Kia Seltos facelift is due in our market and the mid-life upgraded version was spotted in its top-of-the-line X-Line trim recently.
The mid-life facelift version of the Kia Seltos was spied testing recently. Seltos belongs to the most competitive mid-size SUV segment of our market. It has wooed customers since its inception. In fact, it remained second to just its sibling, the Hyundai Creta on the list of the top-selling SUVs in this category. Seltos, along with the Sonet and now the Carens, has been the major reason why Kia has become one of the most successful foreign car companies in India having achieved the milestone of 8 lakh sales in under 4 years. The facelift model of the Seltos has been launched in international markets around a year ago and India is next in line to receive it. The launch might take place around July or August.
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Kia Seltos Facelift – Specs
The biggest talking point of the new Seltos will be the addition of a new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that recently debuted in the new Verna. This replaces the existing 1.4-litre turbo petrol due to failing to keep up with the demanding emissions regulations. It will produce 160 PS and 253 Nm of peak power and torque. We shall see what transmission options will be offered with this mill. Apart from that, it will continue to be powered by the existing 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines developing 115 PS / 142 Nm and 115 PS / 250 Nm of peak power and torque respectively. These powertrains will come mated to manual and automatic transmissions. Therefore, when it comes to engine and gearbox combinations, the Seltos will have you covered.
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Exterior Styling
Judging by these spy shots and the international model, we can expect a slightly tweaked exterior design, which is always the case with the facelifts. At the front, there will be redesigned grille section along with a chrome strip, a new design for the grille pattern, an altered Tiger Nose motif, tweaked LRD DRLs, new upgrades to the LED headlamp cluster and new bumpers with revised air intake units and fog lamp housings among other things. Down the sides, the only significant difference to tell it apart from the existing model will be the new 17-inch alloys with attractive styling. At the rear, there will be quite a few new elements due to the entire tailgate being new. One would witness the new taillamp design and redesigned bumper while the overall silhouette would resemble the pre-facelift model.
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Interior and Features
Yet another area where the new model will be visibly distinct compared to the outgoing model will be the interior layout. Now, we know that the existing Kia Seltos is already packed with comfort, connectivity and convenience features to the brim. While it may seem nigh impossible, Kia will further improve these elements. The first thing one would notice as soon as he/she enters the SUV is the new connected screens for Driver’s Instrument Cluster and Infotainment. While it was previously there too, this time, the arrangement is seamless. This is something you experience in premium high-end luxury cars or the likes of the Mahindra XUV700.
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The layout for other equipment will be upgraded too. This includes the availability of slimmer AC vents, a new centre console that will house a rotary dial gear selector for automatic versions like you see on premium cars, new switch controls for the climate control settings, red inserts on the dashboard and upholstery in the X-Line trim and much more. Apart from that, the new Seltos will also get a large Panoramic Sunroof just like its cousin, Creta. Note that the Seltos just had a regular-sized sunroof until now. The infotainment software will also be improved and we might also see the SUV getting ADAS features for enhanced active safety.
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What We Think
Kia Seltos features in arguably the most competitive but rapidly expanding segment in India. There are eminent products in this category including the likes of Hyundai Creta, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, etc. To blow off the heat from these worthy competitors, Kia has to keep the Seltos fresh. Also, Honda is also launching its Elevate mid-size SUV soon which will make things even more challenging for everyone apart from the customers. The buyers will relish this segment where they have so many worthy choices to make up their minds according to their desires. In the end, the prices will be a major factor for the buyers to make their final decision about which SUV to go for. All these SUVs offer multiple powertrain and gearbox combinations to make them more accessible to a wider range of customers. More details about the Kia Seltos facelift will be revealed closer to the launch.
