics, according to Kia, have emerged as the top choice amongst new-age customers, comprising nearly 50 per cent of the total bookings to date.
Kia India's Comment
Mr Myung-sik Sohn, Chief Sales & Business Officer, Kia India, said, "We are excited about the market success of the new Seltos. Undoubtedly, it stands out as one of the smartest SUV choices available, and the response from our customers resonates with this sentiment. The new Seltos is helping us consolidate our market leadership consistently in the mid-SUV segment. We are actively realigning our manufacturing processes to ensure that our customers gain access to their favourite SUVs as swiftly as possible. We are thankful to all Seltos and Kia fans in India who support and inspire us to do better with every product."
Kia Seltos: Reflecting on the Past
Even before its market entry in July last year, the company received over 13,000 bookings for the updated SUV in the first 24 hours, with 1,973 of them coming through the K-Code delivery system. Kia said this was the highest first-day booking figure ever recorded by a vehicle in the segment. Then, within a month, the 2023 Kia Seltos bagged more than 31,000 bookings in India. The brand's best-selling SUV made its appearance for the first time in 2019 and, since then, the company has manufactured over 6 lakh units in India, with close to 75 per cent sold in the domestic market.
Kia Seltos: Powertrains
Under the hood, the Kia Seltos gets 3 engine options: a 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel, and a new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. The naturally aspirated petrol unit churns out 113bhp/144Nm and gets a 6-speed or a CVT, while the diesel engine generates 114.4bhp/250Nm and is offered with a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed iMT, or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Finally, the new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine on the Kia Seltos produces 158bhp and 253Nm of torque. This mill is connected to either a seven-speed DCT or a six-speed iMT.
Kia Seltos: Safety Equipment
The Kia Seltos prioritises the safety of its passengers with 360-degree cameras, six airbags, and Level 2 ADAS features, including lane-keeping assist, auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and so on.
Kia Seltos: Price
As of now, the new Kia Seltos comes in three trim levels – Tech Line, GT Line, and X-Line. Price-wise, the new Kia Seltos starts at Rs 10.90 lakh and goes up to Rs 20.30 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom. In the segment, it locks horns with the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, Honda Elevate and the Citroen C3 Aircross.
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