The Korean automaker has finally taken the covers off the Kia Seltos facelift and has officially started accepting bookings, with prices likely to be announced towards the end of July. Launched in 2019, the Seltos is Kia’s first car in India and has sold over 5 lakh units, remaining its best-selling model so far as well as one of the best-selling SUVs. As buyers waiting for its facelift have had a reductive impact on its sales in the past few months, this facelift will certainly help it regain its momentum. Moreover, the segment Seltos competes in recently saw the debut of Honda Elevate, and now its facelift is forecasting an interesting turn of events in the coming months. Here is a closer look at the facelifted Kia Seltos.
Kia Seltos Facelift: Design
The design of the Indian-spec Seltos is slightly different from the design of the one sold overseas. The revised front bumper features a new grille flanked by redesigned headlamps and new LED daytime running lamps that extend into the grille. There are no major changes on the side profile, except for the new 18-inch, dual-tone alloy wheels that are like the ones on the international-spec model. At the back, it gets a refreshed tailgate with inverted L tail lights connected by a light bar. The rear bumper has also been redesigned with dual exhaust tips being a notable addition.
Kia Seltos Facelift: Interior and Features
At the front, taking centre stage is a completely new dashboard with a new twin-screen setup which includes two 10.25-inch displays: one for the updated touchscreen infotainment system and the other for a new fully digital instrument cluster. The revised centre console now gets slimmer AC vents and a redesigned panel for HVAC and audio controls.
The new Seltos will be offered in three trims: X-line, GT line, Tech line. The X line trim gets a new sage green-coloured theme for the interior, whereas the GT line and Tech line variants get a new black and white interior colour scheme.
A feature-rich cabin has always been one of the biggest advantages of the Kia Seltos and this facelift makes it even stronger in the feature department. Along with the existing features such as the front ventilated seats, 8-way powered driver’s seat, 8-speaker Bose sound system, head-up display, and air purifier, the facelifted Kia Seltos packs dual-zone climate control and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which were not there before. However, the biggest update is the panoramic sunroof that brings Seltos at par with Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, and MG Astor.
On the safety front, the Seltos continues to feature multiple standard features such as six airbags, all-four-disc brakes, ESC, VSM, rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The higher trims also get an electronic parking brake. However, the spotlight-grabber is the addition of Level-2 ADAS safety suite that, like the new Hyundai Verna, consists of 17 autonomous features including Adaptive Cruise control, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, and Lane Keep Assist.
Kia Seltos Facelift: Engine and Transmission
With the facelifted Kia Seltos, the Korean carmaker continues to offer the 1.5-litre petrol engine and the 1.5-litre diesel engine. Likewise, the transmission options that include a 6-speed manual and CVT for the petrol engine, and 6-speed iMT and 6-speed torque converter automatic for the diesel engine, are carried over from the outgoing model. Moreover, there is a new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, which churns out 160 PS and 253Nm and is already offered in the Kia Carens, Hyundai Verna, and Hyundai Alcazar. This engine comes mated with either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT automatic.
Kia Seltos Facelift: Price, Launch and Rivals
While Kia has officially started accepting bookings for the facelifted Kia Seltos on 14th July, it is expected to be fully launched with prices by the end of July. Given the updates, the new Seltos is expected to be priced north of Rs 10 lakh and with a price hike over the outgoing model. Once launched, the facelifted Kia Seltos will rival the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, and the upcoming Honda Elevate and Citroen C3 Aircross.
