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Old 1st July 2019, 11:21   #541
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

I was still contemplating looking at Seltos and delaying my decision to pick up Hector, but the latest pics of the dash and the overall height of Seltos are two most off-putting areas for me. The interior conjoint screen and the not so digital ODO to me looks completely like an eye sore, it would also translate in a dash-board which would finish quite high and would not help with outward visibility IMO.
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Old 1st July 2019, 11:29   #542
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Question:- Does Hyundai-India and its management has any input or influence to Kia-India (Hyundai being the parent company of Kia internationally) ??

If both of them are independent of each other, then Kia can and should price Seltos at par or even try undercut Creta's current pricing(overpriced INHO) to make a stir in the market because the competition (read Harrier, Hector) which are from a segment above are not too far from Creta's current pricing.
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Old 1st July 2019, 11:34   #543
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

The fact that people are hating the Indian interior makes me think that it will be loved by the masses

I find the w-i-d-e screen strange. I would rather have some hardware buttons than full screen control, and definitely so if it comes without the snooping spying softwares that car manufacturers are pushing onto their customers.
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Old 1st July 2019, 11:58   #544
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

I needed a new car this year and with my Verna ( 2013 ) on its 6 years and more than 1.3 Lacs on the Odo it needs replacement.

The main highway car the Crysta 2.8Z AT is nearing a lac and this will be with me for another 3-4 years.

I was looking at the Creta and the Verna. Then I had a look at the MG Hector but it is a bit too big and MG still being new did not want to commit to a 16 - 18 lacs car.

I reviewed the Seltos and this looks spot on VFM ( should be ! ) and pricing should be radical.

I am going to plonk a deposit asap once they start accepting.

There is a dealership and showroom coming up on the highway.

I like the AT GT line and will book it.
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Old 1st July 2019, 12:08   #545
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

The height difference between the Creta and Seltos is merely 45 mm (As per Autocar; Creta - 1665, Seltos - 1620) which may not be very obvious at a glance to most people.
There are ways of masking the lower height if someone is truly bothered by it - either by not opting for the black roof (darker colours would make it look smaller, white/light colours would make it look taller)
Taller roof rails can also do the trick, as also bigger tyre size.

IMHO, more than the dimensions of the car, it's important that everything comes together to form an attractive and impactful design, which ages well.
Design and looks become agreeable with time, and there are innumerable instances where an ugly looking car became acceptable to the masses merely with the passage of time.
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Old 1st July 2019, 12:19   #546
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by simeonovitch View Post
It makes ZERO sense to launch this car in India. The way I see it as is, that this is a much fancier Creta, with more gizmos.
But then, whats wrong with the creta in the first place? It looks pretty modern and decent. And it sells. A LOT.
And what is Kia? Its an all new brand, that has zero appeal or fan following in India.
I had to reply to this post.

Hyundai shareholders (who own Hyundai & Kia, both) have brought Kia to India to expand their market. One could say that Hyundai sales are maturing in our market, at least in segments that they have a presence in. Now, how do you add 10 - 20% sales? Or more? A fresh new brand. Hyundai HQ knows that the Seltos will take some sales away from the Creta, but it hopes that the overall sum of Creta + Seltos will be higher. If the Seltos is priced well, I don't see why that shouldn't happen.

Just to give you one example of expanding the market with a new brand. Let's say Hyundai has a showroom in Prabhadevi. Can they open another Hyundai showroom 50 meters down the road? Nope. Can they open a Kia showroom? You bet.

Also one of the reasons Maruti brought in "Nexa".

Therefore, I disagree with your post and say that it makes a LOT OF SENSE for Kia to launch lots of cars in India.

Last edited by GTO : 1st July 2019 at 12:20.
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Old 1st July 2019, 12:23   #547
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by rish_arora View Post
Question:- Does Hyundai-India and its management has any input or influence to Kia-India (Hyundai being the parent company of Kia internationally) ??

If both of them are independent of each other, then Kia can and should price Seltos at par or even try undercut Creta's current pricing(overpriced INHO) to make a stir in the market because the competition (read Harrier, Hector) which are from a segment above are not too far from Creta's current pricing.
According to Wikipedia, the Hyundai Motor Company owns a 33.88% stake in Kia Motors. Likewise, Kia Motors is owner in 22 different Hyundai companies. Its ownership percentages range from 4.9% up to 45.37%.

According to this article, Kia and Hyundai operate independently as competitors. They share platforms and technologies but maintain separate product, sales and marketing teams.
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Old 1st July 2019, 14:01   #548
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by CarguyNish View Post
Received these through WhatsApp. Kia Seltos in Dual Tone (White & Black)
This seems to be installed with all the chrome accessories. There is also the red wheel stripe in the rear. Further, there seems to be the red brake caliper, which I thought was unique to GT line for differentiating it.

Regarding the interiors, I think all the RHD markets will have the same interiors. Only thing I can't understand is, why they skipped the rotary buttons and other buttons below the 10.25" screen.
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Old 1st July 2019, 15:37   #549
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

I have booked Kia Seltos 1.4 T-GDi as an able replacement for my 2014 Honda City I-Dtec.

Few call outs based on my conversation with the sales rep

a) The 1.4 T-GDi Automatic will be missing out on 3 key features

i) Sunroof
ii) 360 degree camera
iii) Blind spot monitor

b) 43 bookings unofficially done already
c) Car will be available for view by second week of july
d) Prices unofficially will be out by 2nd week of August.

These will be available in manual version.

Question - With a daily run of 70 kms and an automatic is a must, should i opt for diesel auto or a petrol Auto ?
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Old 1st July 2019, 16:10   #550
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alive2Drive View Post
a) The 1.4 T-GDi Automatic will be missing out on 3 key features
i) Sunroof
ii) 360 degree camera
iii) Blind spot monitor
WHY? WHY? WHY?
This is so frustrating.
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Old 1st July 2019, 16:25   #551
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
i) Sunroof
ii) 360 degree camera
iii) Blind spot monitor
I checked at Kia dealership in Gurgaon and SA told me that Top end GT Line variant will have above 3 features. Which one have you booked?

Last edited by NAVREVV : 1st July 2019 at 16:46.
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Old 1st July 2019, 16:33   #552
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alive2Drive View Post
a) The 1.4 T-GDi Automatic will be missing out on 3 key features



i) Sunroof

ii) 360 degree camera

iii) Blind spot monitor

Question - With a daily run of 70 kms and an automatic is a must, should i opt for diesel auto or a petrol Auto ?

These features are certainly not deal breakers. We have been driving all our lives without them.

If the engine and gearbox combo works well, ride and handling good, then you should go ahead.

For your mileage a diesel auto will be best suited, but take a call on the Seltos itself after a test drive.

No amount of gizmos can put a smile on your face but the ride, handling, engine and gearbox will. Happy hunting.
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Old 1st July 2019, 16:35   #553
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alive2Drive View Post
I have booked Kia Seltos 1.4 T-GDi as an able replacement for my 2014 Honda City I-Dtec.
a) The 1.4 T-GDi Automatic will be missing out on 3 key features
i) Sunroof
ii) 360 degree camera
iii) Blind spot monitor

Question - With a daily run of 70 kms and an automatic is a must, should i opt for diesel auto or a petrol Auto ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hydraulicsteer View Post
Adding some pics from the launch.-
Quote:
Originally Posted by karan561 View Post
Some pics coming in from a recent dealer meet;
I doubt if this is true. Please check the attached quote for the launch day pictures. The sunroof is very well there. The 360degree camera is also there, if you look closely below the ORVMs. If I remember correctly, I have seen in some walkaround video mentioning about the 360degree camera. The GT line should be the top of the variant. No point in omitting it unless they go the Hyundai way.

But, considering your usage of 70kms a day, don't you think the Diesel Auto makes a lot of sense ?

Edit: Also, check the front picture of red car during the dealer meet, that Karan posted.

Last edited by akhil_rpmlover : 1st July 2019 at 16:42.
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Old 1st July 2019, 18:40   #554
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
I had to reply to this post.

Hyundai shareholders (who own Hyundai & Kia, both) have brought Kia to India to expand their market. One could say that Hyundai sales are maturing in our market, at least in segments that they have a presence in. Now, how do you add 10 - 20% sales? Or more? A fresh new brand. Hyundai HQ knows that the Seltos will take some sales away from the Creta, but it hopes that the overall sum of Creta + Seltos will be higher. If the Seltos is priced well, I don't see why that shouldn't happen.

Also one of the reasons Maruti brought in "Nexa".

Okay, agreed, to a certain extent, for the need for a new brand. (albeit reluctantly. Renault launched the Duster as RENAULT Duster, not as Dacia)
But why separate dealer network?
Why not launch it as a premium sub-hyundai brand (Like Mahindra did with SsangYong, or Nissan with Datsun)


If I were a dealer, I'd be very apprehensive of taking a Kia dealership.

And as for the Nexa thingy, all I can say is that Nexa sells because it is Nexa by Maruti Suzuki, it still carries the S badge on the grill.
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Old 1st July 2019, 20:21   #555
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re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Quote:
Originally Posted by simeonovitch View Post
But why separate dealer network?
Why not launch it as a premium sub-hyundai brand (Like Mahindra did with SsangYong, or Nissan with Datsun)
Because Kia is an independent brand with a distinct identity and not a sub-brand.

Quote:
If I were a dealer, I'd be very apprehensive of taking a Kia dealership.
It might also present an attractive opportunity - diversification of portfolio (for current owners of dealerships), better margins / ROI etc.

Quote:
And as for the Nexa thingy, all I can say is that Nexa sells because it is Nexa by Maruti Suzuki, it still carries the S badge on the grill.
The Nexa dealership sub-brand was created to take Maruti to a different buyer segment and enable it to sell higher-end vehicles. It has succeeded in doing that by offering a differentiated / more exclusive customer experience.

It does sell Marutis but not the same ones that are sold in regular dealerships and hence had to be its own brand, to allow Maruti to sell all types of cars to all types of buyers in the same localities. I think that was roughly GTO's point.


Risks aside, the Kia launch could be a winning strategy in many ways:
Hyundai loses market share, but to Kia
Market expands and Kia takes a good share of it, allowing Hyundai-Kia to launch competing products across categories and grow their overall share of it
Hyundai's perceived value increases due to Kia's pricing, resulting in even better sales

Last edited by khan_sultan : 2nd July 2019 at 13:33. Reason: typo
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