[gururajrv]

It’s clear Kia did make their homework of understanding indian mindsets while sketching Seltos.

Feature loaded - check
Internet connected car - check
Stance of an SUV from the front - check
Sweet diesel & turbo petrol - check
LED headlamps - check
Safety kit - check
Within 20L - check

The list is pretty exhaustive. I believe, they now know what they’re doing and will surely replicate these steps that proved them successful onto new products as well. They’ve honestly made a history with their entry.

[aniketi]

Great achievement for sure but it won't last too long. Once initial hype & bookings are over, it will settle down to 6-7 K per month. May be even less than that. Let's see.

Little off topic, but on road Creta looks better than Seltos in person. Seltos looks very dull in colors like White, Silver. Looks better in darker shades. Also in photos it looks really big but in person not so. I am disappointed for sure after seeing it in person.

[veyron_head]

Kia did all the right things. Most important of all to me is the expansive dealer network they started with instead of doing an incremental expansion. This added greatly to their credibility in the market as a large car manufacturer who could be relied on. Second, is the fantastic product they chose to launch.

I only wish the seltos didn't have so many confusing variants. Despite having 16 variants, when I put together a list of all the features I needed + the engine & transmission combo, no single variant would have all of them.

[landcruiser123]

Kia comes in with commitment, deep pockets and Hyundai’s know how. Unlike many other brands, it’ll probably not launch a single flop model that’ll be DoA.

Originally Posted by SJM1214

But with Toyota and Renault just behind Kia, it will be tough for Kia to maintain this position.

Toyota is the slowest to react and bring in products at the right time-case in point: the Yaris. They have been here for about 20 years now and are just happy making profits of UVs.
Kia has overtaken them with just ONE model. They will be a #3 in no time.

[Pratyush2407]

Another factor that may have led to increased demand for the Seltos is the Hector turning out to be a disappointment for many people.

I know of 2 other people in my close circle apart from me who had been waiting for the Hector for a pretty long time now but were thoroughly disappointed when we saw the Hector in the flesh and test drove it.

Although a size smaller, we all were happy with Seltos and will most probably go ahead with the Seltos purchase since there is nothing else in the sub-20 lakh price segment that we liked. (We are looking the Petrol variants)

[535dinesh]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Can we discuss what clicked for Kia in India! For me it was the massive, overwhelmingly classy showrooms and very presentable staff that was welcoming. Suddenly they were everywhere, North, South, East & West Bangalore, all screamed Kia. It was also their choice of category (Creta), that 'killed it'! So welcome Kia, you've done a great job, and may you continue to enthrall us - in the years to come.

I think no other new manufactures analysed the potential in Indian market as much as KIA does. Other companies tried to onboard the brand into Indian market in tier 1 cities and slowly tried to expand it to tier 2 cities but eventually failed. But KIA (may be MG to certain extent) came with huge investment, which helps to establish their brand image. I could remember KIA ads playing in regional news channels way before their product launch.The amount of investment which KIA made in Indian business shows their confidence towards the market. Before the product launch KIA India CEO once said that their aim is to be among top 3 brands in India before 2022. I thought it was just a common answer like other CEOs when a new brand is trying to establish. But now I could realize they came with all the guns loaded to become a serious contender for third spot.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Also in photos it looks really big but in person not so. I am disappointed for sure after seeing it in person.

More than that, it doesn't look as intimidating as I thought it'll be. And surely isn't worth 20 lakhs. Not for the space it offers. My S Cross has the same space and costs quite less than that. The rear was dull. The front looks smashing though.

[Thermodynamics]

Impressive start. It is probably too premature to decide the ranking based on just initial dispatch. Compass also had an impressive start, what matters is how you perform aftermath. Korean companies have efficient administrative style, I hope they pull through the most crucial period given the kind of market conditions we got.

[groom]

Wow, KIA is impressive and why not, its the only BS6 version high spec SUV available in the market. Kudos to such launches, consumer wins and bad quality products die hard.

The news on the street is that there is too much inventory of Jeep BS4 version, owing to the numbers the Jeep is clocking there will be a discount carnage soon on this SUV. Watch out for huge bargains Jeep lovers.

[Sebring]

You're right. 'Presence' may not be the right word here, but you can easily miss it on the streets. It's only the red that I manage to spot, effortlessly.

Originally Posted by coolkurt

More than that, it doesn't look as intimidating as I thought it'll be. And surely isn't worth 20 lakhs. Not for the space it offers. My S Cross has the same space and costs quite less than that. The rear was dull. The front looks smashing though.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by Sebring

It's only the red that I manage to spot, effortlessly.

That's the other thing. The red isn't exactly red like it was on the brochures and the TV Ad. More like maroon.

Anyway, going by the sales figures, you'll soon have so many on the road that it'll be hard to miss

[advenk999]

It's amazing that they have rattled the present sorrow market with just one product, creating massive sales figures with commitments to deliver. Hope that they sustain the same on a long term basis with reliable after sales and service.
I'm sure the upcoming Carnival will give the Innova a run for it's money, although it is slated to be a segment higher.
My dad having worked with KIA as territory manager in Muscat in 90's has always mentioned about their stringent quality checks, service, after sales and commitment to customers. Hyundai on the other hand was nowhere close to KIA's sales and service back in the days.
Kia has always outsold Hyundai in the Gulf markets and is positioned as a premium brand over it's sister concern and that could possibly happen in the Indian market as well.
Way to go KIA!

[fazayal]

With just one car and in 3 months, KIA has reached 5th position. They are on track to be 3rd position the moment they launch their next car.

[TG_F196]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Little off topic, but on road Creta looks better than Seltos in person. Seltos looks very dull in colors like White, Silver. Looks better in darker shades. Also in photos it looks really big but in person not so. I am disappointed for sure after seeing it in person.

I have to respectfully disagree. The Creta looks antique compared to the top of the line GT Seltos, especially that bland rear end. The while Seltos doesn't look dull to me, the paint is metallic and looks quite well in natural light.

[GTO]

This, just in from Kia Motors:

Kia Motors India enters top 5 carmakers list; sells record 12,850 Seltos in October 2019

Seltos maintains its position as the highest selling SUV in the segment with sales of 12,850 units in October 2019

Kia has sold 26,840 units of Seltos in less than 70 days since its launch on August 22, 2019 with over 60,000 bookings till now


New Delhi, 5th November 2019: Kia Motors India, wholly owned subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, the world’s 8th largest automaker, posted its healthy festive month sales figures. Company’s maiden product for India, the Seltos saw sales of 12,850 units in the month of October 2019 amid the overall industry slowdown. Since its launch in August 2019, Kia has sold 26,840 units of Seltos in less than 70 days. With just a single product in the market, the company became India’s 5th largest auto manufacturer.

In achieving this feat the Seltos has not only overtaken many established and newly launched SUVs in different segments but also led the way in addressing the unmet needs of the Indian car-buying customers by surpassing customers’ expectations in all areas. Kia Motors India has already received over 60,000 bookings for the Seltos till now and to ensure the timely and seamless delivery Kia has started the 2nd shift to ramp up the production at its state-of-the-art production facility in Anantapur. The company also shared that it will not close the bookings as the brand’s plant is fully capable of meeting the rising demand for the Seltos. The Korean automaker is elated to see such a strong demand for its product and has ambitious plans for the Indian market going forward.

All I can say is, God bless competition .