[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

... I took it out today evening (10-Jul) to find a crack in the windshield.

Sorry to read about this. Just a quick few points:

• There are a few other posts of members reporting such unexplained cracks either in this review or in Facebook groups.
• Is the crack only the inside, only on the outside or is it through and through? You could feel it with a finger and determine. If its an internal crack, then its obviously a defect in the windshield.
• The crack may be caused by OEM's improper fitment of of the windwhield which left residual stresses on the glass, which finally gave way through the crack to relieve the stress.
• Some Seltos Facebook group owners have reported windshield cracks after parking in the open during a hot, sunny day. An advice (unsubstantiated) I remember reading is to keep the glasses rolled down a wee bit to let the hot air inside escape.
• Re - warranty - you need to check the fine print, if there are enough escape clauses, its then difficult to pin the OEM down. Insurance may then be the option.

All the best and please us posted on developments.

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

Shouldn't car warranty take care of its replacement, especially since it appears to have failed by itself? Kia warranty will be tested now.

Generally glass item like windshield is fully covered by insurance without any depreciation and all you need to pay for is consumables. IMHO It might be easier to get it replaced thru insurance rather than following up with Kia for manufacturing defect claim.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by reddyboi

....Is there a way to retrofit or upgrade it with the paddle shifters that come in the updated version and the relevant software upgrade for the ECU to support the same?

Does the older version even have the slots to enable these paddles?

The paddles are mounted on the steering wheel assembly. I do not remember seeing any "slots" (as you put it) or any other interface option on the older version to install paddles. So you are perhaps looking at a one-to-one replacement of the steering assembly and associated cabling as an expensive option.

In all probability, the ECU / gearbox controller software will have had this option already enabled. So that may not be the stumbling block. Instead, its likely to be the hardware and cabling.

Its perhaps a tough call for even a dealer workshop to make this change - its a major modification and will definitely impact warranty as well as have Kia breathing down the authorised workshop that did this mod - especially in case (God forbid), there is a downstream failure or snag in that DCT gearbox which is then be attributed to this mod.

The paddles do add to the ease in driving, especially for engine braking on downslopes, slowing down for a speed-breaker, etc. That said, this may be a modification that I personally will stay away from, for the above reasons. Experimental mods could be attempted once outside the warranty period. By then, perhaps you won't be first chap to have tried this mod and it may already have been adequately refined by after-market installers using Kia's genuine parts or spares.

[DeepCarTalk]

Any update on Gravity Edition? Everyone was talking about it in March-April but now no one is talking about it. Is it cancelled or was never going to release?

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by DeepCarTalk

Any update on Gravity Edition?...

Well, the local dealer here with whom I interact has no clue.

Consider the fact that the Seltos line has already been revised for 2021, wef 1st May.

Features for each line and trim versions have been revised, an iMT gearbox version has been added. That much awaited 'Pano' sunroof was given a miss, one (or is it two) versions have been deleted and so on.

So, it would appear that the 2021 update is already here - essentially what you already see is what you get for 2021. All that media huffing on Gravity version remains just vapourware. Or perhaps the Gravity edition was ruled out due to the effects of the Covid 2nd wave tsunami?

I guess they are just focussing on regaining their pace post- 2nd wave and optimising their production line to cater for the long wait list. The HTK Plus is considered the best value-for-money variant. The local dealership I spoke with did mention that they are able to get about 160 cars every month from the factory nearby, whereas they need about 300. Also, there is a fairly long wait list for the Sonet and production needs to cater for both. Adding yet one more 'top' variant over and above the already expensive GT Line (with reduced demands) may not be on the cards. That's just my reading as of now.

[OrangeCar]

Update after interacting with service station staff.

He inspected and since the crack was on outside, he said warranty will be rejected. He also showed a spot where a stone could have hit (diameter less than 0.01mm). Service advisor opinion was, if it is product failure it is usually on inside glass or from top of the windshield.

So it is insurance or pay by myself.

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

Sorry to read about this. Just a quick few points:

• There are a few other posts of members reporting such unexplained cracks either in this review or in Facebook groups.

• Not active on facebook. And could not check. Not part of any such groups either.
  

  Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

  Is the crack only the inside, only on the outside or is it through and through? You could feel it with a finger and determine. If its an internal crack, then its obviously a defect in the windshield.

  Unfortunately the crack was on the outside.
  

  Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

  The crack may be caused by OEM's improper fitment of of the windwhield which left residual stresses on the glass, which finally gave way through the crack to relieve the stress.

  This was my argument with service advisor. Did not cut beyond a point. Disappointed though.
  

  Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

  Some Seltos Facebook group owners have reported windshield cracks after parking in the open during a hot, sunny day. An advice (unsubstantiated) I remember reading is to keep the glasses rolled down a wee bit to let the hot air inside escape.

  I usually park in basement parking of apartment. In fact, I have taken out the car quite infrequently during these lockdown times.
  

  Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

  Re - warranty - you need to check the fine print, if there are enough escape clauses, its then difficult to pin the OEM down. Insurance may then be the option.

I read the warranty in this regard. As expected external damage due to objects is not considered. But, this crack has originated from a stone hit is quite debatable in my opinion at least. The apparent stone is quite small, at least 0.01mm in size. And that too just 1 cm above the bottom beading.

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

Generally glass item like windshield is fully covered by insurance without any depreciation and all you need to pay for is consumables. IMHO It might be easier to get it replaced thru insurance rather than following up with Kia for manufacturing defect claim.

True. But the cost of glass and its replacement is 7400/-. Insurance has copay of 1000/- And I am still evaluating if it is worth losing NCB.

[dipdawiz]

I am getting bombarded with calls to renew insurance. Its like every other day someone calling. Previously also I used to get calls but no one used to claim they are from Brand. This time, all of them claim they are from Kia Insurance department and not from any dealership and they are adamant that they are really from Kia company. Giving insurance from Tata AIG, Kotak or Reliance. But all their mobile numbers are actually marked spam in True Caller and email ids for most are, if not gmail, of some agencies for car insurance renewal. Offers are very lucrative though Bumper 2 bumper, zero dep, return to invoice, RSA, key replacement, consumables - all inclusive coming from 17K to 20K depending on insurer for GTX+ Diesel AT. Now I am not sure if these are some sort of scam (or policy changes after payment) or can be believed. Anyone else getting this type of call or taken insurance from them?

[KapilD]

Originally Posted by dipdawiz

I am getting bombarded with calls to renew insurance. Its like every other day someone calling. Previously also I used to get calls but no one used to claim they are from Brand. This time, all of them claim they are from Kia Insurance department and not from any dealership and they are adamant that they are really from Kia company. Giving insurance from Tata AIG, Kotak or Reliance. But all their mobile numbers are actually marked spam in True Caller and email ids for most are, if not gmail, of some agencies for car insurance renewal. Offers are very lucrative though Bumper 2 bumper, zero dep, return to invoice, RSA, key replacement, consumables - all inclusive coming from 17K to 20K depending on insurer for GTX+ Diesel AT. Now I am not sure if these are some sort of scam (or policy changes after payment) or can be believed. Anyone else getting this type of call or taken insurance from them?

Beware of such people. Don’t fall in for the convenience factor and lower premium.

Your renewal premium comprises of several factors, primarily being

1. The No claims bonus you enjoy on your claims free years (20%,25%,35%,45%,50%; 50 being max) - this is applicable on your own damage section only
2. additional discount on the own damage premium (the premium the car segment, the higher the discount)
3. third party rates are fixed by the regulator so you can’t get any discount on this,
4. bumper to bumper is available only up to 5 years from purchase date
5. Add on coverages like return to invoice, engine protect etc are priced differently by different companies

So next time you get a call ask them for the break up and see if they are genuine.

Also to top it, GST @ 18% would be on top of the sum of all above rates quotes based your coverage.

You can also get any insurance company/agent to get this break up so that you know what you are paying for.

Hope this brief summary helps you.

[dipdawiz]

Originally Posted by KapilD

Beware of such people. Don’t fall in for the convenience factor and lower premium.

Your renewal premium comprises of several factors, primarily being

...

Hope this brief summary helps you.

They give detailed breakup in a company (TATA AIG or KOTAK) letter head.

Things that are fishy -

- their denial of being an agency and saying they are from KIA insurance dept. Never received this sort of call before. If you say you don't believe them, they say "its up to you to believe, but we are from KIA".
- but email id mentioned in quote are not from KIA or any document that relates them to KIA
- Phone numbers widely reported as spam for all those in TrueCaller
- no email so far, all on whatsapp

For last 11 years, I always compared insurance in policybazar.com and picked up a well-known insurer (with cashless facility) with cheapest quote. It was a balance between IDV, Addon, facility vs price. I used to get max 5 calls from previous 2-3 insurers.

By they way, I contacted Advaith Kia for KIA Safety Insurance (1st year insurance was also KIA Safety, as they helped me transfer my NCB and gave that discount). This year their quote comes to around 22k which is anyway is near to those unsolicited quotes. So I'll just check with policybazar.com once and decide between these two options.

I am sure those guys are not from KIA, but still wanted to know if any forum member faced or dealt something like this, and if any one bought insurance this way. Just to give a stat, I got at least 15 different calls for insurance renewal in last 20 days this year (it broke all records), out of them, 7-8 are this KIA insurance dept. type of scenarios. So feel like, somehow I got targeted. This may be a new type of scheme/scam born due to Covid situation.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by dipdawiz

I am sure those guys are not from KIA, but still wanted to know if any forum member faced or dealt something like this, and if any one bought insurance this way.

Not for insurance but I did receive a call recently, a few days after my 5th service.

The lady on the other end of the call mentioned she is from KIA and started explaining about a road side assistance scheme. She kept repeating for good 2-3 mins what's a breakdown and how it can occur anywhere. I had to ask her to move on and explain other things. She then mentioned about a card that I would receive as a part of the scheme which would cost 4500 bucks and would be valid for 15 years. I thanked her for her time and excused myself.

The number wasn't marked as spam but after the call, I blocked it as spam. Two things which made me suspicious, that 15 years(!) and her unpolished English.

Last Nov, when my insurance was due for renewal, I got a single call from my dealership asking me to renew it with them. I got a couple of quotes but I wasn't very happy with it. They never bothered to follow-up any further.

From our experience, I doubt there has been a leak of KIA owners' contact information and tele-marketers(or could be fraudsters) are making full use of it. I could be wrong.

[KapilD]

Originally Posted by dipdawiz

…
I am sure those guys are not from KIA, but still wanted to know if any forum member faced or dealt something like this, and if any one bought insurance this way. Just to give a stat, I got at least 15 different calls for insurance renewal in last 20 days this year (it broke all records), out of them, 7-8 are this KIA insurance dept. type of scenarios. So feel like, somehow I got targeted. This may be a new type of scheme/scam born due to Covid situation.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Not for insurance but I did receive a call recently, a few days after my 5th service.

….

From our experience, I doubt there has been a leak of KIA owners' contact information and tele-marketers(or could be fraudsters) are making full use of it. I could be wrong.

This is interesting. It must be the COVID 19 effect wherein the WFH call center guys have a target to get you onboard.

There could also be a possibility of data sharing issue from online portal which is also another source of income in the digital world. Could be insurance web aggregator or Kia’s outsourced agency etc. Privacy breach!! Now that agency who purchased the data is harassing you by calling to make transaction.

It could also be an issue of phishing. We never know unknowingly we provide information irrelevant to insurance which might be used in another sector like banking/online shopping.

As revealed by my work related sources, I can tell you that cyber related attacks and claims have increased worldwide particularly in the COVID times where we are mostly connected digitally.

So my request to you would be to approach someone you know or a good platform to get your renewal done.

[subinmanaladil]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

3. OE GY tyres are pathetic, I have already got multiple punctures and the grip and noise are also ridiculous

4. Lastly the interesting hack, when last I had got the puncture fixed the repair guy must have misunderstood and left all the tyres with 40+psi. I had no time to get it corrected to my preferred 32/33psi, so have been driving around with it for now over 4 days and I have to confess the drive and ride is much better than 30-37psi. I would request some others to try this new hack out as well and report here. The ride is now more comfort oriented like ~Creta and absorbs bad roads much better. Over sharp bumps though it still makes a loud thud, but overall I feel it is the best "tyre pressure-Ride" Ratio that I have experienced so far.

40psi will also be overall better for FE and GC I think although only sightly when compared to 33psi.

I tried out both 32 psi and 40 psi(after reading your post) on my Kia Seltos htx diesel with goodyear assuarance oem tyres - terrible tyres for ride quality.

32 psi feels plush without loosing way too much driving dynamics or mileage in city and straight roads usage.

But, 40 psi is the magic number for this car. I tried this after readig your post way back(wasnt a member then, registered only beause this topic needs more attention)

Difference between 35 psi and 32/40 psi is evident.

But the real difference is felt in the rear seat on hilly roads like Idukki.(western ghats)

35 psi is stiff - you can feel most small undulations,clutch release action is jerky, rear seats feel like they are lifting off over large undulations at speeds of 80

32 psi - very plush,not much difference in mileage or
performance/handling(there is a decrease but its not that bad). HOWEVER, when you dive through twisted hilly roads you will notice that the backseat feels like everything is gettig tossed into the air. Feels like a boat, makes you nauseous. 35 psi does the same and you can hear rear suspension thuds( as if the whole rear la ded from the ky). This aspect is more prounounced at 32 psi.

40 psi - I have no idea why or how but 40 psi makes the suspension cushioned/compliant, improves dynamics, improves mileage(small improvement).
People sitting in the backseat are a lt more relaxed andctually fall asleep instead of geti nauseated. The rear suspension thud as car goes over twists and lage undulations is completely gone. Clutch release action is vey smooth. Only thig is that tyres make more noise over small potholes and you will get a psyhologialjmpression of stiffness but thats just beause of the noise.
My best guess is that 40 psi matches well with the suspension tuning to create a better ride.

I registered just to give feedback on this. Infact, ride quality on seltos is so noticeably bad at 35 psi that this topic deserves its own thread.
Have tested these tyre pressures through ~ 6000 km

[DebarshiSharma]

Dear esteemed team members, had a query regarding my Kia Seltos. I noticed condensation on the headlamps and fog lamps on my Seltos today after making a trip of around 80kms. There are no cracks on the lamps. Is it normal for this vehicle?

Model: GTX+ 1.5D AT (2020)

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by DebarshiSharma

I noticed condensation on the headlamps and fog lamps..

It is already mentioned in the User's Manual with actions to be taken if it persists. I have attached the relevant page for reference.

[DebarshiSharma]

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

It is already mentioned in the User's Manual with actions to be taken if it persists. I have attached the relevant page for reference.

Thank you for the help. I can see no condensation now. Was not aware of the same being mentioned in the user manual.