[Logan2007]

Originally Posted by TG_F196

Does anyone know if automatic test drive vehicles are available? Would be great to be able to try the DCT before making a final decision.

Dealer confirmed yesterday no automatics available yet. Earlier he had said around 20th. I also read the prices of top end automatics will be disclosed one month later

By the way they have got many colors in showroom now, white, yellow and blue (didn't see myself).

[simeonovitch]

Originally Posted by Logan2007

Dealer confirmed yesterday no automatics available yet. Earlier he had said around 20th. I also read the prices of top end automatics will be disclosed one month later

By the way they have got many colors in showroom now, white, yellow and blue (didn't see myself).

Yellow???

I've never seen or heard that even being an option.
IIRC, it wasn't even on the brochure.

Pics/videos appreciated.

[TG_F196]

Originally Posted by simeonovitch

Yellow???

I've never seen or heard that even being an option.
IIRC, it wasn't even on the brochure.

Pics/videos appreciated.

I think he means the orange shade.

[84.monsoon]

Had a quick look at the Seltos mid (HTK+ Variant). Have booked it but was not sure of how good the car would be and the pricing, so was in two minds when I went to see the car. Some initial impressions:

• The front looks absolutely fabulous. The matt silver finish around the grille with matrix patterns in a class act. The black plastics on middle of the the grill also look good.In comparison the chrome grille and shiny plastic of the top end variants looked less classy and too blingy.
• The doors had no "thunk" whatsoever, disappointed on this front. They seem wafer light in build, it does not feel like there is steel side bolstering present in these doors.
• The HTK+ had touch sensor on driver side door and a start/stop button, which was a nice touch. Also present is Cruise Control, and a nice 8 inch display
• I am mixed about the integration of the media unit with the instrument binnacle. On the one hand it is quite seamless, however, it seems an overkill for such a small car and feels like it is done just to somehow create one feature the competition does not have. This type of integration works well for wide cars like the Benz E class, but for a narrow car like the Seltos, a separate floating head unit would have been much more apt.
• The seats were comfortable but a tad soft. May not be the best on long journeys. The cloth upholstery looks cheap and takes away from the upscale ambience in the rest of the front seat atmosphere.
• Real let-does are the center armrest and the space on the door to rest the elbow. There is no padding in HTK+ and these are hard plastics, not even soft ones. Will be a pain the arm on long rides.
• Steering wheel feels nice, although it can only be adjusted for rake and not reach in HTK+. Ingress and Egress is just about OK for tall drivers, could have been better if Kia had provided reach adjustment.
• Headroom is just about OK for a six-footer like me. It is not deficient as noted by some other reviewers unless the seat is pushed all the way up. It is not necessary to push the seat all the way up for tall drivers, visibility is fine even in low/mid position.
• Bonnet was light! It is nowhere near the benchmarks established by the last 3 SUVs I have checked out (Jeep Compass, TATA Harrier and MG Hector) all have bonnets that feel about twice as heavy as the Seltos! There is good cladding for insulation inside.
• Clutch travel is long but it is super soft and the gear shifts are slick and reasonably short.
• Rear seating is not generous but not deficient either. The width is better than the Ecosport, but thigh support could have been better.
• Boot space is also middling, the space wheel takes up quite a significant chunk of the boot space.
• The HTK+ has run of the mill alloy wheels that would go totally unnoticed. That is OK for me.
• Overall, I felt the car was fine, but lacked a wow factor. It all now comes down to pricing. If they are able to offer aBS6 Diesel Auto with the bare necessities in place (which the HTK+ Auto has) for about 12 lakhs, it would still be a good alternative not so far available in the market. My only concern is how tough will this vehicle be and how will it age over the years? It seems quite lightly built, has just the bare bones in terms of safety features, and overall does not feel built to last.

Next I hopped into the Nissan showroom since I have been wanting to take a look at the Kicks for a while now. I was positively surprised. They did not have the newly launched XE Diesel on display (which undercuts the 10 lakh price mark ex-showroom), but I checked out a higher variant. First off the car has a much better "SUV stance" than the Seltos, it seems taller wider and more imposing. The proportions are spot on!

The front door feels more solidly built than the Seltos (though not on the same class as Ecosport, Compass, Hector etc). The front seats were incredibly comfortable with excellent side bolstering and thigh support. Paint quality blows Seltos away; Ingress was easier than in the Seltos though there is no dead pedal. The boot is definitely bigger, they have a car positioned outside that is slating up a hill just to amplify the point about the boot). The rear seats were very comfortable as well. Headroom was way better than the Seltos and ingress and egress for the tall driver seems better due to the way the steering wheel is positioned. It is hard to guess this is an old platform, everything looks and feel so different from the Duster. I felt this car would be much more sturdy and long lasting than the Seltos, but sadly lacks a good Auto transmission. The clutch felt just as light as in the Seltos. The XE variant is also missing a critical feature for highway rides- cruise control. Overall came away thinking this felt more plush and much more solidly built than the Seltos. It has also probably got the better ride and handling balance. It is a shame there was not a single customer at the Nissan showroom and there are tens in the Kia showroom.

[autoenthu88]

I have pre-booked the Seltos, but took my wife to see the Hector and she loved it, I wasn't overly impressed, extremely confused now if I should go for the top end DCT on the Seltos or wait for MG Petrol DCT top end to reopen bookings and buy the car in 2020.

[Arjun Reddy]

Some good news for all of you in the market for the top spec diesel automatic Seltos.

It will now be available in the GTX+ trim as well.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...variant-413815

[Logan2007]

Originally Posted by TG_F196

I think he means the orange shade.

Yes sir, the lazy brain on a sunday

[simeonovitch]

For those of you who are now curious, this is how the Seltos will look in Yellow

https://www.indiacarnews.com/news/ki...ing-34068/amp/

[JishD]

Despite having booked the Seltos on day 1, I finally managed to take out time for a test drive of the 1.4 manual today. And I was left.... unimpressed. The Creta 1.6 diesel automatic is far more enthusiastic at city speeds. Strangely , so is the Venue 1.0 dct despite the power and capacity difference. Yes , the Seltos is loaded to the brim with features and then some more, but it just doesn't pull at the heart strings. The ground clearance is also not great considering current moon rover conditions in Gurgaon and I managed to scrape it once. Conclusion - still on the fence till 22nd , pricing is key.

[DueLLeR]

Visited Bhavna Kia, Panvel again today. Got to spend more time with the GTX+ manual and check out the car better. Wasn't interested in a TD as only the HTX Diesel was available for TD, which I TD'd earlier. What I've booked is the GTX 7DCT and that car wasn't even on display!

My observations in the GTX+ manual:

1. Build quality is indeed at the lower end. I opened and closed the doors, boot and the bonnet. They do feel very Maruti-ish. Also knocked on the quart panels and doors, they do sound very thin and hollow. Bhavna Ford is next door, when I did the same on an EcoSport, it felt a lot better built.

2. The MID and AVN unit are very well designed and have a good UI. The Ecosport in this respect has a pathetic MID in terms of size and UI.

3. The Bose sound is certainly more than adequate for a car this size. However, I suspect it may sound different under real world conditions the vehicle is moving.

4. The HUD button has a three way function. A press on the center brings it out or tucks it in. The button, when pressed up tilts the MID backward and the lower button tilts it forward, i.e towards the driver.

5. The car does get lowered when there are five people sitting and it appears the tyre will touch the body. However, there's enough clearance.

Unless the build quality is a one-off case in this particular car, I really have my reservations. I also have my reservations on the dry clutch DCT unit (from Hyundai) and the trouble it will face in B2B traffic.

I'm expecting a very competitive pricing where I'd put the GTX 1.4P Manual at around 16 lacs OTR and the GTX 7DCT at 17.5 lacs OTR. Only my guess and expectation!

[yd_gli]

I see a few let downs on the forum with regards to the build quality and performance. What do people expect? Do they really expect Kia to churn out a Compass/Tuscon/Tiguan beater at 18lakhs OTR? "Dont judge a book by its cover" is what comes to mind. The Seltos is just a current gen version of the Creta and all those additional features at the same OTR must have some consequences. One can't expect better power-trains, better interiors and features at the same price. India doesn't have the volumes to absorb these additional development and BoM costs. I am willing to bet that the existing Creta will have better build quality and engine performance than the Seltos at the expense of a sunroof, tablet etc.

My 2 cents: Test drive all and buy the one which suits you best. A Seltos is not automatically better than a Creta just because it is more recent.

[DueLLeR]

Originally Posted by yd_gli

One can't expect better power-trains, better interiors and features at the same price. India doesn't have the volumes to absorb these additional development and BoM costs.

With all due respect, I do believe we are witnessing a disruption in the Indian automobile industry. What the iPhone did to all others in 2007, MG Hector and Kia Seltos will do to all others in 2019. As someone pointed out in a post earlier, what you get in a 2019 Honda City is not very different from what you got in a 2009 Honda City, but you pay almost double. With the new entrants like MG Hector and Kia Seltos, buying a Honda City at 15 lacs OTR seems horribly expensive and unjustified for the kit it offers. And this is just in India! Other markets such as North America and Europe are far more mature and get the latest models, top notch kit and even better safety features at much lesser price than what we pay in India! Other manufacturers have to realize that India is no longer just a global export hub for them to manufacture here and pass on watered down versions to us. Case in point, Maruti.

India is becoming the most important global market. You can see this happening across all industries - YouTubers create content that's specifically targeted at India because we have the maximum viewers. Netflix launches a India-only plan. Kia launches a global product first in their home country and India! Australia gets it later. If you read the reviews of the Korean Seltos, there are Americans wondering when it will come to America!

So to sum it up, yes Indians will now expect to pay less and get more - in lines with other international markets!

[giri1.8]

All this observation about light build quality is really a big negative, considering how much the invited media had to praise about the car being European in quality and drive experience.

They are trying to shoot their own foot by marketing it something that it is not, it not a surprise though! No way 1.5L Diesel can give such excellent acceleration numbers with "European build quality".

[Alive2Drive]

Well I went for a quick test drive of the 1.4 GTX + manual .

Overall a aspirated engine and has good pick up however braking is not path breaking .

My biggest concern - I checked with the sales rep and he confirmed that the seltos used the venue gearbox. I talked to him about the mileage concerns and he said that is true. We can expect a mileage of 8 kmpl.

He said you should go for diesel as your daily drive is 70 km/day

Also, he said that GTX+ will start delivery a month after launch.

Some pics attached

[ramansh]

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive

Well I went for a quick test drive of the 1.4 GTX + manual .

Overall a aspirated engine and has good pick up however braking is not path breaking .

My biggest concern - I checked with the sales rep and he confirmed that the seltos used the venue gearbox. I talked to him about the mileage concerns and he said that is true. We can expect a mileage of 8 kmpl.

He said you should go for diesel as your daily drive is 70 km/day

Also, he said that GTX+ will start delivery a month after launch.

Some pics attached

Which dealership is this? Is this Sparsh Kia by any chance?