Kia Seltos

Sitting inside the Seltos feels very close to sitting in a premium European vehicle.

Seshan points out,

"Step inside, and you will be hard-pressed to find any similarity to the outgoing model."

Cabin Layout and Quality

• The dashboard uses a continuous curved glass panel that houses two separate screens.
• You can choose different interior colours based on the variant, including all-black, sage green, and premium brown.
• The steering wheel has a flat bottom and feels thick to grip.
• Importantly, Kia kept physical buttons for the dual-zone air conditioning.

Seating Comfort

Front Row

• The centre armrest sits at the right height to rest your elbow on long highway runs.
• Ventilated front seats are available on select higher trims.
• The front seats are wide and hold occupants firmly in place during fast corners.
• The driver gets an eight-way power-adjustable seat to find a good driving position easily.

Second Row

• The long wheelbase means tall adults have plenty of knee room here.
• The rear seat backrests can also recline, letting passengers lean back and sleep on road trips.
• Rear passengers get their own AC vents, Type-C charging ports, and pull-up window sunshades.

Features That Improve Daily Use

• The eight-speaker Bose audio system
• A large panoramic sunroof
• The wireless phone charger on the centre console
• The built-in air purifier
• A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster

Kia attempts to fit the Seltos into almost every possible budget within the mid-size SUV segment. Note that the (O) and (A) tags denote optional packages that add some safety or convenience features.

Because Kia offers three completely different engines, your running costs will change wildly depending on the engine you go for.

Kia took early criticism regarding the structural safety of the older Seltos seriously and returned with a full five-star safety rating from Bharat NCAP.

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

• You get six airbags, three-point seatbelts, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
• The body shell uses high-strength steel to form a much more rigid passenger cabin.
• Kia clearly decided not to lock basic safety features behind expensive trims.

Active Safety and Stability Systems

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC), hill-start assist, and all-wheel disc brakes are standard.
• When you step up to the HTX (A) trims, you unlock Level 2 ADAS.
• This system packs 21 different features, including forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and a blind-spot collision avoidance system.
• The suite adds up to 28 features on the GTX (O) and X-Line (O) models.
• A high-resolution 360-degree camera makes parking in tight spots very easy.
• The blind-view monitor projects a live video feed onto your instrument cluster when you use the turn signals.

Seshan observes,

“Safety is a clear strength of the new Seltos. Built on the K3 platform, the bodyshell uses high-strength steel and hot-stamped components to improve rigidity and crash protection.”

Kia completely changed the dashboard to make the Seltos feel like a much more expensive car.

Infotainment and Interface

• The top trims feature a massive curved glass panel.
• It holds a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver display side-by-side.
• The touchscreen is highly responsive and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Cabin Convenience and Practical Features

• The dual-zone automatic climate control gets physical buttons and toggle switches.
• The front seats feature a three-step ventilation function.
• A large panoramic sunroof replaces the older single-pane unit.
• Music lovers get the bass-loaded eight-speaker Bose premium audio system.
• 

• The car’s boot contains 447 litres of total space.
• It is shaped well, allowing you to easily stack two large hard-shell suitcases and a few soft duffel bags.
• The loading lip is relatively low, so you do not have to lift heavy luggage too high to get it inside.
• If you need to carry larger items like furniture, the rear seats fold down in a 60:40 split, opening 1,401 litres.

Kia has tuned the Seltos for buyers who actually enjoy driving.

City Driving

• City driving is bumpy, especially over broken city roads.
• The stiff suspension cannot dilute the impact of sharp speed breakers and deep potholes. The 18-inch wheels on the top trims make the ride even firmer.
• However, the steering is light, and the automatic gearboxes make navigation easier.

Highway Driving

• The highway is where the Seltos outpaces the competition.
• The firm suspension keeps the car completely flat at 120 kmph.
• It does not bounce around over highway dips, giving the driver a lot of confidence.
• The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine is incredibly fast, allowing quick overtakes in seconds.
• It takes corners flat and avoids the floaty feeling you get in softer options.

Kia spreads the Seltos across three main lines: the Tech Line (HT), the GT Line, and the X-Line.

The Essentials That You Don’t Get

• A soft ride over bad city roads
• An All-Wheel Drive (AWD) option for off-roading
• A manual gearbox option with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine

There are a staggering 44 variants across the entire line-up of this car. We have highlighted the most sought-after trims by Indian car buyers.

Best on a Tight Budget: HTK (O)

The HTK (O) provides an excellent starting value; it gives you the panoramic sunroof, connected car tech, and automatic climate control without forcing you to pay the premium prices of the top-tier trims.

Best Value Overall: HTX (A)

The HTX (A) steps up the exterior design with LED headlights and gives you the massive dual 12.3-inch screens inside. It looks and feels premium and also has robust ADAS features.

Best for Enthusiasts: GTX Turbo DCT

If you love driving fast, you have to buy the GTX with the turbo-petrol engine and the seven-speed DCT. It provides aggressive acceleration, sporty interior touches, and the full suite of ADAS.