The new Kia Seltos TVC highlights the SUV’s ‘Badass By Design’ tagline
The Kia Seltos was launched in the Indian market back in August 2019 at a compelling introductory starting price of Rs 9.69 lakh ex-showroom. Needless to say, the five-seater SUV instantly became a success in the country and has hit multiple milestones for a new name on the market. The Kia Seltos is definitely a well-rounded product with minimal shortcomings.
The South Korean brand (in which Hyundai Global has a 33.88% stake) introduced its very first product for the Indian market with the tagline, ‘Badass By Design’. The line was chosen to highlight the compact crossover’s “extreme blend of design and attitude”. Now, Kia Motors India has launched a new TVC of the Seltos showcasing the same.
One of the main reasons why you are able to see many examples of the Seltos on the road is that Kia Motors India offers it in almost 25 variants (including dual-tone trims). The Kia Seltos is basically classified into two variant-lines: Tech Line and GT Line; both of which differ significantly in terms of pricing, equipment and aesthetics.
You would be already aware of the long list of comfort, convenience and safety features that come in the Kia Seltos. Another novel product strategy was the introduction of three powertrains and four transmission choices. The 1.5-litre NA petrol (115bhp/145Nm) and 1.5-litre diesel (115bhp/250Nm) engines are available mated to a CVT and 6-speed torque-converter automatic, respectively. The higher 1.4-litre turbo petrol motor (140bhp/242Nm) boasts of a 7-speed DCT. All the engines come mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard.
The same powertrains are shared with the all-new 2020 Hyundai Creta, in the exact state of tune. Being the newer product, the Hyundai offers more than the Kia and is arguably the better pick. For the same reason, the once-benchmark Kia Seltos faces the most competition from its Hyundai sibling that was launched only recently at an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh (introductory) — read our comparison between the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
The global automotive industry is becoming more confusing than ever before when it comes to vehicle classifications. This is a direct effect of introducing multiple crossover products (predominantly based on urban-SUV platforms) and mixing up their pricing. The same trend has reached the Indian automotive scenario. As a result, the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta rival the likes of the MG Hector, Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass — products that are technically in a different segment altogether.
