Kia Seltos is among the top selling cars in India and currently has the highest waiting period
Kia Motors has commenced production at its Anantapur Plant in Andhra Pradesh after the relaxation of the lockdown regulations. Kia has become one of the largest car maker in the country, with just two cars on offer as of now. Production of both cars – Seltos and Carnival has restarted.
For now, around 30 cars are being manufactured per hour at the plant. The company had engaged 300 employees to maintain the plant during the lockdown but since Tuesday, have been running assembly lines on a single 8 hour shift basis with 1000 employees producing 240 units per day.
Kia Motors strictly follows safety regulations in keeping with the COVID-19 pandemic protocols. The employees are transported from various green zones in 52 buses while staff from the containment zones in Anantapur and other areas is instructed not to report for duty. Social distancing is being adhered to along with each employee being screened and made to wear masks and carry sanitizers at all times. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Neelesh Bajaj for sharing the video below.
Kia Seltos is one of the top selling cars in India. Economic Times reports, there are about 50,000 pending orders of the Seltos in India. It has achieved this feat despite the fact that it is priced higher than competition, priced between Rs.9.89 lakhs and Rs.17.34 lakhs depending on variant. Competing with the likes of the Hyundai Creta as well as select variants of MG Hector, Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass, new Kia Seltos gets some of the best features in its segment that is not seen even on premium cars.
Kia SUV is offered in two trims of Tech Line and GT Line, each of which are offered in five variants of E, K, K+, X and X+. The Tech Line is the more premium of the two with beige and black cabin with leather upholstery, while the GT Like is sportier with an all black cabin and leather seating with red stitching accents.
Other features include a sporty bumper, bold front grille, LED headlamps with signature LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, 17” alloy wheels and vertically stacked LED fog lamps. The interiors are also loaded with features with a flat bottom steering wheel, colour MID unit, 8” heads-up display and a 10.25” infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with an 8 speaker Bose sound system. Mood lighting, ambient lighting and wireless phone charging are also among its features.
Kia Seltos is powered by petrol and diesel engine options. The 1.4 liter GDI turbo petrol engine offers 138 bhp power and 242 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual and 7 speed DCT automatic transmission. The 1.5 liter naturally aspirated petrol is capable of 113 bhp power and 114 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual and IVT automatic transmission while the 1.5 liter VGT diesel engine gives out 113 bhp power and 250 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed manual and 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox. With production now restarted, buyers can look forward to getting delivery of Seltos.