New Kia Seltos: Perfection Personified

The perfect SUV?

Perfection is usually a tall order in the SUV world, but some do crack it. The Kia Seltos is one such example. It’s smart, it’s safe and it’s the most premium of its kind - and we haven’t even made a reference to its smashing looks yet! The Seltos is simply perfection on four snazzy 18-inch alloy wheels.

It shouldn’t surprise you, therefore, that since its launch in August 2019, over 5 lakh Seltos’ have found a home. In other words, one out of ten Kia cars sold globally is a Seltos; that it accounts for between 50-60% of Kia’s domestic sales, and that it’s the second highest selling mid-size SUV in India is only befitting of its calibre. Simply put, the Kia Seltos’ popularity is just staggering!

What explains its popularity, then? You could say it’s down to its muscular exteriors or just its phenomenal road presence, but that would only be telling half the story. What the Seltos offers in abundance is a premium drive experience - courtesy of the three engine options and five transmission formats it is available in - further elevated by its plush, all-new interior and a rich feature suite. Whether you consider it for its ADAS (it’s got 17 safety functions!), vast panoramic sunroof, 10.25-inch dual-display or just the overall sophistication of its cabin, the Seltos just comfortably impresses.

At this point, allow us to indulge if you will - it’s imperative that we elaborate on the Seltos’ driving performance, among the most prominent of its lovable qualities. Its 1.5 turbo GDi engine is easy to be biased towards; with 158bhp and 253Nm, it’s the most powerful midsize SUV in India.

What’s more of an eye-opener than the might of its output figures, though, is the way it translates to seriously exciting performance. The Seltos unleashes its dynamic persona most effortlessly with this engine, although that’s not to say we don’t enjoy the sublime performance of its Smartstream G1.5 naturally aspirated petrol engine or the strong, long-distance-friendly demeanour of the 1.5 CRDi VGT diesel engine. That you can have a Seltos with a choice of a manual transmission, an iMT, IVT, six-speed AT and even a seven-speed DCT just makes it all the more irresistible.

The Seltos goes well beyond just the power of choice, though. It’s responsible, too. In addition to the aforementioned 17-feature Level 2 ADAS - an evolved package that offers more than the industry standard - it has 15 safety features which Kia rightfully refers to as a ‘Robust 15 Standard Safety Pack.’ In addition to six airbags (the Seltos was the first in its class to introduce this) and three-point seat belts across all variants, the Seltos offers ABS, BAS (Brake-force Assist System), all-wheel disc brakes, ESC and VSM, among other electronic driver assists. The ADAS itself comprises one camera-based and three radar-based technologies; in fact, and this is indeed a big deal, with the new Seltos, you get the same ADAS as in the super-premium Kia EV6! Now that’s called taking a bold stand on safety, wouldn’t you agree?

Amply impressed? At this point, we’re running out of breath, honestly! Perhaps you don’t need to know so much about the new Seltos - most of us are sold on its tiger-nose grille and those Crown Jewel LED headlights themselves, right? Oh, and can we have a show of hands for hardcore fans of the India-exclusive all-new Pewter Olive colour? For the rest, there’s still the freedom to choose from between eight monotone, two dual-tone and even matte graphite colours! Phew!

The new Seltos is simply sensational - and that, too, is an understatement. Here’s an SUV that doesn’t merely stop at what you ‘need’. It reimagines what you deserve and then delivers in style and sophistication. So, what colour is your Pewter Olive Seltos going to be, then?