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Why I chose a Kia Seltos GTX over the MG Astor & Skoda Kushaq

23rd December 2021, 07:11 by Rahul Nagaraj

The fuel efficiency varies from 18.5 km/l on the highway to around 12 km/l in the city.

BHPian WheelJack recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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 the driver’s seat is unbeatable
Excellent braking and handling
All black interiors and poised gear knob give you the 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 Mobilio had all necessities but was one of the most boring cars to drive. Before Mobilio, 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 REs. However now with so many years of riding experience, I thought why not 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 the 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 Mobilio. Also, I wanted a sportier driving experience. But was not sure where and what category to start with, so for trial first just thought of going through a 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 the next day it arrived for a test drive, being a four or five-year-old silver-coloured car it still looked pretty decent and the 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 my biggest point didn’t know that only the right foot was to be used and not both. TD was short but made me decide that wow automatic is damn good and let's now start looking at options in new cars.

I thought first let’s look at the compact SUV segment in the range of 10-12 lakhs as it will be easier to manoeuvre in the 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 colour, so decided why not go for a test drive.

Renault Kiger

Went to the Juhu Renault showroom, the customer service was apt and decided to test both AMT and CVT variants with the 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 the higher segment (this being a top variant of CVT priced at 10.5 OTR). The driving comfort, ride and performance were not at all great. Even on sports mode, the one-litre turbo engine felt very underpowered being 100 ps, AMT was out of the 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 the compact SUV segment didn’t feel like looking at other options as they felt like a downgrade from even a boring Mobilio. 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 a mid-size SUV, the first car I thought was Seltos, so-called up a nearby showroom in Powai which is called Kia Autobahn and asked for a home test drive. I have very close proximity to the 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, wow 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 a blind spot monitor view in MID, I was like ok, never seen this before. 360 camera activates at lower speeds, however when you just test driving it's 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 the 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 some time 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 the everyday driving experience.

Reached home and started discussing things with the SA. The first bummer was mileage which he himself declared that you won’t get more than 7-8 in the city and max 10-11 on the 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 the 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 the showroom the next day.

Went to the showroom the next day and met another SA, the way he greeted and treated me 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 detail tried out the first 1.5 litres 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 gearbox and as they say diesel engines are better suited for SUVs. I had no clue about DCT having heating issues at that point in time. It was a very short TD and requested the sales guy if he could send the diesel automatic for a test drive to a 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 it, 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 it's better to stop thinking about Kia. At this point, I missed contacting the Kia showroom at the Vidyavihar location.

Let’s try the rivals:

Kushaq was launched and felt let’s try it out especially knowing the 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 the 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 a test drive, however, got no confirmation and after a few follow-ups also approached the Thane Skoda showroom where I got a 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 the Konkan region from Mumbai in Honda Mobilio. 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 waiting 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, which was met by SA Mirza. Did a TD of the top variant and that too a long one on the western express highway. The 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 was the highlights of this car. Drive modes were fine, sports mode was the namesake and didn’t feel any punch. So, after the TD decided to visit a Skoda showroom as a walk-in which was in Juhu nearby.

Skoda Kushaq

Now the experience as a 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 a couple of rivals, my 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 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 the showroom. By this time waiting periods had gone to officially three months and if not too selective in colours, delivery in a 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 the Seltos GTX variant. I think it’s a person-to-person preference.

Hyundai Creta

There was a Hyundai showroom at a 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 feel justified
if this car is the right size especially after seeing VW twins in the 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. The difference in petrol and diesel in the same GTX+ variant is around 60k on road. By this time had seen all colours on the road, so had decided grey as the first option and black as my second preference. In a few days started seeing more black seltos and found the chrome and white LEDs look best on black.

The same diesel engine is also available in the HTK+ variant with a price difference of 3-4 lakhs, would recommend this as a value for money option. However, misses out on all sports and tech features like sports mode, paddle shifters, d cut steering, 360 camera, 6 airbags, 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 on 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 satisfying. 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 colour 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 the showroom at 32k with a five-year warranty. Before the delivery day, had visited the showroom to get a 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 the 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 on 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 the driver’s peripheral.
Paddle shifters when engaged in S mode work for as long as you want, tried for 6-7 km 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 standouts 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 km/l and in the usual city, I get 12-13 km/l. So overall I think around 15. Had kept it under 110, tried cruise control as well but even on the expressway did not find it that useful due to heavy truck traffic at the night. Did another trip to Mahableshwar and have clocked 1000 km and am ready to get the first service done. Hoping for further more exhilarating experiences and drives in my sporty Cianna.