Kia Motors India has officially unveiled its first model for the country – the Seltos SUV. Essentially a production version of the SP2i concept showcased at last year’s auto expo, the Kia Seltos is a mid-size SUV that will mark the debut of the Kia brand in India. It will be launched by the end of August 2019. However, official bookings are expected to commence from the second week of July.
The Seltos is undoubtedly a smart looking SUV. The exterior design is heavily inspired by the SP2i concept. The front fascia gets a vertical nose that is characterised by a wide tiger nose grille with chrome inserts, LED headlamps, and a beefy looking bumper. The side profile gets squarish wheel arches with black plastic cladding, and a window line that slopes upwards after the C-pillar. The SUV will be available with 16, 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels, depending on the variant on offer. Meanwhile, the rear end features wraparound taillights, silver fake vents on the bumper, and a faux silver skid plate.
Interior details about the Seltos are still scarce. However, the company has confirmed that the SUV will come with UVO Connect, which is a connected car technology. This will offer owners 37 connected car features like navigation, vehicle tracking and immobilisation, auto collision notification, SOS-emergency assistance, geo and time fencing, remote engine start/stop, and valet & idle alerts.
Occupant safety is taken care of by the presence of 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill start assist, vehicle stability management, and traction control. Additionally, Kia is offering a 360-degree camera with blind view monitor on higher variants of the Seltos SUV.
Powering the Kia Seltos in India will be a range of BS-VI compliant petrol, turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines. We expect the Korean manufacturer to use a 1.4-litre turbo petrol, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine. Transmission options on offer will likely include a 5-speed manual, a 7-speed DCT automatic and a 6-speed manual. The cherry on top of the cake will be the inclusion of three driving modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) along with three terrain modes (mud, wet and sand).
Kia claims to have set up 265 touch points across the country, located in 160 cities. The company is even aiming at covering Tier IV cities to make sure that its car reaches the end customers with ease.
Official price, specifications, and variant details of the Kia Seltos will be revealed at the launch date. The manufacturer hasn’t announced an official launch date for the SUV yet. We expect the Seltos to be priced in the range of Rs. 11 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh (ex-showroom). This will make it a competitor to the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier and the upcoming MG Hector.