New Kia Seltos HTE vs HTE (O) Variants Compared: Which Of The Lower-spec Variant Should You Consider?

Kia introduced the second-generation Seltos in early 2026 in India. It is available in as many as 10 variants which are: HTE, HTE (O), HTK, HTK (O), HTX, HTX (A), GTX, X-Line, GTX (A), and X-Line (A). With the new generation, even the lower-spec variants of the new Seltos are now decently equipped for their price. So, if you were wondering which one to pick between the entry-level HTE and the 1-above-base HTE (O), here’s a detailed comparison to help you out.

Exterior

Front

Even though the HTE and HTE (O) are lower-spec variants of the new Seltos, Kia offers both of them with all-LED headlights with LED DRLs. Other common details on the fascia include a black finish for the grille, an air inlet in the lower portion of the bumper, and a silver-finished skid plate. Given that these two are lower-spec variants, they miss out on LED fog lamps, which are available from the higher-spec HTX trim onwards.

Side

Both the HTE and HTE (O) variants of the 2026 Kia Seltos come with 16-inch steel wheels. However, the base-spec HTE gets plain wheel covers while the 1-above-base HTE (O) comes with stylised units. The HTE (O) variant also adds gloss black finished roof rails to the new Kia Seltos. Other elements such as ORVM-mounted turn indicators, flush-type door handles, chunky body cladding are already present from the entry-level variant.

Rear

Kia offers the HTE and HTE (O) with LED tail lights, although the latter gets illumination for the connected portion in the centre as well. That said, a roof spoiler and a shark fin antenna are provided as standard on the second-gen Kia Seltos. To round things off, the SUV also gets a silver-finished skid plate in the bumper as seen on its fascia.

Interior

The HTE and HTE (O) variants come in a dual-tone black and grey theme with some matte blue accents across the cabin. While the HTE has fabric upholstery, the HTE (O) gets semi-leatherette seats. Given that these are lower-spec variants, they miss out on soft-touch materials as seen on the higher-spec trims. There’s also a fresh 3-spoke steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustments available as standard.

Kia has made use of brushed silver elements on the door pads, steering wheel and the centre console to give a dash of contrast in the dark-themed cabin. There’s a front centre armrest with storage available right from the base variant, while a rear centre armrest is offered from the HTE (O) trim onwards. Also, the rear seats get 60:40 split-fold function along with the option to recline them as well starting from the HTE (O) variant. The HTE (O) also adds adjustable headrests for all three passengers seated at the back.

Features And Safety

In terms of shared equipment, the HTE and HTE (O) get a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, push-button start/stop, a manual AC with rear vents, and a height-adjustable driver seat. Features like traction control, drive modes and paddle shifters are available from the HTE (O) variant onwards.

Safety tech available across both the variants includes six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), ABS with EBD, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), all-wheel disc brakes, a rear parking camera with guidelines, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages. The HTE (O) adds an electronic parking brake with auto-hold.

Engine And Gearbox Options

Before we move to the variant-wise availability of the powertrains, first let’s take a look at what engine and gearbox choices are offered with the new Kia Seltos. Here are the details:

*CVT - continuously variable transmission, iMT - intelligent manual transmission (manual without the clutch pedal), DCT - dual-clutch automatic transmission, AT - torque converter automatic transmission

Kia offers the two variants with the following engine and gearbox options:

While the base-spec HTE can be had with only the manual gearbox options with the N/A petrol and diesel engines, it’s the HTE (O) that comes with almost all the engine and gearbox combinations on offer, save for the turbo-petrol DCT option.

Price And Competition

The Kia Seltos’ HTE variants are priced at Rs 10.99 lakh (petrol-MT) and Rs 12.59 lakh (diesel-MT). On the other hand, the HTE (O) variants range from Rs 12.09 lakh to Rs 14.99 lakh.

Kia’s compact SUV takes on an array of rivals, including the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Skoda Kushaq, Honda Elevate, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Renault Duster, and Tata Sierra. It even serves as a competitor to similarly priced SUV-coupes like the Citroen Basalt and Tata Curvv.