After spending around 1.5 months with the Kia Syros Diesel Automatic, I have jotted down my experience of the same with pros and cons of this car. It pairs the highly reliable 1.5-litre CRDi engine with a proper 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
I lived with this high-spec automatic for a full week, putting it through roughly 800 kilometers of mixed driving. If you are trying to navigate the chaotic, bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic of Delhi-NCR while still wanting a car that can effortlessly mile-munch on weekends, does this two-pedal diesel SUV make sense? Or does its premium price tag push it too close to its bigger brother, the Seltos? Let’s dive straight into the details.
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Pros of the Kia Syros Diesel AT
1. The Ultimate “No-Stress” Powertrain Combination
While AMTs feel jerky and DCTs make you nervous about overheating in crawling traffic, this traditional 6-speed torque converter automatic is pure bliss. It matches seamlessly with the 250 Nm of torque from the diesel engine. The gear shifts are incredibly smooth and well-timed. When you step on the throttle from a standstill, the car picks up momentum beautifully without any of that annoying hesitation or lag.
2. Loaded with Absolute Top-End Luxury & Tech
Unlike the manual version, choosing the Automatic unlocks Kia’s absolute best features. The cabin feels immensely premium. You are greeted by a massive, dual 12.3-inch “Trinity” screen setup that looks like it belongs in a luxury car. Plus, you get segment-first features like rear-seat ventilation (a total lifesaver in Indian summers), a massive panoramic sunroof, an electric parking brake, and a crisp Bose premium sound system.
3. Comprehensive Level 2 ADAS Protection
Safety on the highway gets a massive upgrade here. Along with its rock-solid 5-star safety rating, the Diesel AT comes equipped with a fully functional Level 2 ADAS suite. The camera-and-radar-based system gives you features like Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keep Assist, and Smart Cruise Control. On long, well-marked highway stretches, the adaptive cruise control takes a massive chunk of fatigue out of driving.
4. Shockingly Efficient for a Torque Converter
Usually, traditional automatic gearboxes are known to guzzle fuel in heavy traffic. However, Kia’s tuning here is highly commendable. In peak city traffic, the Diesel AT consistently returned around 13 to 15 km/l. Out on the open highway, the gearbox quickly shifts into 6th gear to keep engine revs low, pushing the mileage up to an impressive 16 to 18 km/l. It might not be quite as frugal as the manual, but the sheer convenience more than makes up for it.
Cons of the Kia Syros Diesel AT
1. Heavily Premium Price Tag (Enters Seltos Territory)
The biggest hurdle for the Syros Diesel AT is the hit to your wallet. Because Kia packs this variant with top-tier tech, the torque converter automatic, and full ADAS, the on-road price shoots up significantly. At this price point, budget-conscious buyers will face a massive dilemma: Do I buy a fully loaded compact Syros, or do I sacrifice a few features and opt for a mid-spec Kia Seltos, which is a fundamentally larger, higher-segment SUV?
2. Futuristic Look is a Double-Edged Sword
Just like the manual version, the styling of the Syros remains highly polarizing. The boxy “tall-boy” stance, completely vertical LED light bars, and ultra-flat front nose look incredibly futuristic, almost like a mini-EV 9. If you love distinctive, modern road presence, you will adore it. But if your aesthetic taste leans towards traditional, elegant SUV proportions, this design might feel a bit too radical.
3. Softer Suspension Leads to High-Speed Body Roll
Kia has clearly tuned the suspension to favor absolute city comfort. It glides over bad patches, rumblers, and potholes without unsettling the passengers inside. However, because of the vehicle’s high roofline and tall-boy architecture, this softer setup leads to noticeable body roll when you are tackling sharp corners or changing lanes quickly at highway speeds. It feels stable, but it lacks the sharp, planted handling dynamics of the Sonet.
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Verdict- Should You Buy It?
The Kia Syros Diesel AT is an incredibly sorted, highly polished urban SUV. If you have a healthy budget, high monthly running, and want a relaxed, effortless driving experience loaded with premium, big-car features, this is arguably the best variant in the entire Syros range. It beautifully bridges the gap between maximum city convenience and long-distance capability.
However, if you don’t care about ventilated rear seats, ADAS, or a panoramic sunroof, and you simply want a spacious family diesel car, saving a massive amount of money by opting for the Diesel Manual or looking at a mid-trim Seltos might turn out to be the more practical financial decision for your garage.
