In the wake of rising competition in the compact mid-size SUV segment, Kia is preparing to make ‘a big announcement’ on April 27, 2020. The South Korean company has not shared any details of this upcoming announcement but we expect 2021 Seltos to feature some new updates as well as wear the new Logo.
Earlier, this year, Kia had revealed their new logo which will find its place on future models across its lineup. This logo is yet to reach Indian models and is expected to be seen in Seltos first. Along with a new logo, the company has adopted a new brand strategy as well as a new brand slogan that says “Movement that inspires” as part of this transformation.
The name of the company too has been shortened from Kia Motors Corporation to just ‘Kia’. The South Korean carmaker entered the Indian market in August 2019 with the launch of Seltos. The SUV got its first set of updates a year back with a few cosmetic and feature additions to its lineup. Seltos has been received extremely well by Indian consumers, however, recent sales have declined due to stiff competition.
In the upcoming set of updates, it is being speculated that the single electric sunroof in Seltos will make way for a larger panoramic sunroof (cousin Creta, which is based on same platform, already gets a panoramic sunroof – expect Seltos panoramic sunroof to be of similar dimension). Almost all its current rivals such as Hyundai Creta, MG Hector and Tata Harrier are offered with a panoramic sunroof. The update could also be in the form of a whole new variant.
Last year, Kia introduced a new Special Gravity Edition which came with a bunch of cosmetic and feature upgrades. These include 18-inch alloy wheels (standard model comes with 17-inch alloys), a studded front grille and a larger skid plate.
It is based on top-of-the-line GTX+ trim and hence comes with a complete blacked-out theme. However, there are no mechanical changes to this special variant. There is a chance that Kia could launch the Special Gravity Edition in India.
In terms of powertrain, Seltos is offered with 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 mill. The 1.5-litre unit can generate 114 bhp and 144 Nm of peak torque whereas the oil burner can churn out 114 bhp and 250 nm of torque. On the other hand, the 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit kicks out 138 bhp and 242 Nm of torque.
Transmission options include a 6-speed manual as standard with the option of a 6-speed torque converter, a CVT or a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox. It is also possible that Kia reveals some insights regarding its future launches for India at this event.
This post was last modified on March 24, 2021 11:44 am