Comparison: New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos

Kia started its story back in 2019 with the Seltos. Within days of the official launch, the Seltos managed to seep into the hearts of many Indians to soon become the most-loved compact SUV in India. The SUV single-handedly put Kia on the map and helped the carmaker achieve impressive numbers, like no other carmaker before it. The old Seltos soldiered on for four years despite tough competition from its peers. The Korean carmaker became the fourth largest in India and it sold over 364,115 units of the Seltos till date. 

Fast forward to 2023, the Seltos had started to lose some of its edge to new age competition, especially Hyundai’s new Creta, Volkswagen Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq. But Kia responded with a facelifted Seltos that featured new styling, powertrain options and most importantly, new features. With the update, the Seltos is back to its position of being a benchmark in this segment. It is an SUV that ticks every single box, making it the de facto choice for an SUV priced around Rs 20 lakh. 

However, if you’re out there with a similar budget, you might also be tempted at lightly used pre-owned Kia Seltos or a brand new facelifted Seltos. Is it worth splurging on the new one or is the old one still a great compact SUV?

New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos: Dimensions

Before comparing the old and the new Seltos, it’s important to note that the new Seltos is just a facelift with more cosmetic and feature additions than mechanical changes. As a result, both these SUVs have nearly identical dimension numbers except for one – length. The old Seltos measures in at 4315mm while the new and updated one tips the scales at 4365mm making it the longer SUV here, albeit by a small margin. All the other parameters are identical with width coming in at 1800mm, height at 1620mm, and wheelbase at 2610mm. The Kia Seltos is a great SUV and even when pitched against its rivals, it can hold its own ground with ample road presence and style on its side. With the new update, it is also a handsome SUV with a lot of design details and a new colour that is sure to impress. 

That said, the outgoing version is still one of the best looking SUVs in India and it has aged well over the last 4 years. It is not dated by any yardstick and it has the design chops, presence and proportions to keep on for the foreseeable future. 

New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos: Engine & Transmission

In terms of powertrain options, the new and the old Seltos are closely matched. For instance, both the SUVs come with the same 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine paired with the 6-speed AT, 6-speed MT and CVT gearbox. The former develops 115 PS/144 Nm while the diesel mill is also rated at 115 PS with a better torque output of 242 Nm. However, where the new Seltos differs is when it comes to the range-topping turbo petrol engine. The outgoing version came packed with a 1.4 T-GDI engine that developed 140 PS. Kia has updated that engine for the new Seltos and it is now a 1.5-litre unit that makes an even more punchy 160 PS and 250 Nm mated to either a 7-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual gearbox for the hardcore enthusiasts. With respect to the fuel economy figures, both generations of the Seltos offer similar economy figures, that is between 16 kmpl and 21 kmpl depending on the engine and the gearbox combination of choice. 

If you’re looking for the base petrol or the diesel version, mechanically, both the new and the old Seltos are identical. However, if you want a more powerful turbo petrol engine, the choice is unequivocally the new Seltos with the updated 1.5-litre T-GDI turbocharged petrol engine.

New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos: Features & Comfort

The old Kia Seltos still remains one of the most feature loaded SUVs in its segment. With the update, Kia has outdone itself and equipped the new Seltos with class-leading features. These include a panoramic sunroof, all digital 10-inch driver’s display, 8-way power driver’s seat, and electronic parking brake with hold. These are the only missing features in the old Seltos. However, it still gets a plethora of features and some of these include heads-up display, connected car tech, ventilated seats, Bose sound system, traction control, drive modes, wireless charger and many more. 

Unless all the new features are important to you, the old Seltos still makes a lot of sense as a feature loaded SUV as it hardly makes you wish for more kit. And the new Seltos remains the segment leader when it comes to features and it is one SUV that you cannot go wrong with tech on board.

New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos: Safety Features

The new Kia Seltos is yet to be tested by the Global NCAP or even the newly established Bharat NCAP. The old Seltos had scored an average 3-stars which makes it an acceptable SUV in terms of safety. But in comparison to rivals such as the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq, the Kia is still behind in terms of crashworthiness. 

The good news is that the new Seltos comes with some updates which will definitely help its safety quotient. One of the important talking points is the inclusion of a full ADAS suite. This suite comes with 17 safety features that will definitely make the new Seltos safer than its predecessor. Some of these include high beam assist, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, smart cruise control, forward collision avoidance assist, etc.

New Kia Seltos vs Old Kia Seltos: Price Comparison

The new Kia Seltos and its updates come at a cost. The new SUV is dearer than its outgoing version. It is priced between Rs 10.89 lakh to Rs 19.65 lakh. Despite the increment in pricing, the Kia Seltos still offers great value as some of the base, and the mid variants are priced well. In comparison, the old Seltos was cheaper by around Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 depending upon the variant. Since it is now only confined to the used car market, the old Seltos is even more affordable today with used prices starting from Rs 9.70 lakh for a well-loaded variant. 

Summary

Comparing the old Kia Seltos and the new Kia Seltos, we have come to the conclusion that both the versions are more similar than being distinct. The old Seltos is a fantastic used car purchase with prices hovering around the Rs 10 lakh figure for a well-loaded variant. It is a brilliant SUV that does everything perfectly. All the engine and gearbox options are tailored for different buyers and it never fails to impress you with its features and design, both remarkable even after 4 years since its first debut. 

In contrast, the new Seltos reclaims its crown to be the benchmark SUV in its segment. It’s impossible to fault the new Seltos as it takes care of all the missing features, adding a fresh look that comes with ample differentiation to the old Seltos. The crown jewel of the new update is the new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that also pushes the performance to another level helping the Seltos keep up with the Europeans. If you’re someone out there looking for a great car within Rs 20 lakh budget, chances are the Kia Seltos is what you’re looking for.