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Upsized the tyres on my Kia Seltos: First impressions after 1500 km

25th July 2022, 10:55 by Dev Shah

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Michelins have not only inspired confidence, but are also helping in putting down the power much better on one of the least preferred road construction types for the enthusiasts.

BHPian karan561 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update:

New tyres (Upsized):

A very exciting update and an upgrade which I wanted to do since the time I bought the car is finally done:

Michelin Primacy 4ST Tyres (Size 235/55 R17):

These are Feb 2022 manufactured and were installed couple of months back (May 2022).

Installation was done at Super Tyres' new workshop in Mulund West:

Here's a pic of the TPMS:

The immediate difference is the looks & overall aggressive stance, here's a comparo with the OE 215's on the left:

Kindly note this upsize has a diameter variance of only 0.07%:

Ride quality:

This is where most of the improvements have been noticed. Michelins have truly transformed the ride of the Seltos. I correctly remember the ride of the OE Good Years (When New) and it was nowhere close to what these are when new, hence its definitely not a case of just new rubber v/s old. Overall the Michelin compound is soft (& should remain soft longer knowing Michelin). For Seltos owners who need more comfort and don't want to downsize the rims then this setup will surely satisfy you.

Highway performance:

The Seltos was always a great handling car, thanks to the overall tuning of the suspension (being on the stiff side), chassis & also the drive modes which gave good steering feel when in Sport Mode. Now with this upsize & great rubber has unlocked that hidden potential of this Kia. I'd like to discuss the improvements as under:

Highway driving on concrete roads (Like in this case Mum-Pune Expressway):

Substantial improvements on this surface as the older Good Years were losing grip and a lot of careful acceleration was required because of the choppy nature of the earlier tyres. Michelins have not only inspired confidence but also helping in putting down the power much better on one of the least preferred road construction types for the enthusiasts.

Highway driving on tar roads:

Excellent performance on this road surface. The braking performance has also enhanced. The car is most enjoyable now with the upgraded setup on this road type.

Driving on mountain/ghat roads:

More than the rubber quality, the upsize has come into play to aid better handling performance & reduced understeer in the twisties.

Driving in the wet:

Its the 1st Monsoon for the new tyres and so far its been a great feeling with this upsize. This Setup is also a psychologically boost on wet roads.

Fuel economy:

To those concerned before it turns into a FAQ let me address that the FE is all related to the way you drive. Hence even though technically the fuel economy should reduce marginally but if driven well the Seltos 1.4 Turbo DCT can still be economical. Like in the above case I was able to get 19.4 km/l with controlled cruising at highway speeds on these upsized tyres.

Conclusive thoughts:

This upgrade was done when the odometer reading was just under 23k kms. Even though the OE Good Years' had about 50% life left in them but I went ahead with this upsize as I could not resist waiting any further to explore the handling & ride benefits. My above thoughts are based on driving about 1500 kms on this new upsized setup.