Kia Seltos facelift is expected to go on sale in India by mid-2022 with new features and design updates
Kia will be providing a mid-cycle facelift to Seltos in the coming few months. Ahead of the launch of facelift, Kia is likely to updated Sonet and Seltos later this month with six airbags as standard. Speaking about the 2022 Seltos facelift, spy shots of the updated SUV have already been leaked on the internet. Another set of spy shots have appeared online which show a heavily disguised prototype of the facelifted Seltos.
Like previous spy images, critical components of the exterior design have been hidden under camouflage in the latest pictures. These latest images from Blago Naver, have some vital information attached to them. If you look closely, the front spy image of new Seltos shows that it has an ADAS RADAR module in the front.
2022 Kia Seltos ADAS, New Panoramic Sunroof
2022 Kia Seltos design will be updated. It will likely get the same design language which is seen on board the new gen Kia Sportage. It will also get new exteriors features like revised LED headlights, new tail lights and alloys.
Kia India will finally offer a panoramic sunroof in the upcoming iteration Seltos. Until now, Seltos only came with single pane sunroof, unlike the panoramic sunroof seen on its sibling Creta. 2022 Seltos top-spec variants will get panoramic sunroof, whereas mid-spec variants will continue to offer a single-pane electric sunroof.
While Seltos is already packed with features in its current form, we expect Kia to bolster the equipment with new creature comforts. ADAS enabled features will help Seltos rival the new XUV700 and upcoming Hector Savvy variant. The new Kia Seltos facelift is expected to hit showrooms in India by mid-2022.
2022 Kia Seltos facelift with Hybrid powertrain option
Korean media reports that Kia will be pulling the plug on the diesel engine from Seltos lineup. The report further states that this diesel engine will be replaced by a petrol hybrid powertrain, the same unit which currently performs its duties on Kia Niro. This powertrain will be offered with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard.
The hybrid powertrain in discussion features a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with a parallel-hybrid system producing a combined output of 137 bhp at 5,700rpm and a peak torque of 264 Nm at 4,000rpm. The hybrid system consists of a 1.56 kWh lithium-ion battery that powers an AC electric motor which has an output of 42 bhp and 170 Nm of torque.
Whether this hybrid powertrain will be introduced in the India-spec Seltos is yet to be seen. Since hybrid vehicles aren’t incentivised by the Government of India, the launch of a hybrid power source in the facelifted Seltos will push its price many notches higher which might not help its mass appeal. Moreover, there is still a considerable base of diesel consumers in the country which might force Kia to think.
Seltos current powertrain options
Currently, Seltos in India is offered three engine options- a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit, a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel unit and a 1.4-litre GDi turbo petrol unit. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard with options of a 6-speed torque converter, a CVT automatic, a 6-speed clutchless iMT manual and a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox.
