[pankajparikh]

Originally Posted by Sebring

You are spot on with your observation. Underpasses tend to be dangerous as they fill up in seconds and many had to bail out from the window space and swim to safety. Not sure of Seltos but Tata Nexon has the highest ground clearance of 210 MM. Any idea what its water wading height is?

It seems water wading capacity of Nexon is less than EcoSport at around ~475-500mm.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

Kia gets accused of creating multiple fake profiles (bots) on social media to counter all the media houses that spoke against them. Apparently, all these 'users' later shared birthday wishes to the Telugu actor, Mahesh Babu, with identical posts containing the same pictures and words. Dirty politics indeed.

Just FYI: A new member named MeghanaGondi registered on our forum in July and posted biased messages on this very thread on 13th August. Moderator Eddy caught it, and we came to know that she is affiliated to a Kia dealer.

The member has been banned & her posts have been deleted .

Dirty business indeed. Brands & dealers know they cannot pay Team-BHP for "sponsored content" like the car rags (mags), so they try such tricks. Am pretty sure we catch 99% of them. Please do report any posts that you might find suspicious.

[wheelguy]

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

Kia gets accused of creating multiple fake profiles (bots) on social media to counter all the media houses that spoke against them. Apparently, all these 'users' later shared birthday wishes to the Telugu actor, Mahesh Babu, with identical posts containing the same pictures and words. Dirty politics indeed.
Attachment 1905372

Dirty indeed. In this age of social-networks, manipulation became an easy thing.

Originally Posted by GTO

Just FYI: A new member named MeghanaGondi registered on our forum in July and posted biased messages on this very thread on 13th August. Moderator Eddy caught it, and we came to know that she is affiliated to a Kia dealer.

The member has been banned & her posts have been deleted .

Dirty business indeed. Brands & dealers know they cannot pay Team-BHP for "sponsored content" like the car rags (mags), so they try such tricks. Am pretty sure we catch 99% of them. Please do report any posts that you might find suspicious.

That's wicked. All these acts indicate they are turning all stones like even the unethical ones, if the top management is aware of it and is okay with it, then I will stay away from their products even if they are good.

"Business need to go beyond the interest of their companies to the communities they serve." ~ Ratan Tata

I whenever possible choose products from Tata Group just because of the man(Ratan Tata & other Tatas) and his noble thoughts.

Can we put in place any kind of authentication system so that these kind of acts on the forum can be avoided in future?

[Guna]

Originally Posted by GTO

Dirty business indeed.

Most of the so called 'social media' companies do just this. Try to influence the audience with fake reviews, posts and likes (or dislikes). It is their bread and butter.

[DueLLeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just FYI: A new member named MeghanaGondi registered on our forum in July and posted biased messages on this very thread on 13th August. Moderator Eddy caught it... Am pretty sure we catch 99% of them. Please do report any posts that you might find suspicious.

Bravo! And that's why I rely only on our forum.

OT: I've pre-booked the Seltos GTX DCT (GTX+ wasn't available when I booked) and honestly with my TD of the HTX manual diesel at Bhavna Kia, Panvel, I felt the build quality to be more Maruti-like, may be slightly better. My 2015 Verna SX feels better built. I'm willing to give the benefit of doubt that the pre-prod unit that I TD'd is an exception. After I read the thread on DCT heating issues in the Hyundai Venue, I'm very sceptical about the Seltos DCT.

[vb-saan]

The Seltos maybe a good car, but those media reviews in the tune of “finally there is prefect cross-over to top the segment” looks so unreal. No harm in heavy marketing and making sure that every aspect is taken care for the brand’s entry to an important market, but this all looks quite over-the-top.

Originally Posted by DueLLeR

I felt the build quality to be more Maruti-like, may be slightly better. My 2015 Verna SX feels better built.

It is a brand which has improved over the past few years, but the same goes for the competition as well. Don't expect this to be any better than a Hyundai or a Honda when it comes to build quality and dynamics.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by vb-san

The Seltos maybe a good car, but those media reviews in the tune of “finally there is prefect cross-over to top the segment” looks so unreal. No harm in heavy marketing and making sure that every aspect is taken care for the brand’s entry to an important market, but this all looks quite over-the-top.

Too many shortcomings (IMHO) to be called a perfect car

• Space at the rear is not great (good for 2 adults, headroom is bad as well)
• Driver's view is not commanding, you rather sit low like in a sedan
• Looks, even though it looked fresh in the beginning, it is starting to look very 'understated' to my eyes. Face-lifted Creta's front looks more imposing
• Engines, while they are refined, lack outright performance.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just FYI: A new member named MeghanaGondi registered on our forum in July and posted biased messages on this very thread on 13th August. Moderator Eddy caught it, and we came to know that she is affiliated to a Kia dealer.

The member has been banned & her posts have been deleted .

Dirty business indeed. Brands & dealers know they cannot pay Team-BHP for "sponsored content" like the car rags (mags), so they try such tricks. Am pretty sure we catch 99% of them. Please do report any posts that you might find suspicious.

I was thinking about the mag and car maker bonhomie when I read last month's Autocar mag. A Rapid owner complained about injector failure and Skoda refused saying some footwell light was added that voided warranty.

Autocar came in between and stuck a compromise with user having to pay half the charges (of 25K for one injector). Great justice done I guess with injector issues being there all the time with their cars ! I am running with one injector having some fault in my Vento myself.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just FYI: A new member named MeghanaGondi registered on our forum in July and posted biased messages on this very thread on 13th August. Moderator Eddy caught it, and we came to know that she is affiliated to a Kia dealer......Brands & dealers know they cannot pay Team-BHP for "sponsored content" like the car rags (mags), so they try such tricks.....

I remember reading her post and it appeared to be gushingly over-enthusiastic and I did find it curious and a tad suspicious, but I thought its also perhaps due to her being a newbie. Good thing she has been outed!

Having said that, it was a very amateurish attempt and I would perhaps put it down to some over-enthusiastic dealer instructing their staff to attempt this subterfuge. Its debatable whether its a more coordinated effort from any higher level.

Some other interesting feedback by a chatty salesperson, on a Sunday morning at a Kia dealership in central Bangalore:

• Kia management has given a format for the layout of the showrooms and insists the dealers stick to it. This includes the internal layout, including furniture and quality of furnishings. The Kia management had inspected this particular showroom.
  
• They are very particular on cleanliness of the test cars. They insist on the cars being vacuumed regularly and tissues being replaced.
  
• A Kia management had inspected the test car during the week and finding it dirty, had thrown a fit in front of the customers and had declared that the product (Seltos) is their "soul". The dressing down was apparently intense and it did not go down very well with the dealer staff. A higher level intervention was required to smooth ruffled feathers on both sides.

I suppose the showroom being in central Bangalore, its very easy for Kia officials to check on them regularly. It may not be so easy for them to do so for showrooms all over the country.

[rbp]

I am looking for a replacement for my 10 year old i20, I checked out the car a few days back. After a reputed magazine said the car feels and rides like a European, my expectations were sky high.

During my visit there was just one other customer present. The first thing that hit me, is the build quality, the doors just don't have any heft, forget European, even the Ford Ecosport is miles ahead in terms of solid feeling, even the Creta feels marginally better built. This just felt like Maruti Brezza league. The dashboard is another huge disappointment, feels like someone has stuck a huge tab on the dash, the korean and Australian version looks so much more premium, compared to the Indian version. The rear space is nothing to talk about, 2 adults and a kid should fit in fine. The boot is another huge disappointment, on paper 430 litres sounds huge, but in Person, you will wonder where did that space disappear, the boot doesn't have depth and it is flat from the loading lip. The only saving grace is the front look, that's the only positive I felt.

I am surprised with some of the reviews talking so positively about this car, I was so disappointed that I left the showroom in less that 5 minutes.

Some people compare it to the Compass, honestly the Compass feels like a tank and Seltos a toy in comparison. If this car is priced 20+ lakhs OTR for the top end it has to be shocker.

[Sebring]

So they are making cleanliness a 'differentiator'. That's great! The sales guys should have been briefed on this approach all these months as none of the competitors offer clean cars for a test drive. It's never a priority. You get a clean TD car only on the day of the launch. Meanwhile, the Kia showroom near my house, Naara, is very busy as I see the gray test drive vehicle always on its rounds.

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

They are very particular on the cleanliness of the test cars. They insist on the cars being vacuumed

[DueLLeR]

Originally Posted by rbp

The first thing that hit me, is the build quality, the doors just don't have any heft, forget European, even the Ford Ecosport is miles ahead in terms of solid feeling, even the Creta feels marginally better built. This just felt like Maruti Brezza league.

Exactly my observation, too. The doors felt light and didn't shut with a thud. IMHO, my Verna doors feel heavier and shut more reassuringly. I'm also eager to find out if the 1.4 turbo petrol does have the grunt and performance that the media reviews are making it out to be. Real world FE with the DCT remains to be seen. And if the DCT inherits the dry clutch from Hyundai, I for one, will pick the manual any day - assuming the car ticks all the other boxes.

[Asmt_b]

I went ahead and booked a grey Seltos GTX + DCT yesterday. It seems the best choice out of all the options I considered at this price point. Kia post 2010 has been creating some really nice cars such as the Carnival, Optima, Cadenza, Stinger, Telluride, etc. I'm sure the Seltos will be great to own.

[pankajparikh]

Originally Posted by pankajparikh

It seems water wading capacity of Nexon is less than EcoSport at around ~475-500mm.

Just got an official confirmation from TataMotors that Nexon's water wading capability is 300mm [quite surprising, considering its ground clearance is higher than the competition in its segment].

[sidenzo]

Originally Posted by Eddy

You can safely strike out this negative from your list then. The HUD can be adjusted for position, font size and color.

I faced similar problem during my TD and had asked the SA whether the angle can be adjusted but he said that its not adjustable. So are you sure about it? or was the SA dumb