[FidoDidoLK]

Hello BHPians,

I am new here and I herewith share my first hand experience of owning & driving my new Kia Seltos HTK+ Petrol Manual Transmission car purchased in October-2019, which also happens to be my 1st SUV.

(i) Vibration felt in motionless car with Engine ON – Kia workshop informed that the said issue was compared with a similar other Kia vehicle and the vibration was measured using some equipment. It was observed by the team that the same was 93 decibels in my car Vs. the usual 90 decibels in the other car. Accordingly, the engine mount seem to have been replaced. However, the vibration has not been completely eliminated and it seems to be a standard lacuna in all Kia Seltos, which is absent in other brand SUVs, which I have test driven again before writing this post.

(ii) Stiff/Hard Steering - Stiffness was observed in the steering and when I take a ‘U-turn’ of the car and leave the power steering, it does not rotate back to the original state of straight drive. Initially, I was informed by Kia workshop that this could be because of wheel alignment. But then I was informed that the technicians observed ‘some left pulling of the car’ and accordingly ‘slight centralization has been done of the steering’. Even after carrying out the centralization, the steering was not fitted properly and as a result, there was some screeching/rubbing noise observed on rotating the steering, which according to the workshop was fixed later. However, within a period of 10 days, the screeching/rubbing noise of steering has re-surfaced, clearly highlighting that a stop gap arrangement was done while repairing the issue.

(iii) Quality of Ride (bumpy & jumping) - I feel that the car is not equipped for rough roads, potholes, expansion joints on flyovers, etc. with bumps evident at lower speed (tyre pressure being at 35 psi in all 4), which are peculiar features of Indian roads. The vehicle does not seem to soak well and rather gives a ‘thud’ noise and jerks and jumps to passengers. What is more surprising is that the Kia team is not willing to accept that such an issue exists, despite numerous customers facing the same problem as stated by them on a social networking site.

(iv) loud noise emanating from the vehicle when I drive it in reverse at a speed of around 10-15 kmph. The noise increases with the increased speed. I did not observe the same in my colleague’s car who owns a Kia Seltos GTX Plus DCT model;

(v) I observe some metal clanking kind of noise while taking a left turn with mild breaks applied, as one normally does on a turn. The sound is louder when the road surface is rough or has small pot holes. Even on a straight drive, when I apply normal brakes on some bumps/road joints, after crossing the front tyres, some crackling sound is heard very distinctly from the rear when the rear tyres cross the said bumps/road joints;

(vi) while driving in reverse (like removing the vehicle from a parking slot) with half clutch pressed, when I apply brakes simultaneously to control the vehicle, it is felt as if the clutch is interfering with the braking and one can feel a kind of resistance on brake pedal. I am not sure why this should happen;

(vii) noises are observed from the rear part of the vehicle when the car passes over a rough patch of roads, road joints, etc. and this is different from the sound highlighted in (vi) above. I am not a technical expert, but the problem seems to be due to suspensions or faulty shock absorbers causing such irritating noise. Such noises are observed even after I have removed the rear parcel tray and checked the bolt of the spare wheel in the boot (ensuring that it is not loose);

(viii) I also find the car’s headlight not to be up to the mark and comes across as less powerful as compared to other brand-new car. The throw of the headlight is hardly some meters at night which is a compromise on safety. My Honda City’s headlights were performing comparatively much much better even after 9 years of use.

With all of the above issues, I do not feel confident and safe, driving the vehicle as I never know what issues may crop up. Due to the breaking issues highlighted, I feel less confident of the car. Also, with numerous customers reporting tyre burst issues (especially for Goodyear tyres), it always clings on my head while driving the car, which makes it less enjoyable.

Your feedback on the above will be of paramount importance since I am sure many BHPians would have driven or tested the vehicles in much detail as 'Team-BHP' has named it as the car of 2019'.

[bluevolt]

Updated Latest Price List OTR Delhi for Kia Seltos (PDF attached) -



Delhi Price List Final Normal 02 JAN 2020.pdf

PS - The difference between HTK & HTK+ petrol post price hike is now 1.36 lacs while earlier it was 1.76 lacs. Not sure if HTK is still the VFM over HTK+.

[gupta_chd]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Updated Latest Price List OTR Delhi for Kia Seltos (PDF attached) -

Has the basic accessories kit price also increased? It was 8k something if I remember correctly. Or they may increased the composition?

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by gupta_chd

Has the basic accessories kit price also increased? It was 8k something if I remember correctly. Or they may increased the composition?

They have included a few more accessories in the kit including car cover etc and increased the price as well.

I believe this was not required. Kia is encashing on the success now which I guess is a bit too early.

[dksv]

Originally Posted by FidoDidoLK

With all of the above issues, I do not feel confident and safe, driving the vehicle as I never know what issues may crop up.

Seems your ride is marred by several problems. I'll comment on some of them based on the experience on my HTK P MT.

(i) Vibration - On my car when it is ON and motionless the mild vibration on the gear knob is the only give away from which I can know the engine is actually ON. Otherwise it's absolutely still.

(ii) Stiff steering - The screeching/rubbing sounds may be because of incorrect replacement of the steering wheel after the job. On my car the steering wheel was removed and put back for leather wrapping last week. I haven't driven much since then. But I'll keep an ear out for the such sounds and keep you posted.

(iii) Ride quality - Most of us have made peace with the bumpy rides on bad roads at low speeds. In fact, the official review also confirms it. Try reducing tyre pressure to 32psi for some improvement.

(v) Left turn sounds - I may have observed this. My basement garage has a steep incline and I have to apply brakes and move down slowly. Usually, when I return home I enter it from the right. On the rare occasions when I have entered it from the left, I can recall having heard similar sounds (although mild). It is occurring to me only after reading your post. But in normal driving and left turning I've never observed it. Regardless, let me try a few more times on the garage inclination and revert back.

(viii) Headlights - This was a problem for me too. I've upgraded to HIDs - you can read about it here (The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs). Be aware that under normal circumstances this may void warranty on electricals.

I can't comment on the other issues as I haven't observed them on my car. Please get your car thoroughly checked.

[FidoDidoLK]

Many Thanks DKSV for your valuable feedback.
(i) Your feedback about accepting bumpy ride indicates compromise even after parting with approx. Rs. 13.5 lacs of your hard-earned money. Don’t you think the Company is answerable for the same?
(ii) will reducing the tyre pressure to 32 instead of 35 not lead to tyre burst or low mileage or fuel economy or pick-up issues?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by FidoDidoLK

Many Thanks DKSV for your valuable feedback.
(i) Your feedback about accepting bumpy ride indicates compromise even after parting with approx. Rs. 13.5 lacs of your hard-earned money. Don’t you think the Company is answerable for the same?
(ii) will reducing the tyre pressure to 32 instead of 35 not lead to tyre burst or low mileage or fuel economy or pick-up issues?

Hello FidoDidoKL - welcome to TBHP & congratulations on owning the Car of the Year! Wish you many happy miles.
As for some of your questions -

1. Clunking noise - I suspect its fuel in the tank splashing around. Fill it up to the brim & then see if the noise goes away for some time.
   
2. Bumpy ride - No the company isn't answerable. This is by design. Many cars have a bumpy ride at city speeds. That is to give a stiffer suspension setup which is actually very good at high speed stability & also for cornering stability. Try any car that is fun to drive & fast around the corners. You'll find that it is bumpy at low speeds.
   
3. Tyre pressure - Tyre bursting happens when pressure is higher, not lower. So when you lower the air pressure, you actually reduce the probability of a burst multi-fold. When tyre pressure is reduced, the area of surface actually touching the road increases as the tyre sags. In theory, this does reduce the mileage a tiny bit & may make the steering heavier if you reduce too much air. If done the right amount, its a good compromise to have a softer ride for sure.

[beast_within]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

[*]Tyre pressure - Tyre bursting happens when pressure is higher, not lower. So when you lower the air pressure, you actually reduce the probability of a burst multi-fold. When tyre pressure is reduced, the area of surface actually touching the road increases as the tyre sags. In theory, this does reduce the mileage a tiny bit & may make the steering heavier if you reduce too much air. If done the right amount, its a good compromise to have a softer ride for sure.[/list]

Bursting probability is higher in case of lower pressure, since more area in contact with the road leads to higher friction and flexing of the sidewalls which in turn increases the temperature of the tyre very high.

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by beast_within

...since more area in contact with the road leads to higher friction...

Friction is independent of area of contact.

[AGwagon]

Got my second service done 5k km.

As we already knew it was basically a free check-up and didn't required any lubricant or parts changes. The service and the pick and drop was all completed within 5 hours.

I had highlighted a couple of faint rattling noises which never got resolved. They even jacked up the tyre pressure to 38, which I had not even asked to do. My car being a diesel also got an ECU update which is basically to tackle the check-engine light for lower quality BS4 fuel, although I never encountered any such problem living in Delhi.

I am happy to report the update on the UVO has made it flawless and the AA experience has gone up significantly.

I generally tell the SA not to use the black polish on the interiors, but this time I was too late to tell him and as a result I now have a black leatherite part on the Dash which is glossy and the white stitching across is all black now! Guys be careful on this. There is no good that comes out of that interior polish in the long run!

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

My car being a diesel also got an ECU update which is basically to tackle the check-engine light for lower quality BS4 fuel, although I never encountered any such problem living in Delhi.

Interesting - I thought it was beneficial to have the light so the owner knows that the injectors are getting clogged and need attention. Deleting it will possibly cause more harm as now there is no indication.

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Interesting - I thought it was beneficial to have the light so the owner knows that the injectors are getting clogged and need attention. Deleting it will possibly cause more harm as now there is no indication.

I would agree! I believe they just want the bad PR until April '20

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by beast_within

Bursting probability is higher in case of lower pressure, since more area in contact with the road leads to higher friction and flexing of the sidewalls which in turn increases the temperature of the tyre very high.

Yes - my apologies for going off topic too. The way I see it - anything that has high pressure inside, has more probability of bursting when temperature increase / high external force (high speed pothole hit) is applied.

By simple physics, high inside pressure = more compressed and dense air inside the tyre. So less ability to deform and absorb energy of an impact. This causes the burst. Also - more the air inside the tyre means the overall volume expansion of air upon temperature increase at high speed will cause even more inside tyre air pressure making it more vulnerable to bursts.

(Agree with your point of course that lower air pressure = more friction & that's why I said lower mileage & heavier steering in the OP. )

[beast_within]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Yes - my apologies for going off topic too. The way I see it - anything that has ........in the OP. )

Extract from Cars24.com. Even in our forum we have lot of discussions regarding avoiding tyre busts. Hence manufacturer's specs should be adhered to for the the tyre pressure and should be optimal.

Under-Inflation
The most common cause of a tyre burst is improper air pressure in the tyres. While over-inflation isn’t a concern, under-inflation is the reason behind approximately 75% of tyre burst induced accidents as per studies. Under-inflated tyres suffer from excessive flexing which will invariably increase your contact patch with the road. This leads to accumulation of more frictional force and in-turn causes excessive heat build-up within the tyre. The heat build-up arising from this case is much higher than what would arise from driving on a really hot summer day. The rest of the story is same as the above point, high inside temperature, expansion of air and boom, there goes the tyre. Keep in mind the probability of tyre burst occurring from under-inflation is much higher than just higher temperature

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by FidoDidoLK

(iii) Quality of Ride (bumpy & jumping) - I feel that the car is not equipped for rough roads, potholes, expansion joints on flyovers, etc. with bumps evident at lower speed (tyre pressure being at 35 psi in all 4), which are peculiar features of Indian roads.

I had found the ride quality to be stiff during my TD of the Seltos and it is the same in my car now. Reducing the pressure by a couple of points does improve the ride quality too (~32 PSi).

I drive my WagonR, a Baleno P and an Ecosport with 17" wheels. I still find the ride in my Seltos to be much better than the other cars.

(iv) loud noise emanating from the vehicle when I drive it in reverse at a speed of around 10-15 kmph. The noise increases with the increased speed. I did not observe the same in my colleague’s car who owns a Kia Seltos GTX Plus DCT model;

Are you talking about the whirring sound that comes while going in reverse and increases with speed?

(vi) while driving in reverse (like removing the vehicle from a parking slot) with half clutch pressed, when I apply brakes simultaneously to control the vehicle, it is felt as if the clutch is interfering with the braking and one can feel a kind of resistance on brake pedal. I am not sure why this should happen;

Is it because of the torque where the vehicle tries to move since the clutch is still released?

(viii) I also find the car’s headlight not to be up to the mark and comes across as less powerful as compared to other brand-new car. The throw of the headlight is hardly some meters at night which is a compromise on safety. My Honda City’s headlights were performing comparatively much much better even after 9 years of use.

The stock projector lights are indeed ineffective out on the highway. Even I find the halogen reflectors on my WagonR are way better. But then yesterday, my friend was complaining that the LED projectors on his 3 yr old Baleno was too dim and losing intensity with time. If you look at Hexa or XUV thread, the owners have the same complaint about their projector headlights.

You can upgrade to HIDs or better bulbs and give it a try.

Also try driving another similar model Seltos and see if you find some of these issues (ride quality, suspension noise, noise in reverse gear).

Originally Posted by bluevolt

PS - The difference between HTK & HTK+ petrol post price hike is now 1.36 lacs while earlier it was 1.76 lacs. Not sure if HTK is still the VFM over HTK+.

For me, the difference between HTK and HTK+ was about 1.2L. I found the HTK+ better because of rear wiper and Cruise control.

Also make sure you take the limited km extended warranty (5 yr/150k kms) and save some money there. I was not careful and chose the unlimited km one.

Happy shopping!

Originally Posted by AGwagon

Got my second service done 5k km.
My car being a diesel also got an ECU update which is basically to tackle the check-engine light for lower quality BS4 fuel, although I never encountered any such problem living in Delhi.

Did you feel any difference in performance after the ECU update? For me, I found the performance has decreased while the engine noise has slightly increased. The power delivery in the turbo zone seems even more linear than before.

On the contrary, the FE seems to have increased slightly.

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Interesting - I thought it was beneficial to have the light so the owner knows that the injectors are getting clogged and need attention. Deleting it will possibly cause more harm as now there is no indication.

I think he meant the ECU update will change the map to tackle the BS4 fuel (and increase the frequency of DPF cleaning?). The check engine light is not deleted. It SHOULD still come up in case of engine issues or DPF clogging.