The engine has started to feel more refined and responsive. The shifts are ever so seamless and there is enough power on tap for those overtakes and quick maneuvers.

BHPian Col Mehta recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

4000 kms up in two months.

Absolutely enjoying the car with no niggles. Touchwood! Because of a few personal engagements, we didn't really drive it a lot in last 20 odd days and here are some more observations:

1. Performance - The engine has started to feel more refined and responsive. The shifts are ever so seamless and there is enough power on tap for those overtakes and quick maneuvers. The D AT combo works flawlessly without any jerks or lags - driving on highways or in stop and go traffic, it never disapponts. And because the torque is available from early RPMs, driving it in any conditions is absolutely enjoyable. A brilliant car in that regard!

2. No rattles - This has been a pleasant surprise really. Our 2nd gen Creta has had multiple rattles, abnormal noises and squeaks from almost day one. The Seltos has none of them so far. Even the notorious rattle from the parcel tray/rear seat locks haven't shown up either (we were ready to handle it with a newly bought black insulation tape, but thankfully didn't have to use it). The Seltos is definitely a well built car. It feels premium inside-out and makes you believe that you spent your money on a good product.

3. DPF - Our usual route has an open stretch of ~20kms (one way) which is just about perfect to manage the DPF where we ensure to drive it in the range of 2k-2.5k RPM. The car sees decent amount of slow moving traffic and short drives as well. We are confident that with our usage and driving patterns, we can effectively manage the DPF. The DEF was topped up during the first service and the level hasn't moved much:

4. Passenger Comfort - Having spent enough time with the car and experiencing the rear seat comfort, I can say that the Seltos isn't the most comfortable of the lot. The suspension setup is fairly stiff and there is something about the seats which is just not right. Everyone in our family agrees that the Creta is more comfortable and feels more accommodating. It's not a night and day difference, but it's there nonetheless. Kia should definitely work on it when they bring the next gen Seltos in a few years time.

5. Fuel Efficiency - Depending on the traffic density, the car returns ~10-15 kmpl in city. On open roads/highways where we drive with heavy foot, it gives ~15-20 kmpl, depending on number of passengers and luggage. We have seen 24 plus kmpl as well, but that's only with less to no traffic. Honestly not really concerned about the fuel efficiency as long as it's not very low, but happy with what the car is offering at the moment.

6. And of course those stunning stealthy looks -

Overall, we are happy with the car's performance and efficiency. One area where it could better is the passenger comfort. Though it has improved it a lot in comparison to the pre FL model, Kia still has some work to do to make the Seltos a perfect family all-rounder.

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One lone elephant (not a full-grown adult) had been loitering near the highway. While we were returning from our 2nd safari, this elephant was throwing tantrums and stopping cars for food.

BHPian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

There were frequent reports of sightings at Bandipur so decided to try our luck as well. Booked two back-to-back bus safaris for yesterday.

Started around 8:30AM. Family demanded a thatte idli treat so we entered Bidadi for it. Traffic was less than normal so we reached Bandipur by 1PM. After a quick lunch at Khan Resort nearby.

We didn’t spot any cats on either of the safari. But the blooming Flame of the Forest against the dry backdrop made up for it. Spotted a herd of elephants, a few painted storks, woodpeckers, bee-eaters and sambar deers. One lone elephant (not a full-grown adult) had been loitering near the highway. While we were returning from our second safari, this elephant was throwing tantrums and stopping cars for food. It was 6:30 already and some vehicles managed to pass through, some turned back. Our bus shielded the elephant while a few vehicles managed to pass through. Looking back after we had crossed the spot, saw the elephant literally chasing vehicles as they scurried around.

Dinner break at Pujari Fish Land and I was home by 12 AM after dropping my brother and family.

Overall the traffic was less than all my recent experiences. Since I had enough buffer time I went easy with the pedal almost throughout.

Only one click of the car

Crossed 89k

Returned home and my wife asked only 1 question- how do you feel today after driving so many (~500) km? I smiled and so did she.

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The Kia Seltos is now available in 24 variants in total. These include three new trims: HTE (O), HTK (O) and HTK+ (O).

Kia has launched the updated Seltos for the 2025 model year. The SUV is available in eight new variants across both petrol and diesel versions. Prices range from Rs 11.13 lakh to Rs 20.50 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Kia Seltos is now available in 24 variants in total. These include three new trims: HTE (O), HTK (O) and HTK+ (O).

The HTE (O) variant comes with an 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity, a 6-speaker audio system, steering-mounted audio controls, LED DRLs and connected LED taillights.

The HTK (O) variant is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, 16-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, a rear wiper, washer and defogger, cruise control and a Mood lamp. It also gets a Smart Key with Motion Sensor.

The HTK+ (O) variant features 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps with sequential LED turn signals, LED fog lamps, auto folding ORVMs, a Mood lamp and a Smart Key with Motion Sensor.

Engine and transmission options remain unchanged. The SUV is available with a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a 6-speed manual or a CVT, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol paired with a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT and a 1.5-litre diesel that is offered with either a 6-speed iMT or a 6-speed automatic.

When I was flying toward a dead-stopped container truck with nowhere to go, my Kia Seltos proved why these features matter.

BHPian @ppy.tbhp recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Survived to Drive Another Day: A Close Call on the National Highway !

No warning. No time to think. Just pure instinct kicking in.

I’ve always appreciated car tech, but after this? I trust it with my life.

We read about ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control) , but when I was flying toward a dead-stopped container truck with nowhere to go, my Kia Seltos proved why these features matter. ABS kept my wheels from locking up, ESC kept me in control, and together, they helped me escape a crash. Safety features aren’t just specs on a brochure—they’re lifesavers when it counts. If this had been an older car without these systems? I probably would’ve either locked up and crashed straight into the truck or lost control trying to avoid it. But instead, the car did exactly what it was designed to do—kept me in control, stable, and safe. By some mix of tech, instinct, and sheer luck, I made it through. No impact. No damage. Just a whole lot of adrenaline and one hell of a story to tell. So yeah, if anyone ever tells you ABS and ESC aren’t that important—show them this. Because when things go south, they make all the difference.

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Despite being a new vehicle, all front LED lighting assemblies—headlights, DRLs, and fog lights— suffer from excessive and severe moisture condensation.

BHPian @ppy.tbhp recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Attention KIA Seltos Owners and Prospective Buyers

I am sharing my prolonged ongoing struggle with a serious manufacturing defect in my Kia Seltos 2023, purchased in February 2024. Despite being a new vehicle, all front LED lighting assemblies—headlights, DRLs, and fog lights— suffer from excessive and severe moisture condensation, which not only damages these lights assemblies over time but also compromises road safety due to dangerously low visibility caused by malfunctioning headlights DRL's and Fog lights.

The same issue has been checked and verified in other Kia Seltos vehicles as well. It’s a design and manufacturing defect in all Kia Seltos models, including earlier versions. Moisture condensation is reduced and light lenses become visibly clear when the car engine and lights are switched off and the car is parked. The car and light assemblies cool down while parked for an hour hence the moisture condensation is reduced when car is not in use. Moisture desiccant inside light assemblies absorbs some moisture back when it's cooled down when the car is parked and not in use. On dry days moisture condensation is not visible in parked car. On humid and rainy days moisture condensation is visible in a cool parked car at all times. This has been visually checked and confirmed on rainy day in other Kia Seltos parked at the dealership. It's a recurring issue with most Kia vehicles and not just Kia Seltos.

Here’s an explanation of what happens :

• The headlight and fog light output in the Kia Seltos 2023 is unsatisfactory, with low intensity white light and poor light beam pattern on Road, especially for a vehicle of this class. Combined with the severe moisture condensation defect, the performance of the headlights and fog lights and DRL’s becomes highly unreliable, compromising safety and visibility.
• Severe and unacceptable levels moisture condensation forms on the inside of the light lenses in the assemblies during regular normal day and night driving conditions, particularly when the lights are switched ON for about two hours while driving in normal conditions. The faulty design and manufacturing of these light assemblies is primarily causing this recurring issue resulting in Consequential damages to sensitive electronics in light assemblies.
• The manufacturer is blatantly compromising on safety by designing headlight assemblies that trap moisture, a critical defect they've ignored from earlier variants of Kia Seltos. Even when the lights are switched ON, the moisture doesn’t dissipate, highlighting a fundamental design flaw that endangers visibility and disregards basic safety standards.
• This severe condensation reduces light output, severely affecting visibility on road — especially dangerous during rainy or foggy driving conditions. It's a recurring issue.
• As a temporary and utterly foolish solution, the manufacturer introduced desiccant pads, which fail to permanently control the relative humidity inside the light assemblies of this design. Instead of removing the moisture out of the light assembly, these pads absorb it trapping it inside light assemblies and, when the headlights are switched ON, the heat from the LED lights coupled with heat from the engine desaturates these desiccant pads, causing them to release excessive moisture back into the assemblies.
• This not only adds to the existing humidity and moisture causing severe condensation and fogging up entire light Lenses from inside, but also accelerates the damage to sensitive electronic components, making the problem even worse over time.
• Desiccant pads lose their absorption capacity over time due to saturation, physical degradation, or improper storage, requiring regeneration or replacement to restore effectiveness. These pads are never available at the dealerships when needed, it took months for the replacement pads to arrive and get replaced in my car, in the meanwhile I was compelled to drive my car with severe moisture condensation and completely saturated and hardened pads which stopped absorbing moisture and humidity completely. This caused irreversible damage to LED's inside light assemblies and they started turning yellow with reduced light output. All inspected Kia Seltos, Sonet, Carens have this problem in six to seven months of ownership or 15K-20K Kms on the ODO. Undoubtedly, there's no long term reliability for these Sealed LED light unit designs. These Sealed LED light assembly designs have very high cost of replacement post warranty period.
• The headlight and fog light output in the Kia Seltos 2023 is unsatisfactory, with low intensity and poor light beam patterns, especially for a vehicle of this class. Over time, the trapped moisture in light assemblies leads to corrosion and degradation of the internal components, permanently damaging these assemblies with LED chipsets. Light starts turning yellow which reduces light intensity on road, it worsens over time. The consequential damage due to this defect causes the headlights to stop working completely, making the vehicle highly unreliable.
• The lights turning yellow from white lights is a visible evidence of sensitive electronics and LED's getting damaged from being operated in Higher moisture and humidity levels than they were designed to work in, this irreversible damage is causes further reduction in light intensity making road visibility dangerously low in all weather conditions.
• Kia has moved away from the traditional bulb and assembly design for these crown jewel Led lights, Fog lights and DRL's. They are available as sealed units only making repairs by replacing bulbs impossible. The cost of replacement is very high for this flawed design and manufactured headlights requiring to change complete light assemblies if something goes wrong with LED light housed inside ight assemblies.
• Many car owners have already reported failed lights in three or four months of newly purchased cars that have stopped working and won’t switch on when needed. This defect has been reported to Kia by various users of Seltos, Sonet and Carens. Replacements of light assemblies is a temporary Solution since the defect exists in Replaced lights as well.

In my case, all front lights fitted from the factory were removed from car at the dealership , all lights were thoroughly checked for cracks or leaks that could allow moisture or water to enter into light assemblies, No cracks or leaks were found in Headlights, fog lights and Drl assemblies. The bumper tabs broke while removing the bumper at the dealership reflecting on poor quality manufacturing of Kia vehicles. All light assemblies Were replaced under warranty after months of delays and hassle, causing me to waste a significant amount of time and effort. Yet, within just two days, the new replacement fog lights started showing the same issue again! Other light assemblies will show this in three to four months of use again. This proves that simply replacing defective parts with the same faulty design and manufacturing defect doesn’t fix the root cause ever.

Let’s be clear:-
• This is a fundamental design and manufacturing flaw
• There has been no rainfall or excessive humidity in my city for the past two months, and my car has been used normally with only 15,000 km driven in 8 months now
• The dealership washed the car and checked the formation of moisture condensation after replacing all front lights, yet the issue persists and can't be fixed—highlighting poor quality control and quality assurance by Kia India

This isn’t just about aesthetics or inconvenience. It’s about safety:-
• Poor visibility due to fogged headlights endangers not just the driver but also others on the road
• This condensation reduces light output, severely affecting visibility on the road—especially during rainy or foggy conditions when clear lighting is most critical. Ironically, the lights perform their worst precisely when they are required to function at their best, making this a recurring and dangerous issue. Since Kia India has failed to timely resolve this defect, I am now forced to drive a vehicle with a severe safety hazard, compromising both my safety and that of other road users
• Severe condensation only occurs when the engine reaches its optimum working temperature and the lights are switched on for about two hours on a normal dry day driving condition. In rainy driving conditions, this happens at a much faster rate and is even more severe. This negligence raises serious concerns about Kia's commitment to safety and quality
• A car in this segment and price must inspire confidence, not constant frustration with unresolved safety hazards on a daily basis

I expected better from KIA a global brand, but the inability to provide a timely and permanent solution is highly disappointing. The lack of quality control and quality assurance in these critical components is unacceptable. What's worse, Kia continues to sell defective vehicles despite multiple users reporting the same severe issues. The same defect is reported in Kia Sonet and Kia Carens as well. In some cases, the headlights have completely failed, creating a dangerous situation and making the vehicle unreliable and absolutely unsafe to drive. This negligence raises serious concerns about Kia's commitment to safety and quality of vehicles being manufactured and sold to the masses.

I urge Kia India to:
1) Acknowledge this as a design and manufacturing flaw at the earliest in Kia Seltos and take responsibility
2) Provide a permanent fix for all affected vehicles at the earliest
3) Extend the maximum warranty (life time) for vehicles suffering from these persistent issues until a permeant solution is provided since It's a design and manufacturing defect which cannot be resolved by band-aid fixes which is going on now

This situation highlights a broader issue in the automobile industry: manufacturing defects that put profits above safety and customer satisfaction. If unresolved, I’ll escalate this matter to regulatory authorities to ensure no other customers face similar problems. A global brand like Kia has failed to provide reliable and safe lights for almost all vehicle models in India. Good reliable headlights and fog lights are basic requirements for any vehicle on road, Kia has overlooked this basic safety feature in all vehicle models in India as of today.

Other Kia owners are reporting this issue for a long time now in Kia Seltos, Kia Carens and Kia Sonet. All these have manufacturing defects which is causing this issue, The desiccant pads provided as solution by Kia are doing more harm than good in every vehicle. I have attached video links of other user facing same issues in all kia vehicles being sold for reference of fellow BHP-ians.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UFT_Tz4jnAc

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FN6v7ZMGzUk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky4q-thr4wI

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cuNz3b_do3I

For those considering the Kia Seltos or other Kia vehicles, think twice. A vehicle with persistent safety defects must not be on the roads. Customer Safety Matters and must be top priority in design and manufacturing of all cars. Kia India must resolve this serious manufacturing defect with these cars at the earliest. Let’s demand accountability from automakers. I am looking forward for possible solutions from fellow BHP-ians to find fixes to this defect since I am compelled to drive my Seltos with safety issues until Kia has a permanent solution to this severe defect. Share this post to spread awareness and caution other users to drive safe on Indian roads.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There have been no issues with the car. It is perfect for my low usage.

BHPian rayjaycleoful recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

• Second service/1-year service done at ~6K KM for ~2K INR. Only the oil filter and oil was changed
• Waited there with the car so was out in 2 hours
• Will get balancing and rotation done sometime this year outside the ASC and alignment at ASC next year
• 0 issues in the car, I am very happy with it and it is perfect for my low-usage
• The Turtle Wax ceramic coating keeps the gloss and shine intact
• Picture attached of the car's pre-service inspection; parked next to the newly launched Syros

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I am not especially concerned about the timeline, as the headlights, apart from looking bad, are functionally fine.

BHPian blogslogger recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

My Travails with Kia Warranty

Our GTX completed 1 year on November 1st. The DRL's have yellowed in the headlights. Since I've taken both Extended Warranty and My Convenience packaged, I thought it would be a convenient warranty approval process. Oh, how wrong I was.

TL;DR: I took my headlight for warranty replacement. It's been a month and no signs of replacement parts arriving yet.

Glossary:

• GM- General Manager
• SM- Service Manager- Reports to General Manager
• SA- Service Advisor- Reports to Service Manager
• ASC- Authorized Service Centre

Here is a not so brief timeline of events.

October 15: Went to a three-letter ASC in Hyderabad with the complaint of DRL being yellow. Since some genius decided even the grille needs a DRL, it looked awkward during night drives. The adjacent headlight strip was yellow, and the grille led strip was white. Anyway, the SA took a few videos and photos and told me they have to get approval from the HQ to replace my lights. Fair enough, I thought and asked how many days it would take. They replied that the approval, yes or no, would take 3 days. They would inform me when the approval comes through. I wait 5 days.

October 20: Called the ASC to check on the status. I was told that the request was still under review. I asked how long it would take to get an answer. The SA replied that it would take a few more days. I wait another 5 days.

October 25: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the request was approved and the parts were ordered. I asked how long it would take to get the parts. The SA replied that it would take 10 to 15 days.

November 1: Went to ASC to check on the status. I was told that the parts have not yet arrived. Apparently, this is the first Seltos with the problem. They told me they clubbed my order with a few FL Sonet headlights, and once they arrived, they would call me to bring my vehicle. They say that the warranty process actually starts when the parts arrive. They send the current pictures of the car and then start the approval process. I find it odd that there is no coordination between the SM's.

November 10: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the parts have still not arrived. They mention Diwali and a few weekends as reasons for the delay.

November 14: This time, I call Kia customer service, and they take the SM into the call. They mention that RH Headlight has arrived while LH is pending. They mention it will be done by November 20. I question him saying that Anantapur to Hyderabad is hardly a day's drive and shouldn't take 20 days for parts to arrive. And since headlight's are potentially one of the fragile things in a car, they should ideally be in stock.

I am not especially concerned about the timeline, as the headlights, apart from looking bad, are functionally fine. My concern is if they take this much time for a minor part's warranty replacement of a new car, what will happen in case of a bigger part or more complex repair such as the DPF or Exhuast system?

And to top it all, I do not know who is at fault- SA, SM, GM or Kia.

Overall, a pretty poor showing by Kia.

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The Honda Activa rider was coming from the wrong side and banged into my car.

BHPian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Short errands, month-long cold storage, a couple of airport runs, a joy ride to a nearby dam and a cracked tail light - that's the summary of the last 3 months.

It took me 84 days to use a tankful of diesel. Still returned 16 kmpl over the 775kms covered

Had gone to a family event near HSR. As I was reversing out of the parking, I heard a thud. I couldn't understand - I had my eyes on the ONE-way road via the reverse camera and either of the ORVMs as I was reversing back onto the road, a couple of inches at a time. What I didn't see was an all too eager man on an Activa zooming from the wrong side almost next to the footpath and banging into my car. Only damage was the tail light cracked after contact with his brake lever. His scooter had a big dent (on the metal engine cover) but I can't find anything on my car. He knew his mistake and he went away quietly. Getting a new light goes onto my to-do list.

After a couple of failed plans and wasted bookings due to a long bout of viral fever, we finally decided to step out with a baby step. On a late Saturday afternoon, took the STRR and then joined the Hyderabad highway. After that, deliberated between Sabanahalli Lake and Dandiganahalli dam, with the latter winning eventually.

Mayura Bakery and its egg puffs have always been a weakness for both of us. When I saw a new bakery just after leaving the highway, we had to stop. Cuppa chai and with a parcel of puffs and some cake, we proceeded to the dam.

It had been more than 4 years since my last visit to the dam and the roads are mostly good throughout. The dam has been surrounded by a metal fence which does spoil some of the experience but one can still go near the water. A couple of families with a bunch of kids were wrapping up their lunch picnic. Another group arrived prepared to camp for the night near the water. Another was already in the water. And some just spent time near the water. We enjoyed a nice sunset, shared our puff and cake with a 4 legged friend before driving back.

A family had got a set of foldable tables and chairs to settle near the water. I have been thinking of getting a set myself.

Meanwhile, we were comfortable in the boot watching the water

Seriously lacking care for the last few months. Last water wash was probably 4-5 months ago. Josapu has been saving the day since then.

After a dinner halt at Nahusa, took the STRR again (road towards KIA was still crowded) and reached home by 10.

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I was wondering if there is any way to do retrofits to KIA cars in India? Australian spec cars have better headlights, rear fog lamps, puddle lamps, vanity mirror lights, glovebox lights, and so on.

BHPian blogslogger recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Being a former owner of a Jetta, I had lots of fun tweaking settings in my car using VCDS. I was also able to activate a lot of hidden features, install euro-spec parts like 12K OPS, Discover Meida, and Instrument Cluster tweaks, and enable both side rear fog lamps, to name a few.

I was wondering if there is any way to do retrofits to KIA cars in India? Australian spec cars have better headlights, rear fog lamps, puddle lamps, vanity mirror lights, glovebox lights, and so on. Most of them quality of life features. I've tried searching, but there does not seem to be a KIA expert. Any inputs will be appreciated.

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

I am assuming the platforms of Kia cars are very different to those of global spec cars, unlike VW where they launched the global spec models as is in India. I think the Seltos is based on a separate Indian platform called SP2i(please correct me if I am wring), and hence retrofitting international model parts might not be possible.

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The initial impressions are positive, especially in terms of refinement, ease of visibility, seating position and steering assist.

BHPian xotiq recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Got our AX7L DAT 4WD / Everest White delivered. Booked on 03 Oct, dates given Mid Jan-Feb 2025. Vehicle was manufactured last week of Jan and dispatched. Reached BLR by 03 Feb, followed by almost a week for delivery.

Moving from Seltos GTX+ DAT. Initial impressions are positive, especially around refinement, ease of visibility, seating position and steering assist. Ride comfort- need to reduce tyre air pressure and observe.

No gear level humming or vibration at idle. Very slight horizontal movement during cold engine startup/shutdown.

Had taken 3 test drives to make sure this was the right choice. Dealership response was good, all three times they got the vehicle (same variant as mine) to home (09 kms away) for a test drive.

Insurance (47k) Zero Dep + Return To Invoice for an IDV of Rs 21,95,000. Apart from a request to add on accessories, absolutely no push. Went with just the mudflaps (1599).

Overall liking the vehicle, and looking forward to exploring more.

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