2026 Kia Seltos Base Vs Top Variant Compared In Images

The second generation Kia Seltos was launched earlier this year with 10 variants and with various engine and gearbox options. The list of variants include HTE, HTE(O), HTK, HTK(O), HTX, HTX A, GTX, GTX A, X-Line, and X-Line A. Despite the vast list of different trims, the base HTE variant of the Seltos does come well loaded with comfort features and safety tech (click here to explore all the variants in detail). However, can you settle with the base HTE variant or does going all out justify the stretch for the top X-Line A variant? Let’s explore.

Want help in buying the right Kia Seltos? Check out our ultimate buying guide.

Price

All prices ex-showroom India

As mentioned above, there is a significant price difference between the two variants. Let’s find out what you get for the extra 9 lakh asking price.

Exterior

Front

When compared side-by-side, the base HTE variant and the top X-Line A variant does have a noticeable difference. Starting with the LED headlamps, which are reflector units in the HTE and the X-Line A gets projector headlamps with extra DRL elements in them. The grille has a plastic matte black finish in the base trim while the top variant gets a smoked dark chrome finish on the grille giving it a premium look. 

The lower half of the bumper sees a major difference. The HTE gets black plastic cladding housing a faux silver skid plate while the X-Line A gets a sportier look with a gloss-black finish on the lower half housing smoked silver accents and fog lamps on either side. 

Side

Coming to the side profile, the immediate difference you would spot are the wheels. While the HTE comes with 16-inch steel wheels with black wheel covers, the X-Line A comes with 18-inch 8-spoke gloss-black alloy wheels. Another touch exclusive to the X-Line A is the presence of roof rails. 

The top end variant also gets a smoked silver coloured accent on the lower part of the doors. Another difference is the matte black finish wheel-arch cladding which is found in the base trim while the top-end gets them in gloss black for a premium look. Meanwhile, a shark-fin antenna is common with both variants.

Rear

Moving on to the rear end, each variant comes with Kia badging on the bootlid and a sporty rear spoiler with LED stop lamp.

Once again, the lower half of the bumper is among the major differences here. The base HTE trim comes with plastic cladding with a faux silver skid plate housing the reflectors and the halogen reverse lamps. On the other hand, the X-Line A comes with gloss black bumpers with body-coloured accents housing the reflectors and LED reverse lamps on the bottom. This variant also gets a rear wiper and washer

Colour Options

The base HTE trim of the Seltos comes with a wide range of colour options including Morning Haze, Magma Red, Frost Blue, Ivory Silver Gloss, Pewter Olive, Imperial Blue, Gravity Grey, Aurora Black Pearl and Glacier White Pearl.

The top-spec X-Line A owing to its blacked-out theme is available only with Matte Graphite and Aurora Black Pearl. Do note that for other colour options, you can opt for the GTX A trim of the Seltos which remains identical in every other way except the aesthetic. For more details on the variant-wise colour split, click here.

Interior

Step inside each variant back-to-back and you will notice the difference in the premium feel of the cabin. While the layout and the fit of the cabin is similar, the dashboard finish and colours are the major differentiators. Apart from that, the HTE variant comes with a dual-screen setup while the X-Line A comes with the triple screen setup on the dashboard giving it a modern look and feel. 

The HTE variant largely uses regular plastic finish on the dashboard and the doorcards, while the seats are finished in fabric upholstery with a black and grey theme. Finer details include silver accents on the doors and teal-coloured accents on either side of the dashboard and a small strip on the seats.

Overall, The base HTE interior feels basic yet livable with reasonable feature comforts and a spacious cabin. Find out what the HTE (O) gets over the HTE in feature comforts here.

The X-Line trim offers a noticeable upgrade over the HTE. You will find black and sage green leatherette inserts on the dashboard, center console and the leatherette-upholstered seats which immediately uplift the cabin. Other niceties include 64-colour ambient lighting, a leatherette-wrapped steering and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof which go a long way to improve the cabin experience.  

Features

Kia is known to be generous with features even from the base variants. And so, the HTE variant includes flush-fit manual door handles, steering-mounted controls, 12-inch semi-digital driver’s display, 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with a 6-speaker sound system. It also includes cruise control, and electrically-adjustable outside rear-view mirrors (ORVM). 

Meanwhile the top end X-Line A gets a triple screen display with a 5-inch climate control display and a larger 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, 8-speaker Bose sound system, 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, air purifier, auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror (IRVM), and a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment. The top variant also includes tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel and automatic pop-out door handles. Click here to find out that the GTX A and the X-Line A have very similar features with lesser cost.

Safety

The list of standard safety features is quite long and includes 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill start assist (HSA), vehicle stability control (VSC), downhill brake control (DBC), and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). 

The X-Line A adds some advanced safety tech such as Level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), rain-sensing wipers, rear defogger, auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror, 360-degree camera and front and side parking sensors.

Powertrain

Both the base HTE and the top-spec X-Line A trims are powered by a choice of 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and diesel engine options. However, the turbo-petrol engine is restricted to the X-Line A trim in this comparison. 

Furthermore, the base variant only gets manual transmission options, while the top-end trim can be had as an automatic only. Here are the specifications of these powertrains:

CVT - Continuously Variable Transmission (automatic), DCT - Dual-Clutch Transmission (automatic), AT - Torque Converter (automatic)

Rivals

The Seltos sits amongst the most competitive segments in the Indian automotive market. And the list of rivals include, the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Maruti Victoris, Volkswagen Taigun, Tata Sierra, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, Honda Elevate, Citroen Aircross, and Renault Duster. The upcoming Nissan Tekton will also join the fight in the compact SUV space.