[cogWheel]

Originally Posted by karan561

Navigation;

Directions displayed in the cluster; ...
...& also the HUD;

Great review Karan!
Have a query about the HUD. If you are using Google maps on Android Auto, are the directions streamed to the HUD?

[baskar]

Fantastic review Karan561. Cars like Seltos are poor Man's BMW X1. Rated 5*. White color looks awesome on this car.

A couple of questions.

1. Does it not have Auto hold feature?
2. Have you checked out the rear legroom? Can it seat 3 people with decent comfort?
3. Does it have the solid door close feeling like VW/Skoda?

[Gany]

Karan congratulations on your new Seltos! Amazingly written review and thanks!
I have been looking for a change from Creta Diesel Auto to Seltos. But the delivery period of 2 to 3 months was a killer and I actually postponed by buying plan to early next year!

[karan561]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Karan, super review thanks!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the review.

Doing some blue sky thinking: will a top end automatic petrol or diesel automatic be a worthy upgrade to an Octavia 1.8 TSI?

No, as 1.8 Tsi is a much better engine & has more power, plus the dynamics of the Octavia are better. The only upgrade will be of hi-tech features & ground clearance IMO.

I'll self drive it for a couple of years, and then hand over to my chauffeur for the rest of it's lifetime.

I too intend to do the same.

Incidentally, GTO has just posted on the other thread that he found the diesel auto combination to be flawless.

The top variants are truly flawless, similarly my review focussed only on the GTX+DCT trim level & its hard to fault for what it offers at this price point.

Also, how would you rate the back seat for 100% chauffered use?

Its just adequate. The good thing is that the rear seats recline & there is decent room for you to slide your feet under the front seat freeing up extra legroom. In addition the rear Centre arm rest feels good to use which is really important for the chauffeur driven.

Originally Posted by cogWheel

Great review Karan!
Have a query about the HUD. If you are using Google maps on Android Auto, are the directions streamed to the HUD?

Thanks ! Well, i haven't used Android Auto yet, shall get back to you later on that one.

Originally Posted by baskar

Fantastic review Karan561. Cars like Seltos are poor Man's BMW X1. Rated 5*. White color looks awesome on this car.

Thanks for the 5* rating and appreciation

A couple of questions.

1. Does it not have Auto hold feature?
2. Have you checked out the rear legroom? Can it seat 3 people with decent comfort?
3. Does it have the solid door close feeling like VW/Skoda?

1. No
2. The Rear Legroom is just adequate. The good thing is that the rear seats recline & there is decent room for you to slide your feet under the front seat freeing up extra legroom. Seating 3 large people comfortably is not possible for long journeys, its best if the 3rd person (in the middle) is smaller for all the be comfortable.
3. Not really, in fact the Ford EcoSport (being a similar SUV/Crossover) doors are the heaviest ive experienced & feel much more solid.

Originally Posted by Gany

Karan congratulations on your new Seltos! Amazingly written review and thanks!

Thanks Gany

I have been looking for a change from Creta Diesel Auto to Seltos. But the delivery period of 2 to 3 months was a killer and I actually postponed by buying plan to early next year!

All the best !

[kiranjoshy]

Hi Karan, congrats on the great new beast in your garage!

I went for a test drive today and loved the car overall. I decided to go for the top end GT line. Have seen your detailed reviews on Youtube, Team-BHP etc. and applaud your efforts!

I have few major doubts which I would like your expert opinion:

1. Should I buy the top end GTX plus diesel automatic or petrol since both are the same price? Mainly our usage is for city limits (40 Km daily travel) and occasional long drives. Petrol is more exciting to drive but I feel diesel will save me money in the long run?

2. What effect will Bharat 4 to 6 fuel transition have on this diesel variant?

3. Being in Bangalore, do you feel any threat looming with a ban on diesel cars in near future which may affect resale value?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by karan561

Likes;

- Looks (Exteriors + Interiors)
- Engine Performance & Gearbox
- Handling & Steering (Sport Mode really weighs up the steering well & is excellent for this segment)
- Feature Packed (Its loaded, especially in this all options ticked GTX+ trim)

Dislikes;

- No Paddle Shifters (A Big miss for this Engine / Gearbox combo and should have been offered at-least in this GTX+ trim)
- Ride Quality at low speeds is not that great.
- Good Year Assurance Tyres (The size 215/60 R17 is Ok but the compound already feels hard & this selection makes the car understeer in some situations & also puts down the ride & handling capabilities / potential of the Seltos)
- The GTX+ variant misses out on the Dual Tone Exterior Colour Option.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by kiranjoshy

Hi Karan, congrats on the great new beast in your garage!

I went for a test drive today and loved the car overall. I decided to go for the top end GT line. Have seen your detailed reviews on Youtube, Team-BHP etc. and applaud your efforts!

Thanks Kiran, glad to know that you found my content helpful

I have few major doubts which I would like your expert opinion:

1. Should I buy the top end GTX plus diesel automatic or petrol since both are the same price? Mainly our usage is for city limits (40 Km daily travel) and occasional long drives. Petrol is more exciting to drive but I feel diesel will save me money in the long run?

2. What effect will Bharat 4 to 6 fuel transition have on this diesel variant?

3. Being in Bangalore, do you feel any threat looming with a ban on diesel cars in near future which may affect resale value?

All your questions are extremely difficult ones But shall try my best to answer;

1. I haven't driven the Diesel + A/T Combination yet but have heard good things about it. I picked the petrol as its more on power (HP) & has similar Torque rating. As an enthusiast it's always tempting to pick the most powerful variant. Plus i already have 2 Diesel cars which i can use for longer journeys hence picked the petrol. Best you decide accordingly.

2. Have heard some issues being reported by Diesel Seltos owners about Check Engine Light being lit up due to DPF being clogged. If its true then this may be troublesome till April 2020 (When BS6 fuel comes in) irrespective of warranty being there.

3. The future is uncertain, hence hard to comment on that one.

[karan561]

Seems the LIVE Maps are not always accurate :/

[girishglg]

Karan congratulations on your beautiful set of wheels there and really nice pics there especially at night times.

Had a quick query if you or anyone can answer this, my friend has bought the petrol 1.4 GTX manual and would like to know the turbo range (rpm) so that he can tune his driving style to shift at the right time as he is moving on from a naturally aspirated motor.

His understanding was that it starts from 3K rpm however I would think it would be lower than that.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Karan congratulations on your beautiful set of wheels there and really nice pics there especially at night times.

Thanks Girish

Had a quick query if you or anyone can answer this, my friend has bought the petrol 1.4 GTX manual and would like to know the turbo range (rpm) so that he can tune his driving style to shift at the right time as he is moving on from a naturally aspirated motor.
His understanding was that it starts from 3K rpm however I would think it would be lower than that.

The turbo kicks in way before 3k rpm.

Im attaching some pics of the torque rating at various rpm range (also shared in the video), should help your friend understand the 1.4 GDi better;

[karan561]

300+ Kms Roadtrip;

Finally had a chance to take the Seltos out for a proper blast on the highway.

Likes;

- Engine & Gearbox Setup
- Suspension At high Speeds
- Steering Feel in Sport Mode

Dislikes;

- Lacks the Highway Top Lane 'Move Out Of My Way' Respect, may be because of its size or people dont expect it to be fast / fast enough to be overtaken by a Seltos.
- Tyres



- Paddle Shifters are genuinely missed.
- The Gearbox in Manual Mode is taking time getting used to as in my BMW if you want to upshift in manual mode you have to pull down the gear lever & push up for the downshift. In the Seltos its the other way around.
- Sport Mode + Gearbox in Manual Mode @ 7th gear its a genuinely good cruiser as it feels great on torque, refinement & will also give good FE. At Similar speed in Automoatic mode the car will be in 5th or 6th.
- The car with this engine, gearbox & open roads is really encouraging you to go fast but the government mandated speed warnings are a true discouraging factor.
- 80 & 120 Speed Warnings im aware but i also heard ' some times ' speed warning at 100ish while the Cruise Control set @ 102 km/h, Why / How ?
- Left in the morning with cold tyre pressure showing 30 at the front & 31 at the rear, upon reaching the destination it was 33 at front & 34 at rear for obvious reasons.
- The Blind Spot monitoring System was put to a constant test as it was a busy highway (NH8) & it switched camera views well (& fast enough)
- BUT, When you are driving hard & need to change a lane any keen driver will look out at the ORVM & not the Blind Spot Monitor in front of you (hence was not really useful)
- UVO Connect App records everything. Data such as the total distance, max speed, average speed, idle time, Hard Braking, Rapid Acceleration etc. Really impressive !
- In Sport Mode while trying to explore the revv range in 6th gear, the power on tap encourages you to have a go at that claimed top speed but the tyres are a big discouragement.
- Brakes, What Brakes. Really Good Brakes. No brake judder, fade but consistent confidence inspiring feel in the entire journey. Solid !
- Crossed a mini milestone of 2000 kms on the odometer while out on the highway was a great feeling & a rewarding experience for the DCT gearbox.

Fuel Economy;



^ One way (150 odd kms) Fuel economy was tested being 90% in Sport Mode & with a enthusiastic right foot it returned 13.5 km/l

Flawless Car, Flawless Tarmac. A Rare Combo;

[imp!]

Hi Karan,

I'm contemplating buying this or the Harrier Diesel Automatic as a daily driver to my factory. Unfortunately the Jeep Compass Trailhawk is out of question as I don't think the asking is worth the money. I'll probably be replacing my Jetta with one of these. I need something that is low profile and can handle lack of roads in and around Bangalore well. Problem is, my daily commute is 50 Km and tends to be in stop and go traffic. Now I normally don't care about mileage, but, if this performs similarly as the Jeep Compass Petrol AT, I'll have to put this out of reckoning.

How do you find the car on bad roads?
What kind of mileage can I expect in B2B traffic?

Thanks in Advance!

[gautamkhadse]

Originally Posted by karan561

....

Dislikes;


- Tyres

...

Took your review of the tyres, seriously and have started talking to a dealer about exchanging the tyres, right out of the showroom.

P4st in the same size -
Buyback at about 7500 per tyre
New P4st at 10 K per tyre.

Total difference to be paid will be 10 K for 4 new Michelin .

P4st in a bigger size, the upsize that you recommended is pretty expensive
The 235 is costing about 13900 per tyre

The dealer is asking for 21K difference for upgrading 4 tyres.

NOw am thinking is it worth getting the extra rubber for 21K or the same size Michelin is fine? What's your opinion?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by imp!

Hi Karan,
I'm contemplating buying this or the Harrier Diesel Automatic as a daily driver to my factory. Unfortunately the Jeep Compass Trailhawk is out of question as I don't think the asking is worth the money. I'll probably be replacing my Jetta with one of these. I need something that is low profile and can handle lack of roads in and around Bangalore well. Problem is, my daily commute is 50 Km and tends to be in stop and go traffic. Now I normally don't care about mileage, but, if this performs similarly as the Jeep Compass Petrol AT, I'll have to put this out of reckoning.
How do you find the car on bad roads?
What kind of mileage can I expect in B2B traffic?
Thanks in Advance!

I think Fuel Economy you can expect around 7.5 (B2B Traffic) - 11 km/l (City Limits) & out on the Highway anywhere between 12 - 15 km/l may be achievable with this engine / gearbox.

On Bad Roads its just fine as long as you slow down and realistically drive it without thinking its a SUV (the way its marketed).

The Harrier, Duster will be better on bad roads surely.

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

Took your review of the tyres, seriously and have started talking to a dealer about exchanging the tyres, right out of the showroom.

P4st in the same size -
Buyback at about 7500 per tyre
New P4st at 10 K per tyre.

Total difference to be paid will be 10 K for 4 new Michelin .

P4st in a bigger size, the upsize that you recommended is pretty expensive
The 235 is costing about 13900 per tyre

The dealer is asking for 21K difference for upgrading 4 tyres.

NOw am thinking is it worth getting the extra rubber for 21K or the same size Michelin is fine? What's your opinion?

The OE tyres dont have a great resale because seems Good Year have had some arrangement in the aftermarket too with some really aggressive prices.
I did not change the tyres as my car will barely be driven on National/State Highways but mostly be used in City.
But good quality rubber will surely be changing things like ride quality, handling, steering feel, highway stability etc.
Also from the options you have Michelin in same size would be a good move too.
Do check out Pirelli too, i believe Scorpion Verde are available in 17"s.
All the best & keep us updated

[NPV]

Congratulations on the new acquisition Karan and wishing you miles of safe and enjoyable drives

Wow, what a wonderfully written, detailed review of the Kia Seltos, makes one feel like buying the car after reading the review

A friend bought the Seltos recently and I came away quite impressed after seeing the car. It was the trigger to give my vote to Seltos for Team-BHP Car of the Year 2019.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by NPV

Congratulations on the new acquisition Karan and wishing you miles of safe and enjoyable drives

Thanks NPV for the good wishes.

Wow, what a wonderfully written, detailed review of the Kia Seltos, makes one feel like buying the car after reading the review

A friend bought the Seltos recently and I came away quite impressed after seeing the car. It was the trigger to give my vote to Seltos for Team-BHP Car of the Year 2019.

Winning TEAM BHP Car of the year with cars like Harrier (Great looks & chassis but TATA really messed it up by not launching an A/T, detuning the engine & other quality issues), Venue (Already a sales hero), Triber (Very innovative seating layout & VFM) & Baojun 530 (No comments) on the lists & all their votes also not adding up to the total votes received by the Seltos is indeed a great achievement for Kia