20th December 2021, 22:44
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| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore
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| Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Cianna (see-an-na) in Italian means ‘beautiful, courageous and special’ and that is how I would like to describe my Seltos which was recently delivered on 30th Nov, 2021 in Powai, Mumbai. A true joy to drive, I can certainly say it’s a driver’s car with fully loaded gizmos and offers a heck of a sporty feel. Although Seltos is very common now, would like to still highlight my journey towards making the big decision.  Likes: •Ageless and charming design (black seltos stands out like a mighty goddess with all the chrome) •Pure sporty (GTX+ variant) and captivating road presence •Paddle Shifters and Sports Mode - a true driver’s pleasure •Feel of a bigger car although mid-size suv •Great visibility for the driver and the comfort & ergonomics of driver’s seat are unbeatable •Excellent braking and handling •All black interiors and poised gear knob give you feeling of a luxury car •Lot of techs – you realize its worth only after using it (360 camera, Heads up display, UVO with voice commands, big touch screen, blind spot monitor and so on) •Very smooth and refined driving with a sporty d-cut steering •Super cool ac and ventilated seats (better than rivals) are a boon •Preloaded offline maps (With updates available for 3 years) •Bose speakers are heavenly and can make you go gaga •Red accents add that pizazz Dislikes: •So many updates on the Gtx+ variant, but they missed out on wireless apple car play and google android auto, you need to connect via usb (wireless available in all lower variants though) •3-star GNCAP crash test rating (real bummer and non-debatable), should have been 4 •Drive modes dial is too tacky •Nothing else to dislike, everything is so perfectly laid out Prologue: I owned a 2014 Honda Mobilo petrol manual and it was time for an upgrade. The mobilo had all necessities but was one of the most boring cars to drive. Before mobilo, there was a swift and city in the family. I have always been more of a bike person, currently own a 2018 HD Iron883 and previously had a couple of RE’s. However now with so many years of riding experience I thought why not to try being more of a seasoned driver than a rider. In the last couple of years, I tried a few cars of friends and colleagues like Fortuner, Merc E Class and Isuzu pickup and that made me realize importance of performance and better handling in a car. So started the journey of exploring new options where I could get a more exhilarating driving experience. Now when the thread title says Seltos, you obviously think that I would have started with options like Creta, Harrier, compass and so on. However, this is not how I arrived at Seltos. So six months back (July) in the mid of second lockdown, I felt the need to buy another car and one of my major criteria was I need an automatic so that for daily city use it would be easier and even on longer drives I would be comfortable compared to my current Mobilo. Also, I wanted a more sportier driving experience. But was not sure where and what category to start with, so for trial first just thought of going through pre-owned stable and decided to call an Amaze CVT at home for a test drive and look around from cars24. The booking process was quick and next day it arrived for test drive, being a four or five-year-old silver colored car it still looked pretty decent and interiors were in good condition. Now came the time to try how automatic feels. Did a very small test drive as was not familiar with auto gear after putting D mode and all, and biggest point didn’t know that only right foot to be used and not both. TD was short but made me decide that wow automatic is damn good and lets now start looking at options in new cars. I thought first let’s look at the compact SUV segment in range of 10-12 lakhs as it will be easier to maneuver in city, so smaller car is better but with good ground clearance and sporty features. I have always been a huge fan of Ford EcoSport however, even at that time before the big news of Ford exiting, had doubts about the brand. Renault Kiger got launched around this time and for some reason I felt it’s the most attractive looking car now in the market especially the silver color, so decided why not go for a test drive. Renault Kiger Went to Juhu Renault showroom, the customer service was apt and decided to test both AMT and CVT variants with highway route included in the TD. Like I said the exterior was too good but as soon as I stepped inside, it felt like a budget car giving features of higher segment (this being a top variant of CVT priced at 10.5 OTR). The driving comfort, ride and performance was not at all great. Even on sports mode the one litre turbo engine felt very underpowered being 100 ps, AMT was out of question. Only driver MID was well designed and catchy. Tata Nexon Tata motors showroom was close by so headed to try Nexon and see what the buzz is all about. 5-star GNCAP rating obviously is the reason that it’s a hot seller but now after sitting in the AMT variant (they don’t have CVT) got the feeling of driving the old Tata Indica (we had 15 years back – was a horrendous car). Interiors were better than Indica but the same age-old truck feeling of driving an Indica with a hard steering and a bad gearbox. I don’t even remember it had a sports mode as I wanted to get out of the car immediately. Change of plans: Now that had tried 2 cars in compact SUV segment didn’t feel like looking at other options as they felt like a downgrade from even a boring Mobilo. So decided to amp up the budget to 20 lakhs and look at mid-size SUV’s top variants with 1.5 litre options. Now in mid-size SUV the first car I thought was Seltos, so called up nearby showroom in Powai which is called Kia Autobahn and asked for a home test drive. I have a very close proximity to eastern express highway so felt home test drives do better justice and also entire family can come down and have a look. The process of booking Seltos test drive at the powai showroom was exhausting as they had so much demand, they didn’t care about sending cars for home test drives. Kia Seltos Finally called for the GTX+ DCT 1.4 petrol version at home on a Saturday morning. Now as soon as the car came, wowww what a feeling. All black interiors look so plush and the driver’s seat ergonomics just impress you right at the spot. The SA explained all the features in brief and we started the drive. By this time, I knew, ok just one foot to use and left foot to rest. Took the first u turn and saw blind spot monitor view in MID, I was like ok, never seen this before. 360 camera activates at lower speeds, however when you are just test driving its not the most important feature. You just want to get your hands on the paddle shifters and sports mode, by this time Seltos had upgraded GTX variant to paddle shifters maybe by listening to customer feedback. Now being petrol DCT it was punchy and this was the true sporty experience I was looking for. As soon as I hit the highway, a smile lit on my face and I just started revving. First stuck to normal mode for sometime and tried Sports mode after a 2km run. Sports mode felt as if I am driving an altogether different car of a higher segment. Then used the paddle shifters and again wow…this is what I want in everyday driving experience. Reached home and started discussing things with the SA. First bummer was mileage which he himself declared that you won’t get more 7-8 in city and max 10-11 on highway. I know I was looking for a sporty driving experience but yes, I knew I won’t be comfortable with these numbers. Another bummer was waiting period of straight 6 months. Now I know I am planning to buy a popular car but 6 months didn’t feel worth it. Still tried speaking to SA and asking more questions, he said why don’t you try the naturally aspired 1.5 litre petrol in a lower variant and 1.5 litre diesel engine in the same GTX variant. But for this had to drop by showroom the next day. Went to showroom next day and met another SA, the way he greeted and treated felt like I was not at all in a premium car showroom. Felt like had come to buy a 4-lakh car. Anyways without discussing things in more details tried out first 1.5 litre naturally aspired petrol variant (HTK or HTX). When tried it, immediately the interiors didn’t feel that plush, missed the power adjustable seat and steering was not sporty. As soon as I started driving the car felt it is very linear in power delivery being 115 PS and very low torque. Came back and tried the 1.5 Diesel GTX+ and somehow felt this was better than the petrol DCT 1.4 variant in terms of ride quality and feel. Even the sports mode made the car fly. Maybe because of slightly higher torque and a smoother Torque Converter gear box and as they say diesel engines are better suited for SUVs. I had no clue about DCT having heating issues that point of time. It was a very short TD and requested the sales guy if he could send the diesel automatic for a test drive to home to which he straight away denied and that too rudely. So finally left that day with an inconclusive decision. Reached out to SA a couple of times for a longer TD but he always denied, so stopped following up. Started calling up other Kia showrooms, called one in Worli and one in Malad. They denied a longer TD on even weekdays, so felt its better to stop thinking about Kia. At this point I missed contacting the Kia showroom at Vidyavihar location. Let’s try the rivals: Kushaq was launched and felt let’s try it out especially knowing 1.5 litre dsg option had 150 ps. And somehow was always fascinated by Skoda as a brand. Called the Andheri east showroom which was most nearby to Powai, asked for a home test drive to which they said vehicle is still not available, will take a month. After a little longer than a month they called and said we can send the car home for test drive, however got no confirmation and after few follow ups also approached Thane Skoda showroom where I got similar experience. This led to a good two-month gap in my purchase journey, so in the meantime just before Diwali in November, did a drive to Konkan region from Mumbai in Honda Mobilo. Now the roads were very interior and most of the time one lane, which meant heavy usage of clutch and frequent gear shifts. This led to a very tiring trip and once returned decided let’s not wait to buy an automatic. MG Astor Astor was launched just before Diwali and the customer service experience was excellent at the showroom located at JVLR, was met by SA Mirza. Did a TD of the top variant and that too a long one on the western express highway. Interiors were good and from exterior looked very classy and unique. However, the first tap on the pedal and felt a very bad lag even though being a turbo variant 1.3 litre engine. New AI features like lane assist, steering modes and adaptive cruise control felt useless in a city like Mumbai which were the highlights of this car. Drive modes were fine, sports mode was namesake and didn’t feel any punch. So, after the TD decided to visit a Skoda showroom as walk-in which was in Juhu nearby. Skoda Kushaq Now the experience in JMD dealer, Juhu was very good. Immediately greeted by SA Dhairyasheel who explained the features well of the 1.5 DSG and agreed to give a test drive on the spot. Got pretty excited I am finally test driving a Skoda. Now initial impressions of interior were similar to the reviews saying fit and finish is not as per European standards due to Kushaq being manufactured locally (95%) in India. Also driver MID was very basic, felt substandard. The driver seat height at extreme adjustment also felt very low, the car didn’t feel like a mid-size suv at all. The driving experience was very average in spite of the 150ps output, just didn’t feel the vehicle is worth what it is asking for. Sports mode and Paddle Shifters were good but in normal mode the car didn’t have any punch. The dealer was ready to give discounts and include additional packages, however was not convinced. I think the Monte Carlo edition in Kushaq would be worth waiting for Skoda enthusiasts, as they would have made necessary improvements which lacked in the launch. Volkswagen Taigun Since I tried the Kushaq, why not Taigun 1.5 DSG. The interiors and driver MID were better in this car however still didn’t match the fit and finish European standards like the previous generation cars. Exterior I preferred more of the Kushaq but driving experience was pretty much the same. One good thing was disabling paddle shifters was easier in Taigun compared to Kushaq. Big hack, the Taigun top variant misses on ventilated seats which is there in Kushaq and not sure what was the add on. This was the best TD experience among all, I had called TD at home from Thane showroom and SA Saket gave me a longer round along with explaining features patiently and in full detail.  What Next? So now after trying couple of rivals, mind wandered back to Seltos to give it another try with some other dealer. This time, Shivaay Kia at Vidyavihar somehow came on the top search list and gave them a holler. Within 20 mins got a call from their SA whose name was Aditya and he explained me everything in detail and clarified all my doubts about the AT diesel variant of GTX+, assured me a longer test drive at home or in showroom. By this time waiting periods had gone to officially three months and if not too selective in colors, delivery in 1-2 months period seemed possible. Now he got bad news the next day, saying the test drive GTX Variant AT D is not available for another 15 days or maybe a month. Somehow now I couldn’t wait, so an idea popped up. Why not try Creta with the same diesel option on a longer TD. PS – Didn’t try Creta before as don’t like the looks of the car at all and even interiors and ride quality don’t feel that great compared to seltos GTX variant. I think it’s a person-to-person preference. Hyundai Creta There was a Hyundai showroom at stone’s throw away distance from my house so they agreed to go to the highway for a TD of the auto diesel top variant of creta. I ignored the features and only tested what I most wanted. The decision whether: •1.5 Diesel AT engine will be good enough for me •the sports mode and paddle shifters do they feel justified •if this car is the right size especially after seeing VW twins in same segment were smaller Final Decision!! All these three things above ticked my checklist and decided to say goodbye to Hyundai and let’s call Kia. Same day called the same SA Aditya at Shivaay Kia showroom, Vidyavihar and went ahead with the booking of GTX+ Diesel AT by paying a refundable sum of 25k. Difference in petrol and diesel in same GTX+ variant is around 60k on road. By this time had seen all colors on the road, so had decided grey as first option and black as second preference. In a few days started seeing more of black seltos and found the chrome and white LEDs look best on black. Same diesel engine is also available in HTK+ variant with a price difference of 3-4 lakhs, would recommend this as value for money option. However, misses out on all sports and tech features like sports mode, paddle shifters, d cut steering, 360 camera, 6 air bags, Bose speakers and so on. Negated Harrier and Compass as the lower variants of both in my budget range didn’t even offer necessary features. Showroom Experience and Delivery: I think it was a mistake to miss out this particular showroom of Kia before, otherwise would have come to a decision earlier. However, testing other rivals and then banging on a final decision feels more satisfied. The buying experience at Shivaay Kia was very smooth with no hurdles. They said they will try to deliver in one month and if some booking gets cancelled you can get it earlier and this is what exactly happened. Within one week got a call and was notified that black color is available in the variant booked and if payment would be in order then within a week delivery is possible. So, it was! Booked the car on 15th Nov and got it delivered on 30th Nov. Accessories went for all chrome exteriors add-ons and internally chose neck rests, perfume, floor and boot mats. Insurance negotiated further and got a price reduction of 5-6k. Total on road price in Mumbai was 21.65 L and got ceramic coating done from showroom at 32k with five-year warranty. Before the delivery day, had visited the showroom to get in depth walkaround of the car and by the same SA. There were so many hidden features that it was difficult to remember at one time. So here it was, Kia Seltos GTX Plus AT D delivered and the first day drive experience to home from showroom was itself magical. Now once parked, was so inquisitive to try out everything and see all settings, navigate the car. Went for a long city drive in the same night in South Mumbai and enjoyed the grunt and comfort of my new sporty car. The entire feel of the car and the thrust feels too good for its price and overall feels like a more luxurious segment car.   •Heads up display felt like a boon especially since it shows navigation and the position of the display content can also be adjusted as per driver’s peripheral. •Paddle shifters when engaged in S mode work for as long as you want, tried for 6-7 kms straight and didn’t face any issues. Same when engaged in D mode disable on their own in a few minutes. •The front acs vents work like a charm, at 24 you are sorted in a city like Mumbai. •Rear ac vents take a bit longer to cool, so if someone is sitting behind, you will have to reduce the temperature to 22 or 21. •The UVO features are impressive, you can get trip details on your phone, start the car, open and lock doors etc. remotely subjective to server availability. •The 360 camera comes in handy in cramped basement parking especially like mine. •Big thing is the comfort apart from sporty feel and performance which really stand outs in this variant. In a few days went for a midnight drive to Lonavala and totally enjoyed driving it on the expressway. On the long trip got a mileage of 18.4 kmpl and in usual city I get 12-13 kmpl. So overall I think around 15. Had kept it under 110, tried cruise control as well but even on expressway did not find it that useful due to heavy truck traffic in the night. Did another trip to Mahableshwar and have clocked 1000 kms and ready to get the first service done. Hoping for further more exhilarating experiences and drives in my sporty Cianna.  |
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25th December 2021, 20:56
| #2 |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 30
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Got my first service done at Shivaay Kia Chembur Service Centre. Had a brilliant and hassle free experience. All system checks were clear, had to wait a couple of hours as ceramic coating touch up had to be done. By this time, I realized the MID does not have trip A and trip B option. The second trip option resets on start of the day (clarified this with advisor and feels true bummer). The UVO map got updated and found out the live traffic only works when network is strong which wud be rare as its VI sim. So for accurate maps with better route suggestions, best to use Gmap via android auto or apple carplay however wired. It's just that I prefer UVO AI and UX more than android auto. It feels more in place and easier to swipe through multiple things. But other than this, the vehicle now feels more torquee and smooth now. Enquired about service packages also which I can opt for from 2nd service which is at 5K. You save 30 percent of the costs in prepaid maintenance package plus some additional care package of your choice and complimentary wheel alignment once a year. So sounds worth it, will think about it the next time.  Bird's eye view of the service centre  Kia is spoiling me with free touch ups as its part of the ceramic coating package I opted for with 5 year warranty  All shiny and mighty Cianna |
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9th January 2022, 15:48
| #3 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: New Delhi
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Wonderful review. Wish you millions of miles. I am here to second your thoughts on the Seltos GTX. In November 21, I bought my Kia Seltos GTX(O). I have a 60km drive every day and I am close to clocking 5000KMs on it. Why GTX(O)? Well 18 was the tops I could spend on the car. Nothing more. This budget I extended for myself from 15 to 16 and finally 18 if I got a sweet deal on any of the 2 Koreans siblings. I was offered a Creta SX IVT but not in Delhi and in Jaipur. I was inclined but the hassle to get it registered or travelling to Jaipur for more than 2 times would have been a big problem in my office; hence decided to skip it. Next day, my Allied Kia SE - Tarun called me saying there is GTX(O) available if I wanted that. I said yes in no time and paid the booking amount. Experience with my Seltos The car has been a pure joy to drive. It is a super punchy engine, with enough torque available whenever wanted. I love every aspect of the drive, including: 1. Braking: Why first?; Because I read some threads which showed Seltos not offering promising braking, although in rough terrains. (a) My drive from Chanakyapuri, Delhi to Gurgaon has a 25KM stretch of highway but it is a busier one since it connects Gurgaon to Delhi and crosses the airport. The point being that there are many taxi drivers who realise they took a wrong turn and DO NOT hesitate to reverse the car on the middle of the highway, albeit on the side. This has made me hard brake at least 4-5 times and it has owned other cars who braked at the same time, at more or less same speed. (b) While going to a friend's wedding in Ghaziabad, Google Maps suggested a route which had at least 10-15KM stretch of narrow un-cemented roads. I did hard and soft braking both and never felt it was failing me. Accurate and reassuring, is how I would summarise it. 2. Power Delivery: Not much needs to be said about it. The torque kicks in very nicely above 2000 RPM. Due to it's 242nm of torque and manual transmission, there is no lag in any gear and some hard pressing can boom the car from a standstill to 100kmph in less than 10secs. Official figures also I understand are under 9 secs. 3. Features: The only big time feature I miss here, as said above, is Wirelss Apple Carplay. The wiring does not look neat to me in otherwise such a feature rich car. One feature I really appreciate is the Bose Speaker system. In all my previous cars owned by family members (yes!, Seltos is officially my first car  ), I have had average speaker system. My wife's i20 has an Arkamys is not bad but Bose has set the standards very high. I don't think in any of my next car(s), I will trade this feature. Another convenience is height adjustable seat belts and powered driver seat adjustment.4. Fuel efficiency ("FE"): I would like to stress on this aspect for anyone who might be interested in this variant of Seltos. I am at 4900KM when I write the post and the overall FE has been excellent. Numbers: On highways with minimal traffic, I have achieved 17-20KMPL and in city with minimal traffic, I have achieved 13-14KMPL. When there is decent traffic, figures drop to 14-15 on highway and 11-12 in city. It is very rarely I have seen the figures drop to below 10. Surprised? I am too. I never expected Seltos to be such accommodating but it is. 6. Suspension: Stiff. Not something great about the car. The stiff suspension has not helped the car give lesser body roll compared to cars with softer suspension. So no great marks on that. 7. Other accessories: I got door visors which I very recently discovered after sudden rains in NCR is helpful. Door edge guards to avoid scratches. Extended warranty- no brainer. Dustbin, ceramic and an added perfume for initial days. Seltos has an in-built perfume diffuser which I am yet to discover. Other cars considered? This is not a fresh new post hence I am not writing in detail about other cars which I considered but if someone here is confused between buying Seltos GT Line over Kushaq, Taigun, Creta, City, Verna and he/she finds Seltos a good choice, go for it. I test drove all these cars, multiple times. I read about every thread possible on them. I also viewed, repeatedly too, reviews on YouTube and came to a conclusion that Seltos is my preferred choice. Next best was Creta. I know it may be against a popular choice here but not the market. I liked Kushaq, City, Taigun and Verna, in that order. I could have considered Kushaq if it was 2023 and the car had seen a facelift, with its niggles resolved hopefully. Kushaq's advertisement says, choose what really matters and I did that. Peace of mind, fuss free ownership, multiple service junctures, superb after sales service (I have experienced it as well) and hopefully, good after sales is what I wanted of my Compact SUV. I believe I made a good choice. |
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9th January 2022, 23:47
| #4 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Quote:
I recently did a road trip to Kerala from Mumbai, you can read about it here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...n-via-goa.html Do share your road trip and experiences here. | |
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10th January 2022, 12:27
| #5 |
| Newbie Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 22
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Wonderful review, Wheeljack. Wish you many happy miles in this car that you so dearly love and enjoy. I will just hope and pray that the Seltos' poor GNCAP rating is never put to test, during your ownership of the car. Do update the thread regularly with your ownership experience. Thank you. Congratulations on your car, Kaustubhp. Wishing you a lot of happy miles in your car, too. |
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10th January 2022, 14:47
| #6 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 30
Thanked: 123 Times
| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Quote:
Thank you Karthik. Yes I will also pray that the gncap rating is not put to test and will keep updating my thread with ownership experiences. Recently did a round trip to Kerala from Mumbai, do check that thread as well. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...n-via-goa.html | |
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10th January 2022, 17:13
| #7 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 35
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Quote:
Last edited by Jaggu : 10th January 2022 at 17:47. Reason: Trimming quoted post. | |
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11th January 2022, 07:19
| #8 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 30
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| Re: Cianna – Welcome home Kia Seltos GTX+ 1.5 AT D Quote:
How are you finding the Kia service centre in your area and have you considered their prepaid packages for service. | |
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