[adi.mariner]

My Father has a Grand i10 Automatic. I don't think the car has ever given double digit mileage.

[quickdraw]

I visited the Kia showroom yesterday to check the car out and finalize the colour. Here are a few of my thoughts and some pictures and a walk around video.

• The salesman mentioned the GTX+ with DCT will only have 2 airbags but will have all the features
• The HUD is useless because its angle or anything cannot be adjusted, its at a fixed angle and for my driving position it was not visible unless I bend down. I have the same style popup HUD in the MINI which can be adjusted for angle and left right.
• The door handle is garbage, cheap plastic feeling with hollow structure (inside door handle)
• The plastics in some places felt cheap (near the inside door handle)
• The Chrome on the grill does feel much lower quality if compared to the trims on my Mini. I think this is something that can be mitigated if you're getting the steel silver colour
• The grey and red colours don't look that nice in real life
• The rear seats are not bad
• The air purifier is a bit loud for my liking but its extremely godsent for a city like Delhi
• The car felt well built overall, the seats steering and other bits and bobs were good
• The display in the middle is huge and you cannot turn it off unless you turn off the entire audio system which I felt was silly. Thankfully there is an option to link dimmer switch on driver side to display as well
• The display touch senstivity and response is not as good as a Volvo or something but quite usable and should not be a big problem
• I actually liked the rear design since its not too busy
• The front design works even though its so busy, referring to the GT line here
• The sloping roof rails look cool
• The plastics around the speaker look cheap but are decently solid
• The BOSE stereo disappoints, I hooked up my iPhone to it to listen to my playlist but didn't get any WOW factor from it. But it isn't bad either. (Heard in HT line diesel not sure if its different in GTX+)
• A lot of surfaces in the car are glossy black and will be fingerprint magnets
• The beige+black interiors and seats look cool
• Ventilated seats are not as good as some others I've experienced, but not bad as its being reported, you feel the difference for sure.
• Fit and finish and overall materials felt decent
• Plastic buttons on steering felt yucky and bad tactility, the steering itself felt fantastic.
• Other plastic buttons and switches are a mixed bag, some felt good. Some looked strange like the AC controls
• No physical volume controls is a big miss, I adjust volume in my car more than I adjust the AC.

Walk-around video

https://youtu.be/4SIH4NaHevo

I've been hearing that the GTX+ DCT models will be delayed to October, not sure since my dealer didn't tell me anything. Overall I'm quite happy with the car comparing it to its competition like Creta or Jeep. I am just really disappointed that the product planners at KIA thought it was a great idea to remove 6 airbags for people who are buying your top of the line car at 20 lakhs price point. Overall since there is nothing else available like this I'd give the car a thumbs up and we are going for it and not cancelling our booking. I'm just hoping they have the sense to add 6 airbags before releasing.

I did not drive the car, my wife did (this is for her) she liked it and mentioned that she feels its overpriced and some of the features like HUD are gimmicky.

Here are some pictures I took.

[wheelguy]

Kia Seltos walk-around by MotorOctane

https://youtu.be/WtsxOnia7o0

[ani_meher]

Thanks for the quick review and the photos.

Originally Posted by quickdraw

I did not drive the car, my wife did (this is for her) she liked it and mentioned that she feels its overpriced and some of the features like HUD are gimmicky.

The prices are not out yet, how can it be overpriced? What would be a good price as per your observation?

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by sandygordon

Hyundai petrols have never been fuel-efficient. Right from the accent, we bought way back in 2002, Hyundais have been having sub 12 kmpl mileage on all petrol models.

Recently my friend bought an i10 grand auto and he is not impressed with its sub 10kmpl mileage.

Maybe Hyundai petrol owners can chip in and comment on FE figures in various models.

Originally Posted by Bluehead

Hyundai and Fuel efficiency is an oxymoron. If fuel efficiency is a critical factor then don't think Hyundai is an option.
Have been driving an i10 for 9 years and my ONLY grouses have been: fuel efficiency

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Hyundai petrols seems to be fuel inefficient through out the range

Thank you

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

Even Hyundai Diesels aren't as fuel efficient as the competition.

I rarely get above 16kmpl on my 1.4CRDi i20, where the Vento 1.6 Diesel could easily achieve 20kmpl! For those who wish to buying a Hyundai only and concerned about fuel efficiency, its always better to get the diesel as it delivers an acceptable fuel efficiency. For Petrol, always better to get a Maruti, Honda or a VW TSi.

One of my friend sold his 2 year old i10 manual and got a WagonR with the money as he couldn't live with a 10 to 11kmpl car, this was when petrol prices were around 80 to 85 rupees per liter. The WagonR gives him a fuel efficiency of 15 to 16kmpl and he is happy.

Can't agree more. We have owned a Santro in the past and an i10 for the last 5-6 years and rarely get over 12 kmpl in Bangalore traffic. Never taken i10 for highway runs, so i am not sure how much it will deliver there. In contrast my Nissan Sunny Diesel delivers 16+ consistently in Bangalore city and over 20 if driven with a light right foot on the highways. Even with aggresive highway driving, it returns 18+

While I am interested in the features of the fully loaded GTX+ Auto, the fuel efficiency may sway me towards the diesel, as the FE may atleast be acceptable

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Thanks for the quick review and the photos.



The prices are not out yet, how can it be overpriced? What would be a good price as per your observation?

As I mentioned this was my wife's thoughts, she thinks a compact SUV should not be crossing 15-17 lakhs on road. This will be almost 20 on road for the variant we want and won't have 6 airbags either.

In my personal opinion I think they can cut down on just the HUD and give me all the airbags and i'll be a happy puppy. In context all cars are overpriced in India, but for all the features and gizmos it offers I think if they get it around 17-18 lakh on-road for top model it would be a great price, anything over that I'm paying extra. I had given my wife an option of getting a sparingly used V40, X1 or XC40 instead but she doesn't want to keep a luxury car as it stresses her out to drive it around and park it and the maintenance bills are also significantly more.

[volkman10]

Having bagged 23000 bookings Kia is optimistic on Seltos and is looking to sell 100,000 vehicles in a year.

This means Kia Motors is aiming to sell about 8000 units per month

Out of the total 100,000 cars produce, the carmaker aims to export a small units of Made-in-India Seltos to countries like South Africa, South America, and South Asian. However, the initial focus of the carmaker will be the domestic market

Link

[sharninder]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

I visited the Kia showroom yesterday to check the car out and finalize the colour. Here are a few of my thoughts and some pictures and a walk around video.

Thanks for the detailed notes. The glossy surfaces even in the photos look really bad. This is going to drive up my anxiety levels for sure.

Looking at all the reports from the last two days, I'm actually conflicted. This will replace the Ecosport TDCi and will be our only vehicle. I'm keen to go for a Petrol this time around but I'm expecting atleast around 12kmpl. Anything below that is going to be expensive for my monthly running of about 1600kms. So, right now I'm just confused. There really isn't any other car in the market right now under 20 lakhs that I like and this was my only hope.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by sharninder

I'm keen to go for a Petrol this time around but I'm expecting atleast around 12kmpl. Anything below that is going to be expensive for my monthly running of about 1600kms.

I suggest you be prepared for numbers that dip below your mark. For a large petrol SUV generally the numbers in real world city use hover around 10 and only on highways and long drives do you get 15+.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Having bagged 23000 bookings Kia is optimistic on Seltos and is looking to sell sell 100,000 vehicles in a year.

I think they have the power to confuse and then later surprise, not sure if this is a marketing strategy. Same thing happened with the DCT GTX+ variant and now happening with the pricing. Who knows they would price it 12-17 lacs OTR.

[D'Ro@dSt@r]

I missed a couple of calls from a gurgaon number and when I called back, the IVR said "Welcome to KIA". Got connected to a rep and he asked me about if I need any help completing my pre-booking (I tried that a couple of times to check if in case any variants/colours are given as options). I said m waiting for conformation on the GTX+ DCT model and the prices to be revealed, to which he answered with tentative pricing as 11-17 ex-showroom, which may vary and on the GTX+ DCT model, he told me wait till the launch date. Not sure if this was genuine, anyhow have passed on the feedback of this strategy of KIA is adding to the confusion of the customers.
He still kept on insisting me for completing the pre-booking

[coldice4u]

For all the leaked features and specifications of the Kia, and the corresponding opinions and speculations , I'm unable to find one crucial figure. No where has the ground clearance of the vehicle been mentioned and this honestly is very very

Pardon the smileys, for a car with a title thread that says SUV but without a mention of the crucial GC number !

[sainyamk95]

Originally Posted by coldice4u

For all the leaked features and specifications of the Kia, and the corresponding opinions and speculations , I'm unable to find one crucial figure. No where has the ground clearance of the vehicle been mentioned and this honestly is very very

Pardon the smileys, for a car with a title thread that says SUV but without a mention of the crucial GC number !

The MotorOctane walk around mentions it being 190mm.

[KaranP]

Looking at all the gloss/ piano black in the car, it would it be a good idea for 3M or wrap company to wrap these components in some sort of paint protection film. Is this a common practice?

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by coldice4u

No where has the ground clearance of the vehicle been mentioned and this honestly is very very

Pardon the smileys, for a car with a title thread that says SUV but without a mention of the crucial GC number !

Originally Posted by sainyamk95

The MotorOctane walk around mentions it being 190mm.

My dealer in Bangalore also said it was 190 mm