In order to compete toe-to-toe with the newly launched Hyundai Creta, Kia Motors India has updated its best selling car, Seltos
Kia Motors India has updated its popular Seltos compact crossover (‘mid-size SUV’ in Indian terms) for the 2020 model year at a starting price of Rs 9.89 lakh ex-showroom. 10 new features have been added to the already-loaded Kia Seltos and the updated UVO connectivity suite now boasts of more than 50 functionalities. In addition to this, eight existing features or equipment have been filtered down to lower trims.
Prices have obviously gone up a bit. To give a comparison with its initial format, the 1.5 NA petrol variants currently costs an extra Rs 5,000-25,000. This rate increases to 15,000-35,000 for the 1.5 diesel models. Interestingly, the top-of-the-line GTX+ 7DCT has become cheaper by Rs 5,000. Meanwhile, GTX and GTX+ manual formats see a price hike of Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively.
Kia Motors India has discontinued two 1.4 turbo petrol Kia Seltos variants: GTK and GTX 7DCT. The crossover continues to be offered in the two styling packs, Tech Line and GT Line.
2020 Kia Seltos Price List – Old vs New
| Seltos Petrol 1.5 | New Price | Old Price | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTE | 9.89 | 9.89 | 0 |
| HTK | 10.49 | 10.29 | 20,000 |
| HTK + | 11.59 | 11.49 | 10,000 |
| HTX | 13.34 | 13.09 | 25,000 |
| HTX IVT | 14.34 | 14.29 | 5,000 |
| Seltos Petrol 1.4 | New Price | Old Price | Diff |
| GTK | NA | 13.79 | – |
| GTX | 15.54 | 15.29 | 25,000 |
| GTX DCT | NA | 16.29 | – |
| GTX + | 16.39 | 16.29 | 10,000 |
| GTX + DCT | 17.29 | 17.34 | -5,000 |
| Seltos Diesel 1.5 | New Price | Old Price | Diff |
| HTE | 10.34 | 10.19 | 15,000 |
| HTK | 11.69 | 11.49 | 20,000 |
| HTK + | 12.69 | 12.48 | 21,000 |
| HTK+ AT | 13.69 | NA | – |
| HTX | 14.44 | 14.09 | 35,000 |
| HTX + | 15.49 | 15.29 | 20,000 |
| HTX + AT | 16.49 | 16.29 | 20,000 |
| GTX + AT | 17.34 | 17.34 | 0 |
Across the range, Kia Motors India has added an Emergency Stop Signal (ESS). If the car undergoes heavy-footed braking during or over 55km/h, the rear tail lamps blink to warn oncoming traffic. On higher trims, smart-key remote engine start (only on automatic variants) and seven new UVO controls have been equipped. The climate control panel gets a fresh silver treatment while the sunroof is now available in dual-tone shade. In fact, the company is offering a new Orange/White dual-tone colour choice on HTX+ and GTX+.
2020 Kia Seltos – 10 New Features
| New Features | Variants |
|---|---|
| Safety | |
| Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) Standard | All Variants |
| Connectivity and Convenience | |
| Smart-Key Remote Engine Start | All Automatic variants |
| UVO – Voice Assist wake up Command “Hello Kia” | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| UVO Smart Watch App Connectivity | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| UVO LITE – Control Air Purifier | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| UVO -Voice Assist Indian Holiday Info. | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| UVO -Voice Assist Cricket Score | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| Interiors | |
| FATC (Full Automatic Temperature Control) Deco Panel Silver Garnish | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| Dual Tone option on Sunroof | HTX+ / GTX+ |
| Exterior | |
| New Dual tone colour Orange/White roof | HTX+/GTX+ |
As mentioned before, a substantial number of familiar features are now available in lower trims such as sunroof, front tray USB charger, rear USB charger, sill plates, leatherette gear knob, black leatherette interior theme, printed dashboard garnish and dual exhaust tips. We have already shared a rough idea of the updated features thanks to a recent brochure leak.
Kia Seltos Existing Variants – Added Features List
| Features | Availability in older Seltos variants | Added Variants for features |
|---|---|---|
| Interiors | ||
| Sunroof with LED Room Lamp | HTX+,GTX+ | HTX /HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| Rear USB charger | HTX /HTX+/GTX/GTX+ | All Variants |
| Metal scuff plates | GTK,GTX,GTX+ | HTX /HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| Leatherette Gear Knob | HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ | HTK+/HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
| Black Leatherette Interior | GTK, GTX | GTX, GTX+ |
| Front Tray USB charger | HTK/HTK+/HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ | All Variants |
| Printed Dashboard Garnish | GTK | HTK+ |
| Exterior | ||
| Dual Muffler Design | HTX /HTX+/GTX/GTX+ | HTK+/HTX/HTX+/GTX/GTX+ |
With the new update, the Kia Seltos becomes one step closer to the Hyundai Creta in terms of overall desirability. Kia Motors India could have added paddle-shifters for the 1.4 turbo GDI variant since the 2020MY Hyundai Creta features it right from the start. The Seltos is arguably more dynamic than its relatively better-packaged South Korean sibling.
Powertrain choices remain the same as before. With over 20 trim-powertrain combinations to choose from, the front-wheel-drive Kia Seltos is available with three engines: 1.5-litre NA petrol (113bhp/145Nm), 1.5-litre diesel (113bhp/250Nm) and 1.4-litre turbo petrol (138bhp/242Nm). The engines come mated to a CVT, 6-speed AT or 7-speed DCT, respectively while a 6-speed manual is standard. The 2020 Hyundai Creta is sold with the same choices of power plant in the exact state of tune.
