Safety. This word wasn’t a serious part of automotive conversations in India not so long ago, either among buyers or manufacturers. Both sets of people had a worryingly ‘chalta hai’ attitude to the subject, instead paying more attention to things such as fuel efficiency, features and price. These factors still matter, of course, but the gratifying thing is that safe cars are finally becoming a ‘thing’ in India. Indigenous manufacturers Tata and Mahindra can take credit for kickstarting the trend.
We now have the BNCAP in India, a very welcome move even though it’s currently voluntary, and there’s no doubt that the paying customer is going to want safer cars from here on.
Safety
The 2023 Kia Seltos hasn’t been crash-tested yet, but the older model scored 3 stars for adult occupant protection and 2 stars for child protection at the Global NCAP test; it’s safe to assume the refreshed model will score roughly the same. These numbers aren’t great, but the 2023 model does ramp up the safety features suite considerably, at least in the top-end variants. The SUV now offers Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) technology. Six airbags are now standard across the range, and it gets ESC, TPMS, parking sensors, front collision warning, driver attention warning, lane departure warning, lane following assist, safe exit warning and a whole host of other camera-based features, plus traction control (15 standard adaptive features and 17 advanced ones).
I’m happy that I didn’t have to test the more advanced ones during my time with the car; I can report that things like cruise control, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist worked well. My advice? Spend the extra money and buy a fully-loaded Seltos variant, so that you have all these features.
Looks
Visually, the Seltos hasn’t changed dramatically; it’s 50mm longer now, but it doesn't really appear so. The ‘tiger-nose’ face is the same, save for a refreshed grille, headlights and DRLs. The front bumper looks more rugged, too. The rear sees L-shaped tail lamps, with a lighting bar reaching the central logo; the rear bumper gets a faux skid plate, and the turbo-petrol variants get twin exhaust tips. Pewter olive is the new shade of paint, and it looks rather fetching. The Seltos has always looked on the sportier and flashier side of things, and it retains that character.
Cabin
The cabin hasn’t changed radically, either, but it does look more premium now. The dual screens on the dashboard look elegant, and new materials for the upholstery add a fresh touch (although what your car looks like will vary depending on which variant you choose).
The front and rear seats are comfortable and supportive as always, there’s a nice sense of space overall, and the cabin feels airy in no small part due to the panoramic sunroof; the view out onto the road is excellent as well. Three adults will be happy in the rear seat, with enough head, leg and elbow room as well as thigh support.
Storage spaces and cubbyholes abound, so you’ll never be left wondering where to place that cup of coffee. Boot space—at 433 litres—remains unchanged, and is enough for luggage for a family of four.
Infotainment and digital instruments
The new 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen and digital instruments look superb. The display information about pretty much every part of the car, and the heads-up display in the GT variant adds to this. Voice commands can be executed in Hinglish, although accuracy is a little hit and miss. The air purifier gets an updated screen/UI as well.
Other features include dual-zone auto climate control, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats (I’ve always wondered why only the front seats get this feature), 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone charging and several others. Some misses include the lack of a powered tailgate and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Overall, there’s no doubt that the refreshed Seltos is a better place to be than the older car.
Engine
Kia offers the Seltos with a 1.5-litre petrol or diesel engine, with a frankly dizzying number of gearbox options, and the turbo-petrol replaces the earlier 1.4-litre unit. The ‘Smartstream G1.5 T-Gdi’, to give it its full name, puts out a sprightly 158 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 253 Nm of torque between 1,500-3,500 rpm, both rather impressive numbers. The engine is silent at start-up and idle, and when you floor the accelerator, it propels the Seltos forward at an entertaining pace—0 to 100 kph came up in around 9 seconds in the car I was driving, which had a dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
There are Eco, Normal and Sport modes to choose from, as well as traction modes (Sand, Mud, Snow), carried over from the previous car. No matter what mode you select, the turbo-petrol acquits itself very well, with a smooth, tractable nature that’s user-friendly as well as entertaining; the paddle shifters add a sporty touch.
There’s no escaping a bit of initial turbo lag, but once it spools up properly, progress is satisfyingly linear. I didn’t time in-gear acceleration, but it was clearly better than in the 1.4-litre petrol engine—you can feel it. Highway cruising is absolutely relaxed, with the 253 Nm torque figure greatly helping things; at 100 kph, the engine is ticking over at around 2,000 rpm. The punchy nature of the engine means that overtaking is fuss-free, too. At city speeds, the engine-gearbox combination feels assured, and the car navigates these conditions smoothly. Fuel efficiency is a claimed 18 kpl in this particular variant, which means around 14 to 15 kpl in real-life driving.
Ride quality
The SUV’s ride quality has gone up a notch, because the suspension has been fettled a bit; front dampening has been increased and rear dampening decreased, leading to a smoother absorption of bumps and ruts. The ride is still on the firm side, but it never becomes uncomfortable. Putting the Seltos through a series of fast corners reveals some amount of body roll, despite the firm suspension, but again, this isn’t a deal-breaker; high speed stability is impeccable, and the steering wheel has a good heft to it as speeds rise.
In a segment that is red-hot—with the Creta, Grand Vitara, Hyryder, Taigun, Kushaq, Astor, Elevate and C3 Aircross—you could say the Seltos has its work cut out. However, it’s always been a top-seller, and the upgrades have made it that much more compelling as an option.
With a staggering 18 variants to pick from, some might feel more than a hint of confusion during the buying process, but at least there’s one for every budget. Beginning at ex-Rs 10.9 lakh and topping out at Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom, with trims like Tech, GT and X Line), the refreshed Seltos remains a value proposition that is feature-loaded, comfortable and easy to drive. The fully-loaded variant is the one to buy, of course, but even a mid-level Seltos will keep most buyers happy.
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