Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos was the carmaker’s first product in India when it started operations in 2019, and since then it has become one of the most popular cars in its segment, which is already flooded with options such as the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Tata Curvv, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun and more. 

When launched the Seltos brought with it modernity and premiumness, and offered features which were nowhere to be seen in its rivals. Since then, the segment has caught up, and almost every rival is as premium and feature-loaded as the next. Naturally, the Seltos now has a much harder battle to fight. 

Is it still able to one up its rivals? Are there better reasons to consider it over its rivals? Let’s find out.

Kia gave the Seltos a comprehensive update in 2023. To this date, it continues to look like a brand new car. The design has aged gracefully and it carries a good blend of premiumness and aggression.

The highlight on the front profile is the new lighting setup that includes LED daytime running lamps (DRLs) which extend inside the grille. The full LED headlamps and sleek fog lamps have a new design which looks classy. Finally, dynamic turn indicators also add a more premium touch.

From the side, you’d notice it hasn’t changed much compared to the older model. You do get some chrome touches on the door handles and window line, along with 18-inch alloy wheels. Lower variants come with 17 and 16-inch alloy wheels, whereas the base variant gets 16-inch steel wheels.

The Seltos looks good from the rear as well. There is muscle in the design and a spoiler on top which keeps things interesting. And if you look at it with the overall proportions, then the design of this car looks very complete. On top of that, the GT Line and X Line variants, along with the turbo petrol engine, get dual-tip exhausts which look very sporty. 

But the highlight here is again the lighting setup. You get LED connected tail lamps and below that you get dynamic turn indicators. The Seltos also gets LED tail lights and LED reverse lights too. 

There are a lot of individual elements to like about the Seltos, but the manner in which these come together to make the Seltos look different. I feel it’s among the best looking SUVs in the segment that appeals to the young, but also has enough elegance for the old.

Even the colour options are great. It can be had in 8 monotone shades: Pewter Olive, Clear White, Sparkling Silver, Gravity Grey, Aurora Black Pearl, Glacier White Pearl, Intense Red, and Imperial Blue. Intense Red and Glacier White Pearl are also available in the dual-tone shade.

The X-Line variant comes in two shades: Aurora Black Pearl, and Xclusive Matte Graphite, the latter as the name suggests, is exclusive to the X-Line variant.

Design & Quality

Being a tall-ish SUV, getting in and out of the Seltos is not so difficult. The doors open wide enough and the tall roof allows you to easily enter and exit the vehicle. 

The dashboard layout of the Seltos looks sophisticated. Like the exterior, it manages to blend a premium and sporty look in equal measure. The connected screens, the contrast coloured elements and the new slimmer AC vents all make for a dashboard that’s classy and sure to age well. 

Based on the variant you choose, there are different interior colour themes. Right from an all-black theme in the base models, to tan-black in the mid-spec variants to a unique sage green-black combination in the top variant.

Then comes the fit, finish and quality. The quality of the materials in this cabin is very good. Be it the steering leather wrap, tactile feel of the buttons or the soft-touch materials on the dashboard, door pads and the elbow rests, all these things together elevate the cabin experience and make the interiors of the Seltos among the best in the segment. 

Front Seats

Seltos comes with a height adjustable driver seat and tilt adjustable steering wheel from the base variant onwards, which makes it fairly easy to find your driving position. From the HTX variant onwards, you get both tilt and telescopic steering adjustment which makes this process even easier.

The front seats are wide enough to accommodate tall and large people. There is enough headroom for a 6-footer, good amount of underthigh support, and the large bolsters provide excellent side support.

From the driver’s seat, all the buttons are easily accessible and so is the touchscreen, making it very ergonomic for the driver. And, during long journeys, you can rest your left hand on the centre armrest.

There are no major blind spots for the driver and the large front and rear windshield and windows provide good overall visibility.

Rear Seats

The rear seat experience of the Seltos is acceptable, but not the best. Yes, there is no shortage of space here and you can sit comfortably with your legs stretched. Knee and shoulder room is also plenty but the headroom is a bit compromised thanks to the panoramic sunroof. 

The seat base is also a bit short, which leaves you wanting more under-thigh support. And while the backrest has two recline settings, better contouring would have helped with support. Here, you can seat 3 passengers, but the middle passenger will sit slightly upright and will struggle for shoulder room.

That said, the amenities are spot on though. You get privacy curtains, armrests with 2 cup holders, and the good thing is that the height of the armrest and the door armrest are the same so you feel more comfortable. Another good thing is that you have adjustable headrests and 3-point seatbelts for all 3 passengers. 

Storage Options

You can easily store a 1-litre bottle in all the door pockets along with other items like a cleaning cloth. In the middle, you get a dedicated phone charging tray with cooling, and another big open storage in the centre console to store knick-knacks. However, a rubber mat in the centre console is missed, since objects kept here tend to rattle around a bit. 

There are two cup holders in the centre, separated by a removable partition. Removing it opens up a larger storage space. This can be used to keep something valuable and hidden away from view as it gets a sliding cover on top. A deep pocket is also given to keep the keys on the side. The sunglass holder gets a nice soft padding and the storage under the armrest is also plenty. And finally, while the glovebox is of a good size, it lacks cooling.

Rear seat passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest, a tray under the rear AC vents to keep their phone, and seat back pockets

Charging Options

To charge your devices, you get a wireless phone charger, a USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C port, and a 12V socket in the front. Rear passengers get two USB Type-C ports.

The Seltos’ cabin is surely one of the best in the segment when it comes to design and quality, and the space and practicality it offers is good enough for more buyers. The presence of multiple variant-based themes makes it even more personalised.

Features

Seltos is among the most feature loaded SUVs in the segment. Here is a list of all daily use features available:

Apart from these features, it also gets dual 10.25-inch screens. The 10.25-inch touchscreen is responsive, shows no lag, and is easy to use. The user interface still looks modern and the display is crisp and clear. However, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wired, not wireless. Wireless connectivity is available, but with the smaller 8-inch touchscreen that’s available in the mid-spec variants.

This screen is further paired with an 8-speaker BOSE sound system which offers great audio quality along with multiple pre-set equalizer settings.

The 10.25-inch digital driver’s display which has similar neat graphics, multiple themes and layouts, it responds quickly to your inputs, and it shows the video feed from the side cameras while indicating.

There is a 360-degree camera as well which has both 2D and 3D modes. The camera feed is clear, it works well at night, and there is no frame drop whatsoever. This system also brings in a blind spot monitor which works as intended.

Standard safety features of the Seltos include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, all-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, vehicle stability management (VSM), rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Higher variants get front parking sensors, a rearview camera, rear defogger, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, and a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor. You also get Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, high beam assist, and autonomous emergency braking. We’ve tested the ADAS on the Seltos extensively, and found it to be tuned well for Indian driving conditions. 

The pre-facelift Seltos got a 3-star safety rating in Global NCAP. The current version has not been crash tested yet.

On paper, the Seltos offers 433 litres of space. But in reality, the practicality is compromised due to the shallow space. Hence, keeping only one large suitcase is possible, and you cannot stack anything over it. After keeping a big suitcase, there is not much space left on the side either. If you carry small suitcases or small bags only, though, they will fit easily because the cargo area is long and wide. 

Another good thing is that the rear seats split in 60:40 and you can fold them and create a flat floor which is ideal to carry larger articles. The boot lip is also at a neutral height, which makes loading and unloading relatively easy.

The Kia Seltos gets three 1.5-litre engine options: petrol, turbo-petrol, and diesel, each paired with different transmissions. There is no CNG option available with the Seltos.

1.5-litre NA Petrol

The NA petrol unit of the Kia Seltos is well refined, resulting in less vibrations, and delivers power smoothly. It is the least powerful engine in the lineup which does not offer a fun-to-drive experience, but its performance is adequate for all city commutes and relaxed highway cruising.

City Performance

This engine offers an effortless driving experience inside the city where you can easily cruise around and overtake others around you. Power is delivered smoothly with no jerks. It can handle bumper-to-bumper traffic with ease as there is no sudden surge of power when you press the throttle.

The manual transmission is easy to use with a progressive clutch and well-defined gates. But if you want a smoother experience, I would recommend the CVT transmission for its calm and jerk-free nature in regular usage.

In the city, you can get a fuel efficiency of around 10-12kmpl.

Highway Performance

On the highways, the drive experience becomes a little dull. It cruises effortlessly at triple digit speeds, but overtakes at those speeds will require planning, especially with the CVT as it takes some time to build up speed. 

I felt the engine to be underpowered under two conditions - when the car is fully loaded and you want to make a quick overtake, or when you’re driving in hilly regions.

Fuel efficiency on the highways will be around 14-16kmpl.

1.5-litre Diesel

The refinement levels of the Kia Seltos’ diesel engine are above average. This is the best engine in the lineup if you want a good balance of performance and efficiency.

City Performance

With loads of torque, the Seltos diesel feels at home in the city. Power delivery is smooth here as well and you can have some fun with this engine. Overtakes will be effortless and it will quickly pick up speeds. In slow moving traffic, you won’t have to change gears frequently, and this too can handle bumper-to-bumper traffic effortlessly.

The clutch with the manual is a little hard, but unlikely to cause fatigue. However, if you want more convenience, I would recommend the automatic transmission for its overall easy going nature and smooth shifts.

Being a diesel unit, it will offer a better fuel efficiency of around 13-14kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

With this engine, highway cruising is effortless, and it has enough power to make overtakes at triple digit speeds without much effort too. However, compared to petrol, it gets a little loud under stress.

Shifting the manual is easy but for people who want an automatic, the torque converter unit has been tuned well to offer smooth shifts while driving with a steady throttle. It’s quick enough to downshift when you slam the accelerator pedal too. 

Fuel efficiency on the highways will be around 18kmpl.

1.5-litre Turbo-petrol

This is the most powerful engine available in the Seltos lineup. This four cylinder engine’s noise and vibrations are very well controlled. If you want an exciting and fun-to-drive engine, this is the one to pick, but the trade-off for its performance is in its low fuel efficiency.

City Performance

The performance feels super quick in the city, and it picks up speed in an instant. This engine is very responsive, which can sometimes catch you off guard. While the performance is more than enough for your city usage, in bumper-to-bumper traffic you’ve to be careful as it can give you a surge of power.

There’s not a proper manual available, but you do get a clutchless manual with the turbo-petrol in a single HTK+ variant. I really like the working of the DCT, where it feels smooth and jerk-free in the city, but quick and responsive when you’re feeling a bit enthusiastic. This is provided you are decisive with your accelerator inputs. It has a tendency to get confused with part-throttle inputs, sometimes leading to a jerky downshift. 

While the performance is enjoyable, the low fuel efficiency is most certainly not, as you’re likely to get only around 8-10kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

This is where you’ll have most of the fun with the Seltos Turbo. This engine delivers an exciting performance which is one of the best in the segment. The acceleration will push you in the seat and the car accelerates strongly. For any car enthusiast, who wants some fun in their family car, this is the engine to pick.

You can very easily cruise at 100-120kmph. In fact, even at these speeds there’s enough power left to push further if required. Overtakes rarely require any planning at all. We’d recommend the DCT with this engine as it further elevates the excitement with its quick shifts. Paddle shifters also add a sporty feeling.

But, just like in the city, you’ll have to compromise on fuel efficiency, as this will offer a mileage of around 13-15kmpl on the highways.

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Ride Comfort

The Seltos offers a sophisticated ride quality which will keep you comfortable on most surfaces. Going over speed breakers and potholes does not make you brace for impact and the suspension keeps you well cushioned. Yes, the deeper bumps will be felt but they too don’t make you feel uncomfortable. It’s only over really bad/rough roads that you’ll feel some side-to-side movement, but that too isn’t uncomfortable.

Handling

It feels stable enough, and remains composed over an expansion joint or sudden elevation change. But you’re likely to feel some vertical movement at higher speeds, especially at the rear seats. 

The steering is light in the city, but weighs up as you pick up speed, which gives confidence at higher speeds. You can push it around corners as the side-to-side movement there is well controlled, but try not to get too excited as it is just a family SUV.

Kia offers the 2025 Seltos in 9 variants: HTE(O), HTK, HTK(O), HTK+, HTK+(O), HTX, HTX(O), GTX+, and X-Line.

HTE(O)

• Base variant misses out on LED headlights, but gets LED DRLs, and connected LED tail lights. Sits on 16-inch steel wheels with covers.

• Covers all functional features like powered windows, tilt steering adjust, driver seat height adjustment, rear AC vents, and adjustable front headrests.

• Even gets an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four speakers and a 4.2-inch MID driver’s unit.

• Standard safety kit is expansive and includes high-end equipment like 6 airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, all-wheel disc brakes, hill-start assist, and rear parking camera and sensors.

HTK

• Only adds indicators on the outside mirrors.

• More functionality with auto driver side window down, luggage lamps, push button start/stop, luggage lamps, and electrically adjustable outside mirrors.

• There is only one addition to the safety kit - front parking sensors.

HTK(O)

• Slightly improved looks with 16-inch alloys, and silver roof racks.

• Cabin gets better lighting LED front and rear map lights.

• Top highlights include dual tone panoramic sunroof, cruise control, and ambient lighting.

• The safety kit only gets rear defogger and rear wiper and washer.

HTK+

• Exterior gets projector fog lamps while interior gets leatherette-wrapped gear knob and steering wheel.

• Sports only two feature additions - auto AC and driver side window one touch up/down.

• Only variant to offer the turbo-petrol engine with the clutchless manual transmission.

HTK+(O)

• Upgraded exterior with chrome inserts, LED headlights, LED foglamps, sequential turn indicators and 17-inch alloy wheels.

• Features fully automatic outside mirrors and parcel tray.

• Electronic parking brake with auto hold, drive and traction modes, and paddle shifters are exclusive to the automatic variant.

• Entry-level diesel automatic variant.

HTX

• Improved exterior and interior look with 17-inch alloys, dual tone black and beige interior, and leatherette on the seats, armrest and door trims.

• Top additions include dual zone climate control, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, auto inside view mirror, wireless phone charger, air purifier, rear central armrest and 60:40 split rear seats.

• Improved entertainment package with bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen, voice recognition (including Alexa), and additional connected car technology features.

• Safety kit now features ISOFIX child anchor and adjustable rear headrests for all three passengers.

HTX(O)

• Exterior only gets a glossy roof-mounted black rear spoiler.

• All black interior features Indigo (dark blue) coloured leatherette seats.

• New features include a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, 8-way powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, and 8-speaker BOSE sound system.

• Dual dashcam is the only addition in the list of safety features.

GTX+

• More premium and sporty exterior with 18-inch alloys, chrome door handles, front and rear body kit (GT line only) and dual exhaust tips (turbo only).

• All-black interior gets black leatherette seats with white inserts all around, sporty alloy pedals and GT-Line logo on the steering.

• Gets UV cut windows, rain sensing wipers and full suite of Level-2 ADAS features, including a blind view monitor and 360-degree camera.

X-Line

• Sports the Xclusive Matte Graphite shade with knurled gloss black surrounds on the radiator, gloss black outside mirrors and body coloured door handles.

• All black cabin gets sage green inserts and leatherette seats.

• Only feature addition is an 8-inch head-up display.

CarDekho Recommends:

• If you’re on a really tight budget and just want a big car with all the basics, then you can opt for the base variant of the Kia Seltos.

• If you want the more exciting turbo-petrol engine with a proper automatic, then the GTX+ is one of the only two options. X-Line can be opted if you want that exclusive matte shade.

• Overall, the HTX variant feels fairly value-for-money with its premium exterior and interior styling, and good mix of functional and feel-good features. Can stretch to HTX(O) for the additional creature comforts.

With premium exterior and interior looks, a feature-loaded cabin, and an expansive safety kit, the Kia Seltos has a rather alluring brochure that’s hard to ignore. But what makes it a real winner are the things that you can’t put on a brochure like its space, practicality, and the sweet balance between comfort and handling. The various powertrain options and the well-sorted variant lineup just makes that deal even sweeter.

Other cars to consider instead of the Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Reasons to consider

• Feels more family oriented

Reasons to ignore

• Light coloured cabin will be tough to maintain

Toyota Hyryder/Maruti Grand Vitara

Reasons to consider

• Much more fuel efficient (Hybrid)

• Better ride quality

Reasons to ignore

• Not as refined and powerful 

• Less premium cabin experience 

Honda Elevate

Reasons to consider

• Slightly better ride comfort

• Bigger boot space

• Top variant undercuts massively

Reasons to ignore

• No turbo-petrol or diesel option

• Misses out on a few features

Volkswagen Taigun/Skoda Kushaq

Reasons to consider

• Feels more enthusiast-oriented

Reasons to ignore

• Better as a 4-seater 

• No diesel or non-turbo petrol option