[sharan_si]

I bought Seltos HTE Diesel MT 2 months back, So thought of sharing the initial ownership experience.

This is my 3rd car, I owned Fiat Grande Punto(sold) and Renault Duster (with my brother now).

Why new car:
I was happy with the Duster (using from 7 years). But my brother who was using punto for few years wanted to upgrade to a bigger car. So I gave him my Duster and started a hunt for new car.

Options explored: Hyundai Creta, Mahindra XUV 3OO, Tata Nexon, Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass, Kia Seltos, and another Renault Duster.

After test driving all of them and had driven most of them earlier as well. shortlisted XUV 3OO, Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass, and Kia Seltos.
I considered buying XUV 3OO initially. I didn't like the boot space, it not usable in long drives, else it is the only car from Mahindra which I liked.
Also liked the Harrier, but the base variant was missing very basic features like central lock, color options, etc, the next variant was expensive didn't want to risk putting a lot of money in WIP Harrier.
I liked Jeep Compass but felt it was overpriced.
Didn't like the Nexon's side, rear looks, and the low-speed ride quality.
Wanted to wait for a couple for weeks and buy Duster 1.3 Turbo petrol, but everyone at home was against this, they didn't want another same looking car.
So finally left with Kia Seltos, which had most of the things I wanted.



Likes:
- Solid build quality.
- Powerful engine.
- Engine refinement.
- High-speed Ride and Handling.
- Well-tuned EPS steering.
- Looks, styling, and interior quality.
- All the switches, and buttons have a premium feel(mostly because I am used to Duster).
- All 4 wheel disc brakes, excellent braking.
- Have almost all basic features in HTE (base variant).
- Horn sounds more like European brands.
- Height adjustable driver seat in Base model.
- Front wiper stalk has an adjustable timer for intermittent mode.
- One-touch indicators with an adjustable number of blinks.
- Multiple variants with 3 engine options, there is something for everyone.
- Speed-sensing Auto-Lock and Unlock(when you switch off the engine) feature for doors with control to switch off the both.
- Spacious cabin, both front and rear.
- Rear AC vents with USB port and space to keep mobile in the base model.
- Speed beep at 80 kph is soft and doesn't irritate.


Dislikes:
- Low speed ride quality (no match to Duster).
- No telescopic steering wheel.
- Halogen Projector Lamps.
- Electric steering wheel (My other cars(Punto and Duster) have hydraulic, liked both).
- Would have been better if it had1.6L Diesel from Creta instead of 1.5L.
- Stock tyres.
- No Parcel tray in the base model and Kia quoting 13k for it.
- No Rearview wiper/defogger in the base and next variant(HTK).
- 190mm GC for SUV with a low approach angle.
- No Electrically adjustable OVRM's in base model.
- Second variant HTK is around 1.5lakh more expensive compared to HTE but doesn't have significant and price matching features, Only the next model which has good features is HTK+ but around 3L more expensive than HTE.
- No Boot-lamp in base model.
- Side and rear cladding looses shade, have seen few cars in service center with this issue, SA told its due to hard water in Bangalore(not convinced).

Buying experience:
I called JSP Kia Marathahalli Bangalore for a Test Drive of Diesel MT. Got the TD car the next day, I drove around 15km. The sales guy was explaining the features During TD, I told him that I already went through features, and reviews and I want to buy the HTE Diesel MT White color, when I can I get the delivery of the car. He called his colleague and said will get in 20 days. Got call from the sales guy after an hour, he asked me to WhatsApp ID and address proof, without paying the booking amount he booked the car, I got SMS from the KIA with booking number. He told he has arranged the car. I can come next day to pay the booking amount and do the PDI.
I haven’t seen this kind of enthusiasm from dealers in selling a car from any Indian brands.

Pre-Delivery Inspection:
I Went to the showroom next day, There were no one expect the staff due to COVID, I filled the form and had a look at the car and I posted the VIN number in Team bhp, got reply after couple of hour with details, it was a week old car, It was driven 11km, I asked the sales manager, do you need to take the car to RTO for registration? he told no, then I told him car should not be driven even a km more, He said no need to worry.


PDI, 11km on ODO




Taking Delivery:




Overall the buying experience was very smooth, got the car registered and delivered in 1 week. the salesperson gave the updates regularly. Also, they didn't charge the "Handling charges".
I got insurance online, saved few bucks.

Driving impressions:

City driving:
I am driving the car in Bangalore due to COVID there is not much traffic, I am getting around 14-kmpl in city drives in current traffic. The power delivery is linear, there is no sudden surge of power when the turbo kicks in, its variable geometry turbo. There is minimal turbo lag, as long as you keep the engine above 1500 rpm it feels lively, around-2000 rpm engine comes in its peak power band, driving Seltos in city is easy, you don't need to do to many gear shifts. The Clutch is soft but long, the gear shifts are smooth and gear ratios are well matched to the engine power, you don't need to down-shift too often in city drive, 2nd and 3rd gears work well in most city speeds.
Due to its stiff suspension, you will feel the undulations on the road at a lower speed and gets bumpy on bad roads, I tried reducing the tyre pressure from 35ps(recommended) to 32, it made significant difference buts still underlying stiffness is felt.
The engine is silent, the sound/clatter from diesel is very low, the cabin is well insulated. Others won't figure out that it's a diesel unless you tell them. Since I am used to the loud clatter of the engine in both Duster and Punto. I liked the cabin insulation very much.

Highway driving:
I have done few short trips on highway, ride quality is not as comfortable as Duster but definitely not Jiggly or uncomfortable, stiff suspension works well at higher speeds you won't notice undulations on the road. The engine and gearbox combination is very good, you will hit 3 digit speeds quickly and the stability of the car at 3 digits speed is excellent, steering is light in the city and it weighs up well at highway speeds, it is not as accurate as Punto steering, but it's surely best electric steering you get from the Korean company, the car is tuned more like European brands rather than Japanese or Korean.

Ride and Handling:
As many discussed already, low-speed ride is something many won't like, else it's as good as any European car you drive, it comes with all 4 disc brakes, braking is superb, only one thing I noticed it that breaking bite is not linear it's more sudden than the other car I drive, the braking distance is short and overall braking performance is confidence-inspiring.
190mm ground clearance is decent for a car of this size, front Approach angle is not as good as the Duster, the rear Departure angle is fine. Driving duster from 7 years Haven't scrapped till now.

Mileage:
Getting around 14-15 kmpl in the city and getting around 18-20kmpl in highway drive, I am driving sedately on the highway following engine break-in rules. so mileage may vary post 5k km.

Comparing with Duster:



Positives compared to Duster:

• Interior quality and overall fit and finish of material used in Seltos is far better than Duster.
• Design and styling better than Duster.
• More powerful than Duster 85.
• Comfortable driving position.
• Steering Mounted audio controls are easy to use compared Duster ones.

Negatives Compared to Duster:

• Suspension, haven't found car in this segment which can beat Dusters Comfort over any kind of Roads.
• Reliable engine, Duster engine is more reliable, proven and gives consistent mileage.
• Ground clearance, Duster has 205 GC, with a very good Approach angle. Haven't scraped any bumps till now over 7 years.
• Dusters Hydraulic steering is better in highway than Seltos Electric.
• Rear seat comfort of Duster is better due to its suspension.

Upgrades:

• Woodman android Stereo (4gb with intel octa core processor).
• TPMS (android compatible).
• Speakers - front Morel Tempo, Infinity in the rear.
• Top black Matte wrapping from 3M.
• HID kit for Projector (you need one which supports CAN bus).

Woodman android Stereo (4GB RAM with intel octa core processor):
Woodman has 2GB and 4GB version of android unit, initially, they didn't have the 4GB one for Seltos, because Seltos has limited space behind the stereo unit, I spoke with the Woodman team and asked if they can modify the backside of the unit to fit into Seltos, They came back after a week with the trial unit and it fitted perfectly.


Piano Black frame comes with Head-Unit.




USB receiver for TPMS



TPMS app


Installing Woodman unit:
There is no need to cut wire, all the couplers are available with the unit itself, also they have given piano black frame with it, it looks like factory fitted unit




Installing 3M Black Matte wrap


Place to Keep the mobile is above USB ports, tough to access.


Door handles are colored silver, place to fit the tweeter is un-usable in the base model, tweeter grill holes are closed.


The speaker grill design is stylish.


Door lock-unlock switch, Window up-down and rear window lock switch.


AC vents on driver side, below that headlight height adjust switch.


Steering-mounted audio controls in the base Model

First Service:
General checkup and car wash.



Seat Cover:



Few shots:





Few more pics take during PDI:




Rear AC vents in base model, bump on floor is small.


Ample amount of boot space.

[sharan_si]

Centre Console with armrest. Couple of cup holders, easily accessible.


Wide armrest with storage.


Wiper stalk with Timer switch in the middle.


MID display for Wiper mode in Intermittent and delay bar on the right. pops up when to switch on the wipers.


System check after inserting the key, before ignition.


User setting menu, you need to engage the Handbrake to access this.


Accumulated info, trip meter you can reset manually buy pressing OK button on steering for 2 sec.


Driver info, trip meter, automatically resets when you switch off the car for 10min.


Speedo meter in MID.


instantaneous fuel economy.


Door open warning, works for front bonet as well.


Indicator stalk with the headlight switch.



Cabin lamp with sun glass holder.


Sunglass holder.


Engine bay.


Insulation on bonnet.


Insulation for cabin.


Battery with openable cap for positive terminal.


HID ballast.


Side cladding.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

Your car is going to our homepage today .

[TorqueIndia]

Excellent choice ! I believe base variants of Seltos and Creta are the best ones to buy , they scream value-for-money ! I'm finding these variants far better than sub4m SUVs and sedans .

Kindly share the price break up and on-road prices ! Happy motoring .

[vigsom]

Lovely car, Sharan.

The great thing about the base variants is that one can upgrade features to suit one's taste and wallet.

The base model has everything in it, except for the rear wash wipe.

In my view, rear wash wipe is an important safety feature on hatchbacks and SUVs. Drive on the highways in rains and one would
appreciate this. It's time this feature becomes standard across variants.

[jetsetgo08]

Brisk review covering all the required points. Liked the Tan seat covers.

Thanks to the diesel CSUV's crossing Rs.13/14L barrier, the Creta and Seltos base diesel variants have become very easy recommendation to anyone with 12-13L budget. What one gets over a CSUV is a slightly bigger car and excellent resale value as these cars belong to the next segment. The only real miss in the base variants is a rear defogger and wash-wipe.

[ashis89]

Congratulations for your new ride! Wish you many happy miles with the Seltos.

A 100% agree to base models and the value they provide. Buy a base model and then add features after-market as per your need. Only problem is certain features can't be added, such as rear wash wipe.

High time Govt. looked into the features list and made certain features as mandatory.

Thank you for this honest and comprehensive comparison with Duster. The Seltos' suspension settles down after covering 7-8k kms. That and a air pressure of 32-33 psi makes it much more comfortable.

Any reason why you didn't consider the Creta, which has a slightly better ride than the Seltos?

Originally Posted by sharan_si

]
Driver info, trip meter, automatically resets when you switch off the car for 10min.

Please check again. The information gets reset if you switch off the car for 4 hours or more.

HID ballast.

Good upgrade! Which brand are these and how much did they cost? How's the lighting? Can you share some pictures?

The stock halogens lack throw and brightness. They're inadequate, especially in rains.

[sharan_si]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Any reason why you didn't consider the Creta, which has a slightly better ride than the Seltos?

I like Seltos stiff suspension compared to Creta's soft for highway drives.

Please check again. The information gets reset if you switch off the car for 4 hours or more.

I will cross check the time for resetting Driver info.

Good upgrade! Which brand are these and how much did they cost? How's the lighting? Can you share some pictures?

Its RSR autovision, costs around 6.5k.

[Reinhard]

Congratulations @sharan_si for the acquisition. Wish you & your loved ones unlimited safe & happy miles. The Seltos does offer quite a lot of stuff right from the base variant. And - the car is very VERY mod friendly. So barring the rear wipe perhaps - everything else gets taken care of, at a very reasonable price in the after-market. For anyone who doesn't really bother about the rear wipe - base variant makes a lot of sense given the pricing.

The only grime is - to get the parcel tray installed - one probably needs to also change the LHS and RHS blagk plastic panel trims in the boot. Still OK I think since all these can be procured as official spare parts from KIA.

A nice android system you got there with good configuration and features! And a perfect decision to go with HIDs for illumination.

[vigneshnr]

Congratulations on your new ride ! Can you share details on the seat upholstery.. they look great ? I guess all the mods are done without affecting the warranty.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Congratulations on your vehicle. I also toyed with the idea of buying a base variant Seltos Diesel and upgrading with aftermarket accessories. Then I got cold feet and dropped the idea due to warranty issues. It totally depends on your KASS, sometimes they may void warranty stating very silly reasons like you added aftermarket alloys and hence your warranty is voided. I wanted to go with below, but later dropped the idea

• Hypersonic 4GB RAM HU
• LED Headlights
• Roof Rails
• Faux Leather Seats
• GT Variant Alloys & Tyres
• LED Fog Lamps

The seats looks fabulous, How much did it cost?

I totally agree with the value for money provided by base variant vehicles, however, many features cannot be retrofitted like

• Push start stop button
• Rear washer wiper
• Cruise Control (Few are getting them fitted outside, but it scares me)
• Safety Features like TC, EBA, Airbags etc.

Best of luck and happy miles.

[kamilharis]

Congrats on your Seltos.

Your car looks stunning even though it's the base variant. Kia has done a great job by providing most of the necessary features in the base variant.

It would be helpful if you could provide price break up of the car and added accessories.
Any comments on warranty by the way?

Wish you a million miles on this beauty.

[JayKavadi]

Congratulations on your new ride. Great post. I wanted to specifically comment on the seat covers. Extremely good fit and finish. They look absolutely factory fitted. Can you please share the cost for the same as well as where you got them fitted.

[RishikeshK]

Congratulations on your Seltos. The HTE variant does seem to come with many basics taken care of like all 4 disk-brakes, rear AC vents, projector headlamps and of course the safety kit. Wishing you many miles of trouble-free ownership!!

Though both the cars I owned featured the rear wash-wipe and I do find it very useful, I wonder if an 'always-on rear view camera' would be a possible alternative to this. We'd need to see how to make the camera splash-proof though. You may want to check on that as an aftermarket accessory.

Cheers

[InControl]

Nice review of a good car. Wish you a million miles on it
The VFM quotient is way higher in the base model. The seat cover looks great. can you please share the details where you got it done and how much did it cost