[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by springisking

Just asking a lame question, can you take Seltos GTX+ DCT to say Leh or Spiti Valley or Jim Corbet etc? I always have had this dream of driving from Bangalore to these places and more to places like Bhutan etc.

Do you need a 4*4 mandatorily or a Seltos DCT with limited drive modes(which I know means nothing really!) would be able to drive to most of these places?

I think what you should really be concerned with is ground clearance. When I had driven from Delhi to Ladakh via the Manali route in Aug last year, there were sections where the SUV 500 had to be pushed hard to pull cleanly and the road was just broken rocks broken down due to blasting work.

[K.grg]

Originally Posted by MukundanMK

Update on my booking, Comments from family was that it was a downgrade from XUV and that the back row space was not comfortable for 3....

I agree mate that it would definitely be a downgrade from an XUV for sure, in my opinion. I agree the same thoughts of your family on this. Seltos would be an upgrade from cars below Creta.

Though Jeep Compass might be a good car, I somehow always equate it with a segment next to Creta. I might be wrong, but that is the perception which I hold apart from my many other friends.

Hopefully India's wait for a 7 seater SUV positioned right between XUV and Endeavour / Fortuner ends soon.

[springisking]

Originally Posted by K.grg

I agree mate that it would definitely be a downgrade from an XUV for sure, in my opinion

Well if it is just about space then yes it is a downgrade from XUV and probably Hector would fit the bill. However if you look at features., ride quality, refinement etc then it is on par or slightly better.

I too owned an XUV and sold a couple of months earlier, XUV scores on multiple fronts but the ride quality just made me go nuts to sell it, it was horrible. It was extremely torqy which I loved considering I'm an enthusiast but the braking with nose dice effect is again a big turn off. I do miss my XUV but mostly looking for a compact SUV with a potent engine and automatic with all the features which actually works as told.

[cdrsd]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

Congratulations on the car, highway drive giving 11-ish seems to be on lower side. I guess Octavia gives around 15+ in highway with a light foot.
Hope it gets better with more running. please keep us all posted regarding the FE.

Hi,

Thanks for the wishes.

My personal take, FE for a petrol car ranging from 09-11/11.5 KMPL is pretty decent in city conditions. What I did write about a Highway, is actually an intracity freeway, and definitely not like the Mumbai - Pune expressway or other major NH's.

I am definitely not a "FE fiend", and am more inclined to enjoying a ride, rather than pondering over such statistics- Have never done it in my nearly 30+ years of driving!!

Also, each car is unique, as is a driving style, so it all needs to gel before statistics be drawn at, IMHO! The car and I are now working out our own niggles for now :-)

Next, as you, too, have pointed out, in the long run, its should add a few more KMPL - nice; like I mentioned, its now a 114 Kms ridden car, so mechanicals are still miles away from settling in! Real time figures should appear only after at least the second service at 4500 - 5000 Kms, with all variables settled in - that is a far off thing for me, as my daily ride adds up to just about 8 - 10 Kms at the most.

I will update on ride, features, etc, in the days to come.

Best wishes!

[adimicra]

+1
Kia Seltos should be better than XUV in all aspects other than space, road presence etc.
The package offered at this price is unbeatable IMO.

Anyways, I had a couple of test drives on the 1.4 GTX DCT and here are my impressions. Since I have driven the Compass 1.4 Petrol Auto few days back, I will also share some comparisons.

Exterior - Much has been said about the design of the car and such opinions are highly subjective. SO, I will leave it short. To me, it does look attractive but seems slightly overdone. It will grab lot of attention in the night with all those different light elements. If I end up buying one, I might do some modifications to reduce the 'bling'.
I don't judge the build quality by heaviness of the door. Overall, the car felt well-built though it does not have the tank-like build of a Compass.

Interiors - I think Kia has really hit it out of the park. My car GTX variant came with all black leatherette interiors with red stitching and looked fabulous. I think this is segment best by a margin. Fit and finish is excellent and the cabin feels premium. My family was super impressed by the cabin. We have been taking quite a few test drives recently and this is the only car other than the Octavia where family has been really happy with the interiors. (this includes supposedly higher segment cars like the Compass and the Tucson). Also, the rear seats have a recline functionality, retractable sunshades and the window line is lower than other cars - all of these added to the satisfaction of the rear passengers.

Performance - I was skeptical before the test drives as the test drive of a similar combination (Compass 1.4 turbo petrol DDCT ) was a big disappointment. I am happy to say that all my skepticism is gone after the test drives. I was not able to take the car to more than 80 kmph due to traffic but I was very happy with the refinement and performance. The car responds very nicely to gentle throttle inputs and when you push the pedal card, there is only a marginal delay before the gearbox downshifts and you lunge forward. In normal driving, the shifting is seamless and not noticeable. The engine has decent low end torque and does not suffer from the terrible turbo lag of the Compass petrol. The refinement is also amazing and much better than the Compass petrol. However, when revved hard it does sound a bit rough but not as bad as the Compass petrol. The TSI engines from VW/Skoda are at a higher level in terms of responsiveness and refinement. There is a mode dial to switch between eco, normal and sport. I tried the sport mode for a short while and it does change the gearbox characteristics considerably where the shifts happen much later in the rev range. I could not test out the sports mode properly but it is something which should keep the enthusiasts happy

Ride and handling - I think Kia has absolutely nailed it. The ride is super composed and absorbent without being stiff. It rides more like an European car. Also, the suspension is pretty silent. I could not test out the handling thoroughly but the steering seems pretty direct and the chasis felt taut. I think Kia is right up there with the best of the segment in terms of ride-handling.

Features - Nothing much to say here. It has more than what I need. Surprisingly, I thought the HUD is a gimmick but it was fun and useful and fully adjustable. Only features missing are - panoramic sunroof (current one is very small), lumbar support and possibly auto-dimming external mirrors.

Test drive experience - Nothing much to write about. Kia showroom is flooded with customers. So, there is lot of wait time and the dearelship is not very keen to sell the car ascustomers are anyways queueing up to buy the car. Hope Kia focuses more on customer satisfaction as the initial euphoria will die down sooner or later.

Should you buy it? Absolutely yes. Unless you need a bigger car like MG for space or other reason. For me, MG is not in consideration for the size, brand and performance (MG auto can't match the Seltos DCT on performance). I am thinking which variant to buy - GTX or GTX+. I liked the all black interiors on GTX but the electric and ventilated seats on GTX+ is pushing me towards GTX+. Suggestions?

Overall, I feel Kia has absolutely nailed it with the Seltos and next-gen Creta will have to really up the game if it wants to take the mantle from Seltos.

EDIT- When in the TBHP review? Don't want to buy a car without reading the TBHP review.

[Ithaca]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Should you buy it? Absolutely yes.
I am thinking which variant to buy - GTX or GTX+. I liked the all black interiors on GTX but the electric and ventilated seats on GTX+ is pushing me towards GTX+. Suggestions?

EDIT- When in the TBHP review? Don't want to buy a car without reading the TBHP review.

@adimicra, that was one good test drive report of the Seltos.
Happy to read the performance, ride & handling was good enough.
How would you rate Seltos size externally and internal comfort vis-a-vis the Creta.
What are the sales people telling you about how soon you could expect to receive the DCT or DCT+ variants were you to book it today.

I will be waiting for the next gen BS6 Creta and depending on how badly Hyundai cuts corners on the variant they sell here, will have to think long and hard about the Seltos or Hector.

[vikramv1]

Any clue when the official review of this and other recent launches will be out?

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by Ithaca

@adimicra, that was one good test drive report of the Seltos.
Happy to read the performance, ride & handling was good enough.
How would you rate Seltos size externally and internal comfort vis-a-vis the Creta.
What are the sales people telling you about how soon you could expect to receive the DCT or DCT+ variants were you to book it today.

I will be waiting for the next gen BS6 Creta and depending on how badly Hyundai cuts corners on the variant they sell here, will have to think long and hard about the Seltos or Hector.

The Seltos and Creta looks similar in size and I could not make out much of a difference in size or road presence - The Creta looks a bit taller while Seltos looks a bit wider. I like the front of the current Creta, the front of the Seltos is a bit overdone I feel. From the rear, the Seltos looks way better than the Creta.
Interior quality wise, Seltos seems way more premium than the Creta in terms of design, materials etc. Also with electric adjustments, ventilated seats, steering reach and rake adjustments, the driving comfort should be better in Seltos. Even the rear seats are better in Seltos with better visibility, recline option and sunshades. Space wise, both are similar (Seltos might be marginally better)
If you have time, it might be a prudent decision to wait for the next-gen Creta. As it is based on the same platform and engine options as the Seltos, it should provide similar ride, handling and performance. But it will be hard to match the Seltos in terms of features and quality while keeping the price in check. Personally for me, I can't digest the looks of the next gen Creta. So, no point in waiting for it.
For the GTX DCT, a few colors are readily available. If not, the waiting period is 3-4 months. For the GTX+ DCT, waiting period is 3-4 months for all colors. So, one option could be to book the Seltos now and hopefully the next-gen Creta will be launched in early 2020 before the Seltos will be available for delivery.

[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by mh09ad5578

Wify took a test drive of a HTK+ and was unimpressed. Said the rear bench was uncomfortable, with less depth than could be considered , with very little padding. This combined with less width squeezing 3 full size adults would be difficult. She also thought the boot was small 430 litres on paper not withstanding. But the most critical point was the rear seat.

isn't the Creta dimensionally smaller than the Seltos? Does it seat 3 abreast comfortably any better than the Kia?
If backseat width and space is a necessity, have you considered the other bigger cars in the segment? Harrier/Hector perhaps?

[biplab3110]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Interior quality wise, Seltos seems way more premium than the Creta in terms of design, materials etc. Also with electric adjustments, ventilated seats, steering reach and rake adjustments, the driving comfort should be better in Seltos. Even the rear seats are better in Seltos with better visibility, recline option and sunshades. Space wise, both are similar (Seltos might be marginally better)

I think where the Seltos really trumps the current Creta is in its feature list for Automatics. Creta was never available in the absolute top end with an Auto. I did try the Creta Diesel Auto a couple of years back. However, the car missed some very basic features for 18+ Lacs.

[biplab3110]

Here is the update on my first commute to office (I will have to make many trips to the basement today - so may of my colleagues are waiting to see the car).

A drive of 28.6km, from Thane to Kalina, Santa Cruz. 15km on Eastern Express highway and the rest through light city traffic. Even in ECO mode, never felt short of power. The car went past some really bad stretches of road with great composure. While most of the drive was at speeds between 40 to 70kmph I did manage to touch 3 digits in one stretch without any effort. With a light footed drive covering 28.6km in 40 mins the FE was 16.1kmpl. Since this is more or less how my regular drive is going to be, I am not complaining

[adimicra]

^^
Biplab,
Congratulations on the Seltos and thanks for sharing.
By the way, I agree about the top-end atuomatic options in Seltos compared to Creta but I feel the Seltos trumps the Creta is every department apart from looks (subjective) and A.S.S. (possibly)

If you or any other owner of the Seltos can provide the following information, it will be really helpful -
How are the headlights? I could not check in my test drives.
How is the NVH at higher speeds, particularly the road noise and wind noise?
Did you take extended warranty? The dealership here was not very clear on that.
What is the service interval?

[Sebring]

Seltos has a really bright DRL. I see many users are using only the DRLs in the City, at night, and not switching on low-beam. Even the XUV 300 users do this!

[volkman10]

Seltos raises Kia's run to the top 10 manufacturers in SEPT-19 sales/dispatches.

Shows a volume of 7754 units and falls in 8th position a slot below TATA Motors.

Source: Auto Punditz

[rahulsharma2008]

Originally Posted by biplab3110

With a light footed drive covering 28.6km in 40 mins the FE was 16.1kmpl. Since this is more or less how my regular drive is going to be, I am not complaining

16+ kmpl in Mumbai in the DCT is amazing to hear! Your commute time suggests this was an early morning drive without the traffic...

I have booked the Seltos Diesel AT and seriously considering the DCT after reading your mileage numbers. Can you share how efficient the car is in bumper to bumper trafffic, especially in the evening grind of SCLR? (My office too is in Kalina and 90% of our travel route is the same as I stay at Mulund.)