Nexon Coupe will be offered with a variety of powertrain options, including petrol, diesel and even electric.

It has already been reported that Tata Motors is planning to enter the mid-size SUV segment to compete with the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. As per a recent report, the carmaker is developing a stretched version of the Nexon with a coupe-like body style.

The Nexon, which is a sub-4 meter model, will be stretched to 4.3 meters. The Nexon Coupe will be offered with a variety of powertrain options, including conventional petrol and diesel engines. Moreover, an all-electric version is also said to be on the cards.

The longer Nexon Coupe is said to offer better rear-seat legroom and a larger boot. The wheelbase is expected to go up by 50 mm. While it will share the same X1 platform as the sub-4 meter model, it will boast a unique design.

Under the bonnet, the Nexon Coupe could use Tata's upcoming 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that is estimated to produce 158 BHP. Additionally, there will be the 1.5-litre diesel motor that makes 108 BHP and 260 Nm.

Nexon Coupe EV:

The all-electric version of the Nexon Coupe could use the same Ziptron powertrain as the current Nexon EV. However, Tata is working on an upgrade in the form of a larger battery pack (40 kW) and a more powerful electric motor. The former could get the same setup.

Source: Autocar India

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.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The updated Seltos appears to have L-shaped tail lamps similar to those on the Kia Carens.

Test mules of the Kia Seltos facelift have been spotted in South Korea. The SUV is expected to get cosmetic updates at the front and rear, along with a few changes to the interior as well.

The spy images suggest that the Seltos facelift is likely to get a redesigned front fascia. At the rear, the car appears to have L-shaped tail lamp clusters similar to those on the Kia Carens. The interior is expected to be largely the same albeit with a few upgrades.

The updated Seltos is expected to be offered with the same engines as the outgoing model. These include 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. The 6-speed manual, 6-speed IVT, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions are likely to be retained as well.

Source: Autospy

To replace the diesel particulate filter, one has to remove the air filter housing, battery and the ECU as the filter lies beneath it.

BHPian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

6th Service

I already had my list of issues/complaints to be addressed and also felt the car felt a little sluggish/coarse during the last 1000 km. And the service reminder was up too. I didn't delay it any further and booked an appointment at Central Kia and went for the service yesterday.

Apart from the usual 40k service, I had the following complaints to report:

Issues:

• Wiper squeaking throughout the trip was the most irritating part. So much so that I used to use the wiper manually only when the visibility fell below my comfort levels.
• Somewhere around 1,400 - 1,500 rpm, I found a dead spot. Keep the car steady at that rpm for some time and when the time came to accelerate gently, there was some lag or a missed beat before it accelerated smoothly. Would happen often.
• I could hear some mild scrapping kind of metallic sound from the underbody when the car was idling and I was standing beside it. It was very faint and I couldn't hear it when inside the car.
• That leaking front tire.

I went for a longish TD with one of their senior-most SA. A very genuine guy (Mr Naresh) with a keen eye for details. He checked the usual stuff and mentioned everything was good.

#1 was not reproducible at low speeds but I had a video recording with me of the racket that the wipers created. As such, I asked them to install a fresh pair of wiper blades even though the current ones are just 4 months old.

#2 was attributed to the old diesel filter which was due for replacement. That and the old air filter.

#3 was not reproducible during the TD as it was heard rarely.

Work started at 11 AM and was completed by 1 PM. I was allowed to stand next to the car all through the service. I did click only a few pictures as I was talking to the technician most of the time. Again, he was a very good chap and did the jobs with a lot of interest.

The technician found the cause of #4, a small pinhole. Tires were rotated and are good for another 10k km. The rear brakes are in good shape while the front ones might need replacement at the next service.

When the car was raised, I saw some heat shield insulation around the exhaust pipe, covering a small portion of it. The sheet was coming off at a few spots and was scraping against the exhaust giving #3. The cause was found and the sheet was torn off wherever it had come off.

Got new wiper blades installed as well, manufactured in Oct-21.

To replace the diesel filter, one has to remove the air filter housing, battery and the ECU as the filter lies beneath it. All these were duly removed, filter replaced and then reinstalled. The only mistake was to attempt to start the car, after this replacement.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

After a new diesel filter is installed, the fuel pump should be primed a few times at least before starting the car. The technician, being hurried by the Workshop manager to clear the bay for other cars, accidentally tried starting the car and that too, with a slightly longer shelf. Then he realized his mistake and primed the pump a few times before the next attempt. This time the car started with a little hesitancy but settled to an idle.

I was requested to go on another trial run with their SA before they wash the car. That was a good move. When we were driving out, I could hear some prominent knocking sounds at lower revs. It would go away post 1500 rpm. I shared my observation and the SA agreed. Next, their engine expert was called and they sat down to "reset the system" with their diagnostic tool. A friend was waiting outside, I left for lunch by then. When I returned, I was told it took them 15 mins to reset the system but the issue is resolved. The SA and the technician individually came to me to inform this.

The car got an average wash and some trim polish. I let it be as it was 4:30 PM already and I was tired. I can wash it myself as we have a hose here in our apartment parking.

I received a bill of Rs.8535 which I cleared and left. The cost has been lesser than the previous service even though it was a major one. I was mindful to strike off the 3M AC cleaning and of course, the PMS labour cost in Bhubaneswar is less than that of Bangalore.

On the 15 km drive back home, I couldn't hear any more knocking and the car was smooth as earlier. I tried replicating #2 but couldn't, the engine response felt crisp again. I should be able to confirm #1 and #2 after driving for a few more days.

#3 seems to be gone. For #4, now that I know there was a pinhole leak, I still need to get it fixed.

Now for some random pics that I managed to click:

The electronics which are forced down upon us in each car, however fancy they may be, but they don't come cheap at all!

Ready for balancing

This one was undergoing repairs and I clicked what lies behind that front bumper!

Odo stands at 34,500 km.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

At present, the 6-speed iMT is available with the Seltos 1.5L Petrol only.

The Kia Seltos Diesel is currently available with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. However, according to a recent report, Kia is likely to introduce a Diesel iMT version of the Seltos next year.

Just like the Petrol iMT, the Seltos Diesel iMT could be offered in the HTK+ trim. The 6-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) is basically a manual gearbox that has an automated clutch. It is said to be more convenient than regular manuals as the driver doesn't need to operate the clutch.

The diesel engine in question is the 1.5-litre unit that puts out 114 BHP and 250 Nm. The 6-speed iMT is also available with the 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 114 BHP and 144 Nm.

Kia offers the Seltos with a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine as well. This engine develops 138 BHP and 242 Nm and comes paired with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Source: Rushlane

The BMW 330i Sport wasn’t easily available. The other option I had was the 330i M Sport or the 330Li Gran Limousine. However, I stumbled upon a lightly used 2019 Octavia.

BHPian sandygordon recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As mentioned by many in the forum, selling a two-year car is a big No-No.

I would lose 30% of the OTR price easily. The only way to offset that would be a lateral upgrade. Hunted for a lightly used 330i, most of them have prices that would make the EMI the same as that for a mint one.

The 330i Sport version is not easily available. The prices have been raised. The only other option I had was to opt for the M Sport 330i or the 330Li - Grand limousine which after discount comes close to 63 big ones on road. That's quite a huge amount considering my maximum stretched budget was 50L, that too with a big loan in mind.

I stumbled upon a lightly used 2019 Generation III Skoda Octavia L&K which had done only 7k km. It had ticked all the boxes in a car which I was looking for - safety, value for money, performance and reasonable handling. It had four years warranty until 2023 which can be extended to 2025. The reliability of the DQ200 gearbox is a big issue, but I am ready for it. I felt it to be better than the new-gen IV Octavia which felt like a different car. I would not have bought the new one anyway. A used 330i is very hard to find now. Buying a new 330i M Sport is like paying an amount equivalent to your housing loan EMI which felt a bit too much financially. People are buying new 330is like crazy here. Maybe, 3 to 4 years down the line I would be able to find a reasonable pre-worshipped one with low mileage.

But Skoda Octavia, it is for the time being. If I get a good price for the Seltos, it would be like spending close to 4L for the lateral upgrade, which in my opinion is a good deal for now. The depreciation losses in my Seltos would be offset by the saving on the Octavia. In the end, taking the gearbox reliability into consideration, it would be like jumping from frying pan to fire, but I have had enough time in the frying pan. Need some time to get used to the car, but I am already loving it. Getting used to a sedan after using a taller car (I am not using the word "SUV") is a bit of a problem especially on your ageing body, but once in place, I am at a much better place. I would miss the 360-degree better resolution camera and those ventilated seats. But I am ready to sacrifice those.

A big thanks to all here who chipped in with their suggestions. I would like to thank BHPian and friend Bibendum90949 for all his support and his time spent discussing upgrade options.

Shall chip in with the Octy experience soon. I have a long list of mods planned. So Octy it is for now. The rest of the "budget money" stays with the bank, as I won't borrow it.

Backstory

Two months ago, BHPian sandygordon had posted the following about selling his Kia Seltos and requesting fellow BHPians to advise him on his next purchase.

Circa 2019, I was hunting for an automatic. Eighty thousand kilometres in my humble remapped 1.3 S Cross had spoiled me. Age was catching up and the left knee was hurting during my routine drives. The budget was 20-25 lacs.

It was then that the Seltos was dropped from mid-air with a certain unimpressive Bollywood star protégé showing off his muscles in a classical Indian “baniyan”, which impressed my kids. The red color stuck, there was no looking back. My sensible friends chose the Gen 3 Octavia 1.8 TSI. The driving position was low in the Octavia and back then I wanted a commanding driving position. Moreover, the Skoda dealer at Cochin had just shut shop and I had to get the Octavia delivered and serviced at Thrissur, 70km from Cochin. Dropped the Octavia plan. Then came the MG Hector. Wifey and Kids wanted the Hector. It was huge on the inside and there was this huge panoramic sunroof that they fell in love with. For me, the Hector looked like one of those fancy European Coffins with a large steel grille on the front. Would be a fitting coffin for a “pseudo-SUV” enthusiast. Jeep compass had impressed me, but the gearbox just put me off. Moreover, only the Trailhawk had an automatic tranny. Never entertained the thought of a German car, as at that moment, all of them were out of my budget. In fact, choosing the Seltos over the Hector was a cakewalk for me, not for my family. For them, I did the mistake of choosing a small and uncomfortable “Jeep” over a large and luxurious “Innova”.

The Koreans had never impressed me. We had an Accent 1.5 GLS for around a decade. Except for the air conditioning and plush ride, everything about the car was a disappointment, especially the cotton ball steering and unimpressive, noisy NA petrol engine. Then someone said KIA was different. Took a test drive of the Kia Seltos GTX DCT. Was not a fan of the interior, but the engine characteristics impressed me. It was tractable, more like a GT TSI than my old Accent. Confirmed GTX Plus DCT and come November 2019, GTX Plus DCT in “unimpressive RED” was in my garage. We had all the Customary Pooja done and people around were impressed. My boss was not particularly happy as he felt that I spent too much on a “luxurious car”.

Beginning of DCT Troubles

The DCT gearbox was a dream to drive. As I got used to the gearbox characteristics, I enjoyed it at the same time. Troubles started showing after 2-3 months of usage. The DCT gearbox started to skip gears and gave me the headache of the decade (Read the issues in my thread). Finally, after 2 months, got the car repaired and DCT stopped giving me trouble.

Global NCAP Performance

After spending 21 big ones, once you start to feel that you are settled, here comes the paltry 2-star GNCAP rating for the Seltos (For me it's still 2). I travel 40-60km a day through narrow single laned highways of Kerala darting in and out of container lorry lines. Never have I felt so low or so cheated in my life. I thought that for a product as feature-rich and expensive as the Seltos, a 4+ star rating is a must and Kia should have ensured that. I have never been able to enjoy my Seltos after this. Just wanted to sell the car at that moment. However, I had this apartment furnishing coming up and we were moving to a new home. My bank balance was a joke and I could not close the loan. Stuck with the Seltos for another 10k Km. We have settled in our new home and everyone around seems to be happy. Now would be the perfect time to close the loan and sell the Seltos. The Seltos does have a very long waiting period and used car market prices are quite good. So “Sell-Toss” it will be. Then comes the next question. What car are you going to buy next?

Budget: 50L max

Down payment: Seltos GTX Plus DCT – “Intense” Red

I have compromised so much till now. I want a car that can impress me with driving dynamics and I don’t want an SUV. I chose the Accent GLS over Ford 1.6 ROCAM (for my dad) in 2004, I chose the Wagon R over Swift ZXI in 2006, I chose the Dzire VDI over the Swift ZDI in 2009, I chose the S Cross 1.3 alpha over the 1.6 in 2015. And in 2019, I chose the Seltos DCT over Octavia 1.8 TSI. This could not happen again. The same thing has been happening in my life again and again. Not anymore. I would request respected BHPians to chip in with their suggestions and save my day.

The cars I test drove till now:

Jeep Compass Model S 9AT 2.0 Diesel 4x4

PROS

• Well within my budget
• Ample space
• Good dynamics

CONS

• Poor refinement
• Noisy engine
• Gearbox was a disaster
• Performance of AT not worth asking 36 lacs

Skoda Octavia 2TSI L& K

PROS

• Nimble to drive
• Okayish suspension

CONS

• Sea of Beige
• “Oh that shift by wire shifter”
• A bit too low for my liking
• No thrill to drive

BMW 330 Li / 330i M

PROS

• Everything about it

CONS

• PRICE
• Expensive spares and service

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say about the matter:

Two sedans stand out in the current market:

BMW 330i

Absolute driver's delight. The gap between Octavia and 330i is a lot now in terms of overall feel and it makes sense to skip Octavia to get to 330i directly even if pre-owned. Of course, this is a luxury segment, so one needs to do the math on budgeting - but given the 50L range, it is within reach if you do proper research.

Camry Hybrid

Fantastic car if you have family in mind. I would say Camry is making some giant leaps with each iteration. Design (esp front is not universally liked) + wait-time might be the issues. Test drive it before saying it's a Toyota.

Skoda has been the "default" choice for great sedans (Octavia and Superb) for a value-conscious buyer but BMW 330i and Camry Hybrid are truly exceptional in their current iteration and one doesn't have to put up with the poor customer service of the VW group.

Here's what BHPian GautamJ had to say about the matter:

Get the BMW, reasons?

• You are not satisfied with the way Jeep Compass diesel AT drives, this will always remain at the back of your mind even after the purchase, especially when the situation arises and the car fails to perform as per your expectation.
• Skoda Octavia is a good package sans DSG woe. You have already tasted the sour part (i.e. reliability) with Kia Seltos and it can be worse, hence, will suggest staying away from DSG technology.

A bimmer (BMW) will surely be expensive to keep, but a drive and experience of RWD pushing you into the seat will make you realise it was well worth the additional expense.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tata Motors & Mahindra don’t offer automatic transmission options otherwise I would’ve bought the Nexon or the XUV300 in a blink of an eye.

BHPian headbanger recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Background

I see myself as the common mango man - my choices and decision making follow the pattern of how the broader middle class thinks and makes choices, right from phones to cars.

Current Garage

I have 3 Marutis, all of them are petrol - each one of them being the primary car for me, my brother and my father. The cars keep getting revolved among us three. The three cars are 2010 Ritz Vxi (1.7L on odo), 2011 Dzire Vxi (1.2L on odo) and 2019 Swift Vxi (30k on Odo).

All of the cars are driven in NCR and hence, wear scars on the exterior. All are mechanically sorted and are highway ready. I spend INR 3k-3.5k on minor service schedule (10k/30k/50k/...) and INR 5k max for major service schedule (20k/40k/60k/...). All said and done, even if I include the yearly insurance premium, the older 2 cars incur some paise above a rupee per km.

My extended family has an Innova, Polo 1.6 Tdi, Sonet GTX+ D AT and Seltos HTK+ D AT with the last 2 additions in the last 18 months. I have driven all of these cars reasonably well - say at least 5k km for each car.

Original Requirement

I wanted a high seated, safe, automatic car that can seat 5 folks comfortably without compromising peace of mind under 15L OTR. Let me just put the requirements in chronological order of importance:

• Peace of Mind
• Safety
• High Seated
• Automatic (should not be AMT)
• Budget - 15L OTR
• Can seat 5 comfortably (Preference only, I can live with 4 seats as well if budget <15l OTR)

I can play with the last 2 points here.

Usage

70% Highway, 30% City and 15k km/year

Analysis Paralysis

Cars in Auto trim rejected:

• Maruti Ciaz / Honda City - Too LOW
• Maruti XL6/Maruti S Cross - Too S-L-O-W. Lethargic at best. 0-90kmph tools.
• Rapid / Polo/ Vento - Too low.
• Kushaq - Can't compromise peace of mind for sake of perceived physical safety. Was a heartbreak, not only how it was priced but also how it is being defended in spite of stalling all around the place. My existing rickety cars never ever stall on any road despite their shortcomings. Zac Hollis is not my relative either that I can depend upon him in the longer run.
• Venue - Sonet is the better one.
• XUV700 - Too big though I loved every bit of it. For me, it's a highway tool. I will need to get a Wagon R replacing my existing Ritz along with it.
• Kiger/Magnite - Poor dealer network/Shabby practices. Loss of peace of mind.

Cars in contention (with compromise):

• Sonet D AT- (unknown safety - still no crash testing)
• Creta/Seltos D AT or Petrol IVT - (a 20L car with a 3-star crash rating)
• Astor Petrol CVT - Outside chance. Only if push comes to shove- Political overtures for not subscribing to MG.

Although I live in NCR, I can consider either fuel for this purchase if there is a strong reason. 1.5 D with Torque Converter is only in the picture because it is a match made in heaven.

Closing Quotes

At the start, I never thought that I will compromise on safety. But here I am - choosing between peace of mind and safety rating.

I simply can't donate peace of mind of ownership - read VAG/Skoda cars. Please don't recommend me these cars, I am not that niche segment intelligentsia. Sit with me and I can explain 100 pros and cons of Maruti cars but can't understand why should I plan my trips with the search of RON 95 fuel pumps.

Tata and Mahindra don't have pure automatics, else I would have bought Nexon or XUV300 in a blink. I can raise the budget by 25%, but even then I can't find a car that ticks at least 80% of my requirements.

The remorse is that I will end up owning a car which may lack the very basic tenet of safety from where I started thinking of a new purchase.

What should I do? Make the purchase and take a leap of faith OR sit on the fence.

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

I will not suggest the Sonet, simply because it is neither wide enough to seat 3 at the back, nor can it be considered safe. It is not crash tested, and Hyundai/Kia’s record on safety in India has been abysmal.

I will also urge you to reconsider the XL6 and S Cross. Speed limits are strictly enforced on all highways connecting Delhi-NCR and are never more than 100kmph. In that sense, performance at 100+ speeds is a moot point.

Again, my impression of the ZS EV is that the rear bench is not wide enough to seat 3, and the suspension tune isn’t conducive to highway driving. Typically bouncy and unsettled rear. Astor being essentially the same car cannot be significantly better.

XUV700 is too new/unproven to be considered by anyone prioritising peace of mind.

I suggest you choose between the S Cross and Kiger/Magnite. Do test drive the Nexon. It has the AMT, but otherwise, it is perfectly suited for your requirements. An offbeat option can be the Mahindra Thar. It seats 4, is proven safe, has an excellent engine and automatic and is well within your budget. It is small enough to be your wife’s daily driver, my wife loved it. Plus, it enjoys excellent resale and will continue to do so for the next few years, demand is so high.

Here's what BHPian Rajeevraj had to say about the matter:

Firstly, a very well thought through and laid-out post. Thanks for that. Since you are very clear on what you want and do not want, I don't think you have much of a choice. You want a high seating vehicle, you are clear you don't want a VAG group car, you don't want an AMT. So this basically removes the Kushaq, Taigun, Nexon, XUV300 etc. Peace of mind is most important, so the Renaults and Nissans are questionable and the MG is new. Maruti does not have a good option in the segment nor does Honda - so two brands associated with peace of mind are out of the reckoning.

The only x-factor here is the XUV700 which may meet all of your requirements but may need you to swap another car to have a smaller runabout. But again need to keep in mind the first iteration of any product will have niggles and we can expect that with the XUV700 too.

While safety is important to you, peace of mind scores higher, so that basically leaves the Creta, Seltos, Venue and Sonet. Together these sell 40-50,000 units a month. You have said you also go with the masses. So I guess there is no need for confusion. Sonet and Venue are smaller and definitely will not meet the 5 seater requirement.

So the winners are clear- Creta or Seltos.

Here's what BHPian karanddd had to say about the matter:

I have the exact same dilemma right now. Maybe if you wait a bit, Kia will launch a new Seltos with a better safety rating. They're sure to see sales plummeting sooner or later because of the 3-star rating. The fact is that there are very few 4 or 5-star rated cars in India, and most are not in this segment.

The VW/Skoda crossovers, the Harrier/Safari, the XUV700, Sonet/Venue, and S-cross have not been crash-tested. You can even be sure that the Harrier/Safari will not get 5 stars because Tata promptly sent its Punch for the test, but hasn't sent either of them. If safety matters that much, you can get a Nexon, XUV300, or Thar, they're the only crossover/SUV cars with good test results (off the top of my head).

None of your current cars would (most likely) get any stars in the crash test and you've driven them plenty, so if you are happy to give a safety a toss, you could get a Seltos/Creta turbo petrol and enjoy the car without losing your head over breakdowns and the like.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

If you are open to diesel then I think the Sonet Diesel A/T is your top choice in that segment.

Your second choice could be the Sonet Petrol A/T, top of the line but mind you, it's a DCT.

Third choice: I would actually put the MG Astor in case your political leanings are malleable in the interest of the optimum choice.

As an outside contender, depending on your infrastructure as well as the ballpark range of your highway driving, I would say the Nexon EV is also worth putting on that list. While color is a personal preference, I do think the Dark Edition is killer looking.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti Suzuki Alto sales dropped by 8.26% in September 2021 to 12,143 units.

The Maruti Suzuki Alto was the best-selling passenger car in India during September 2021. The Ertiga took the second spot, while the Kia Seltos was the third highest-selling model.

Maruti Suzuki sold 12,143 units of the Alto last month. That's 8.26% less than the previous month. Ertiga sales increased by 80.90% to 11,308 units. 

Kia also registered an increase in sales of the Seltos. The carmaker sold 9,583 units, up from 8,619 units in August 2021.

Hyundai sold 8,193 units of the Creta, while 8,077 units of the Baleno were dispatched last month. 

The Hyundai Venue (7,924 units) was the 6th best-selling car, followed by the Eeco (7,844 units), WagonR (7,631 units) and the i20 (5,153 units). The Toyota Innova Crysta (4,724 units) completed the top 10.

Source: ET Auto

Fuel efficiency is 16.1 km/l according to MID. However, when driven in Eco mode, we can extract 18 - 19 km/l.

BHPian barefeetdriver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's been about 9 months since mighty Kia decided to deliver our Seltos. After several delays attributed to the year 2020 and also due to our initial choice of colour which was Orange we finally got hold of the vehicle at the end of January this year. So far completed 2 free services at 1000 km and 5000 km. City-Highway split is about 30-70 with city commutes mostly solo and highways with 2-3-4 passengers.

Cons:

• Harsh ride quality. Everything on the road is felt at all speeds. Even after 7000 km I still get stunned by the jarring creaking noises that are felt in the cabin when driven over unavoidable potholes. During the initial 500kms even maintaining an 80 km/hr speed led to constant undulations. I believe the car has settled down now. Or I've gotten used to it. I don't know. Tyre pressure has always been within the recommended 34-36.
• Lack of backlighting of power window switches, buttons etc. This one is a real peeve. Even now I fumble around at night trying to roll down a particular window or unlock the vehicle. It's unbelievable. One time at night we kept the cabin light ON for an entire 40 km trip.
• The position of the horn. The horn button is small, circular and hard to press. You have to take your fingers off the wheel to reach it. Perhaps it's a design to make people honk less. Or maybe some form of cost-cutting. I don't know. But I've gotten used to it and am back to honking the way I've always honked.
• Facedown spare tyre. There's no way to reach the spare tyre's nozzle without extracting the tyre out of the car. And it requires a lot of effort to do this. Clearing out the boot, raising the flap, unscrewing that bolt and powerlifting the tyre - all at a crowded petrol bunk - and doing it all in reverse again. This has made regular air checks for the spare almost impossible. And no, the awesome TPMS system doesn't work for the spare wheel.
• Hard steering in sport mode. This one was unexpected. Was hoping to zip (or rather zoom, thanks xuv700) around using the sport mode. While the engine response is good it makes the steering quite hard to steer. As someone had mentioned earlier in the Seltos thread, it makes your arms ache. It's a mini workout for sure. Maybe that's a sign that I need to work out.
• Drive mode dial. Have stopped using drive modes entirely due to above mentioned hard steering, so this is not an issue anymore. But for some reason, the drive mode selector always goes first to the snow/sand option before going to the sport/eco/normal category. It's a minor annoyance, but it's there. Eco mode is good though. Makes everything smooth and relaxed. But I don't trust it on highways (and even within the city) where quick overtaking/manoeuvring is required and the Eco's mode's laggy nature just makes everything "doubtful".
• Steering size. A lot has been said about flat bottomed steering. It looks amazing for sure. However, I think the diameter is smaller than your regular Maruti steerings. This I believe puts more pressure on your shoulders. Just my opinion.

Pro:

360 View. I forgive Kia and Seltos for all their sins for this one feature. Words won't describe the potency of the surround view system. Parallel parking? Check. Tight apartment parking? Check. Waddling through narrow streets? Check. It's literally your own eye in the sky. The only issue is the 4 cameras need to be clean. Otherwise, it gets blurry. So before every trip, I try to walk around and wipe the lenses with my fingers.

As per expectation:

• Torque converter gearbox is convenient. Turbo lag is evident at 20-30 speeds. But once you are above 30-35 the car becomes very responsive, but in city traffic, you tend to oscillate around 20-40 a lot and hence there's that slower mode and faster mode. But I've gotten used to it.
• Fuel efficiency is 16.1 km/l according to MID. But from my calculations it's 14ish. When driven in Eco mode with max revs of 2000-2200 rpm it is very easy to extract 18-19 km/l. It's definitely boring though.
• Cooled seats. No more back sweats. Enough said.
• TPMS. Again a very useful feature.
• Android Auto. Hit or a miss. Quite hard to connect. But I've gotten better at it these days. There's a delicate dance of Bluetooth on, plug in the USB cord, Bluetooth off, then Android Auto hijacks the phone and prime music app won't open and so on and so forth. Google Maps is good. Inbuilt Kia Maps leads you down rabbit holes. Better not listen to her.

Other vehicles considered:

1. Tata Harrier Deisel Automatic: Let's just say the Harrier is an emotion. Just wowed by its shape. Took a test drive and found everything good. But it was way dearer and bigger and didn't/doesn't come with front sensors or 360 views. Parking and manoeuvring would be an issue.
2. Ford Ecosport Petrol Automatic: Good but, during the test drive could not see the bonnet from any seating position. Rear seats were definitely smaller, especially after experiencing the Harrier just hours ago.
3. Toyota Yaris Petrol CVT: Probably the 2nd best car that we checked on. The CVT + 1.5 NA petrol is sublime. Was super responsive within the city, very quiet ride and no bumps filtered into the cabin. The biggest deal-breaker was the lack of rear-seat headspace. At 5'9 was scared of hitting the roof.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The X-line carries forward all the features from the Seltos GTX+ variant, along with a few cosmetic updates, both inside and out.

BHPian t_manish76 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi everyone. Hope each of you is keeping safe. Has been a while since I posted something (years now actually) and with the new addition to the family, felt it was time to pen something in.

Background

After moving from the Hyundai Accent to the Linea T-Jet in 2010, the turbo bug had bitten me bad. Torque is truly addictive and once you have experienced it, it is hard to go back to naturally aspirated engines.

The T-Jet did excellent duty till 2016 when I had to leave the country after which she started developing a lot of niggles which Fiat service struggled to rectify. Since it was my better half using it in my absence, a replacement was needed. Had walked into the Hyundai showroom in Feb 2020 with the intention of picking up the Venue. After seeing the space, the ladies insisted on a bigger car and we settled on the Hyundai Creta SX Auto. This was a pre-covid and pre-BSVI deadline. Hence, got fabulous discounts at the time.

With the lockdown, the Creta hardly did any km in a year. Two trips to Goa in 2021 brought the ODO up to 6000 km. It was a comfortable and easy to drive ride. But that thirst for torque would just not go away. Add to that the soft suspension of the Creta which added to the body roll meant decent speeds on ghat curves sent my luggage all over the place. And with my move back to India due to Covid, meant I was now the primary driver and not my better half.

Options considered

• 2021 Creta - The new Turbo Petrol model ticked all the boxes for me and the panoramic sunroof was a definite plus. Add to that reliable Hyundai service and it was an easy decision. But the better half threatened me with dire consequences if I replaced a year and half old Creta for another Creta. Hence, dropped this from the list
• Hyundai Alcazar - Decided to take a test drive. The showroom was quite empty when I visited and managed to get a Diesel 6 seater AT for the test. The rear captain seats did not feel as roomy as expected. The weight of the car was evident during the test drive and did not even match the nimble handling of my previous gen Creta. Did not have much hope for the petrol version given the weight of the car and the price of petrol. Hence dropped this from the list too
• XUV 500 - This was one car I always looked towards owing. Fun to drive, spacious and powerful. The icing on the cake was my daughter's bestie having the same car (in addition to the same school, same tuition teacher, etc.). No test drive was offered and did not need one. Availability of versions was an issue. They could give me the red W11 from the showroom or a silver W9. Was keen on a black W11, but it was not in stock and with production winding down, it was unlikely to come in either. There were massive discounts and with an exchange for the Creta, I was looking at a down payment of just 9 lakhs. I was ready to come back the next day and book it.
• Kia Seltos - Unlike the other showrooms, the Autobahn showroom in Powai was crowded. Took us a while to even get attended to. Managed a test drive of a GTX Diesel AT and was hooked. The same engine from the Alcazar behaved totally different here. Thought again about the increasing petrol prices and the fears around DCT - finalized on getting a Diesel instead after the test drive and looked at the Xline.

Other options considered

1. Tata Harrier - wonderful product and within my budget. But social media is full of horror stories of Harrier owners frustrated with quality issues. Hence ruled out
2. XUV 700 - the introduction videos had me drooling. But being a new product, was wary of picking something up from the first lot which was likely to have niggles. Plus the waiting period was too long and booking was yet to start.
3. Jeep Compass - this was my ultimate choice if I could afford it. Handled like a dream when I drove a friend's once. But the Limited version was way above budget. I considered getting a second hand one and keeping the Creta for the better half - but she was against spending so much for a used vehicle though it was coming at half the price of a new one
4. Renault Duster turbo - barring the gizmos in newer gen cars, the vehicle was a second choice after the Jeep Compass. Superb Ride quality and turbo petrol finally. But this iteration came too late and the model was long in the tooth

Booking experience and Delivery

The experience with Autobahn was nothing to write home about. They seemed keener on collecting feedback than actually providing service. I also visited Shivaay Kia in Mumbai and it was a similar experience. Even without a test drive, they insisted I fill-up the form for feedback on the test. Clearly getting good customer feedback was a key target for them.

The issue was that they took too long to give a quote for the Creta and started at 11.2 Lakhs plus insisted that I release the vehicle right away. This took me away from Kia and I had finalized the XUV 500 instead who was willing to let me keep the Creta and even quoted 13.6 Lakhs. The icing on the cake was that on the day I planned to book, they even called up to say they found a black W11.

But in parallel, I had also escalated on Twitter to Kia Care India which took some time as they collected my info. But the subsequent response was amazing. Autobahn Kia Powai called up and provided a revised quote and assured allocation. After weighing on the future support for the XUV, finalized the Seltos. After negotiations, the exchange price was coming to around 9.24 Lakhs.

Had hoped to get a good number, but the amount quoted by the dealer was too high and I did not have time to visit the RTO and undergo the process myself. Was informed that they had received the first lot of X-Line cars and one was allotted. I could collect it in the first week of October.

At the time of delivery, all the paperwork was ready. They did the honours of covering the car with a red cloth that we grandly pulled back. There was an advisor who was kind enough to explain everything and helped configure UVO. We got a coupon for 5 litres of diesel as the tank was near empty. (With the Creta, it already had that 5 litres filled it when we took delivery)

Following are the accessories/options that we got which I think makes sense

• Leather Lamination of the interior body
• Anti Rust Coating
• Door Visor
• 3D floor and boot mats
• Body Cover
• Tyre inflator (Bell Aire 3000)

The below were included and I feel these should have been allowed as optional. It took the final on-road cost of the car to 22.24 Lakhs.

• Car Cat kit (for keeping rats away). We do not have rats in our building and this could have been avoided
• Tissue box and Car dustbin
• Rear sunshade - hampered the view while driving at night. Lying idle at home and can give away if anyone wants it for free
• Premium cushions and neck rest - the latter is too low for me on the seat to be of use.
• Box number plate - charged at Rs.1250/- with Autobahn logo on it. A normal one like Hyundai had done at zero charges would have been good enough.

Driving experience

A lot has been written across posts in several forums on the Seltos and I will avoid repeating those here. Most of the features are the same as what you would see on the GTX+ variants.

The majority of the differences are cosmetic and could be listed as follows:

• Paint - this is one thing that stands out. From a distance, you cannot make out the difference between normal grey seltos. But when closer, it does look unique and people do ask if I repainted it. There is a bunch of dos and don'ts with the car I have shared as a picture in this post.
• Interior - The Indigo Pera leatherette seats with matching door panel trim stands out in daylight as being different. It is subtle enough to not be an eyesore but comfortable and smooth to the touch
• Wheels - the 18-inch alloys are different from the GT and HT line series but remind me of a similar design on the Sonet.
• Ride quality - was expecting a harsh ride quality with the previous year Seltos having stiff suspensions and now with the lower profile R18 wheels. Was pleasantly surprised to feel it handle most broken roads almost as well as the Creta did. High-speed behaviour remains to be seen
• TPMS - this is now showing a pressure of 47 to 49. Not sure if this is right as I expected it to be in the 33 to 35 PSI range.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.