Hyundai Group company Kia Motors debuted its maiden product, the Seltos, in the India market — a mid-size sports utility vehicle that will compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier and MG Hector.
The base version is priced at Rs 9.69 lakh.
In comparison the base versions of the Creta (1.6 petrol and 1.4 diesel) are priced at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The starting price of the Harrier is Rs 12.99 lakh and that of the Hector is Rs 12.18 lakh.
With 90 percent of the Seltos being made at the $1.1 billion, 300,000 units-a-year Anantpur factory in Andhra Pradesh, Kia has been able to price the vehicle aggressively. While Hyundai Creta is the best-selling product in this category Renault Captur, Mahindra XUV500 and the Nissan Kicks are the other competitors.
The Seltos is as big as the Creta in dimensions, but smaller than the Harrier, Hector and the XUV500. The segment sees monthly volumes of 16,000-17,000 units, of which Creta claims 70 percent.
The Seltos (a combination of Greek God Celtos, son of Hercules, and speed) will be available in two fuel options – petrol and diesel – in a variety of trims. The Seltos will sport a 1.4 litre turbo-charged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DCT transmission. Six-speed automatic and manual variants will also be offered. Alongside that will be the 1.5 litre CRDI diesel engine.
The car will have three drive modes — normal, eco and sports, first seen on some Tata Motors cars such as the Nexon and the Harrier. The Seltos has debuted with Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) compliant engines.
Kia will start retailing operations from all of the 265 touch points appointed in 160 cities. The company aims to have a total of 350 such touch points in place by 2021. This will be the largest retail base for any manufacturer while starting operations in India.
The Seltos will be offered in eight colours and five two-tone colour combinations.
The SUV will come with UVO connect, a connected car technology that offers an array of convenience and safety features. It features navigation, safety, vehicle management and remote control.
The facility will be free for the first three years. It has AI voice command, stolen vehicle tracking and immobilization, auto collision notification, an emergency assist feature, air purifier, an in-car air car quality monitor and safety alerts such as geo-fencing, speed and valet.
The car offers active and passive safety features. The Seltos gets six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, traction control, brake assist, hill assist, 360 degree camera and front and rear sensors, to name a few.
Besides, it also features an 8-inch overhead display, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, door curtains, cooling seats, second row USB chargers and two-step reclining seats.
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