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Worth buying a used Kia Seltos today? Things to know before purchase

17th December 2022, 09:03 by Rahul Nagaraj

Kia hit a debut homerun with the Seltos and they’ve never looked back since. The strategy with the Seltos was that it offered something for everyone.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It was the 2019 Team-BHP Car of the Year and that should give you an idea of how popular and loved the Kia Seltos has been in the Indian market. Kia hit a debut homerun with the Seltos and they’ve never looked back since. The strategy with the Seltos was that it offered something for everyone. If you were a sedate driver who wanted a smooth automatic for the city, they had the 1.5L NA petrol CVT. If you were more of a highway driver munching miles, the Seltos had a 1.5 diesel engine. And if you were bitten by the enthusiast bug, they had a 138 BHP 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and a 6-speed manual too. Even when it came to features, it was a kerfuffle, but they had almost everything. I remember going through the brochure for almost 45 minutes to try and fully understand the variant-wise feature distribution. So, just like it was at the time of launch, it is now in the used car market – something for everyone.

Used Kia Seltos Pros

Still fresh in the market. Won't give you the typically used car feel
A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
The 1.4L turbo-petrol is fast & fun, while the 1.5L diesel is economical & practical
Both the automatics - Diesel AT & Petrol DCT - are simply fantastic!
Mature on-road behaviour, including at highway speeds
Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS, etc.
Impressive kit on the top-end variant like a 360-degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more
A lot of used Seltos are still within the factory 3-year / unlimited km warranty, and you can top that up with an extended warranty for another 2 years, making it a relatively risk-free purchase

Used Kia Seltos Cons

Asking price for most cars is high due to its popularity, and relevance & today being a seller's market
Barely managed 3-stars in the GNCAP crash tests (full discussion)
Firm suspension. Liveable, but bad roads will bother you (especially on 17" wheel variants)
Some misses (illuminated window buttons, thinner spare tyre on top trims...)
Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
Owners have reported niggles in their cars
Dual-clutch ATs (like the Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread
You get bigger Used SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)

Related Threads

Things to watch out for in a used Kia Seltos

Mod Potential

There's good potential for a remap and plenty of people have done it already. Here's an example of the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine remap which is claimed to produce 170 BHP and 250 Nm (related article). Engine maps are readily available for the 1.5 diesel as well.

Source

Availability

Great for a car that's just 3 years old. Kia has sold over 3 lakh units in these 3 years and plenty of them have found their way to the used car market. Check out some examples on sale here.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I would & voted Yes. Because it is quite the all-rounder, has great powertrains and is still contemporary enough. Would prefer the Diesel AT above the Petrol DCT due to its robustness & efficiency. Mainly as a city commuter though, would avoid extended highway usage due to its GNCAP ratings.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Definite no.
Between the poor safety ratings, the stiff ride quality, mediocre urban fuel economy and the generally inflated prices this car commands in the used car market, I see better options to be had for the money. I also have serious concerns over the long-term reliability of the turbo petrol engine and the DCT gearbox.
Overall, pre-owned buyers can expect a more wholesome ownership experience with the Gen 5 Honda City instead.

Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say on the matter:

Yes!
A complaint about Creta was that it wasn't European enough! Seltos solved the problem.
I get to drive a base variant diesel MT often, I really like driving it. The amount of attention to detail in terms of drive train and refinement is amazing for the price.
If I were in this segment to purchase a vehicle, it would be my choice.

Here's what BHPian CliffHanger had to say on the matter:

No. Though everything appeared well sorted and the interiors well appointed. I just couldn't connect with the car and didn't find it engaging to drive - an unsorted driving experience. Wouldn't recommend it even for a new buy, unless someone is looking for just a reliable big hatchback.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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