Kia Syros Review: 3 Reasons To Buy And 3 Reasons To Avoid

Undoubtedly, the Kia Syros tries to gatecrash a well-machined segment. A segment where, if you want space, you buy the Mahindra XUV300. If you want Maruti’s reliability, there’s the Brezza. If solid built quality with safety is what you want, the Tata Nexon is a default choice. And for features, you usually look at the Kia Sonet or Hyundai Venue. And for the driver’s involvement, you also have the new Skoda Kylaq. But then comes the Kia Syros. It is bold, it's modern, and it's confident. But is it for you? Well, let's put the Kia Syros through our 3 Reasons test and tell you three things that compel you to buy the Syros and 3 things that make you steer away.

Reasons to Buy:

1. It's Feature Packed.

One USP of Kia cars of late has been the feature list they offer. And the Syros it just takes it up a notch. Right from the base trim, so many features such as touchscreen, rear camera, sun blinds, to name a few, come as standard. And when you go higher up the trim, the feature list just keeps getting better and better. 

Also Read: Kia Syros Receives 5 Stars In Bharat NCAP Crash Tests; Betters AOP Score Of Nexon, XUV 3XO

Some highlight features of the Syros here include the wide touchscreen on the dashboard, the massive touchscreen, ventilated front seats as well as first-in-segment ventilated second-row seats, which are also kind of best in class, rear seats also are reclining and adjustable, you also get wireless connectivity and a premium Harman Kardon sound system, and of course Level 2 ADAS. 

2. Spacious and Practical

I said this about the Sonet before, and I am repeating this for the Syros again - this car is exactly what a modern-day car buyer wants from their car. Not only is the design modern, but it's also well laid out, very ergonomic. The materials used are not conventional but contemporary and exude superior quality. You also feel that the space on the inside is more than ample and more than you'd usually get from a sub-4-meter car. Even the cabin design, as I said, is very contemporary, look at the steering design, the way the gear lever is designed, the centre panel and even the textures thrown all around. 

Also Read: Kia Syros Review: Big Baby SUV Ticks The Right Boxes Inside Out

3. Powertrain Choices 

When in a lucrative segment, you have to offer more. And Kia knows this very well. So not only do you get a long features, you also get both petrol and diesel powertrain choices, both available with a proper automatic. 

And when it comes to driving, we have experienced both powertrains fairly enough before. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol was seen in the Sonet, as well as the 1.5-litre diesel. Both these engines are good in their own right.

While the 1.0-litre three-cylinder is punchy, it's gutsy, and it delivers a good, fun-to-drive experience as well. Especially when you are driving it a bit enthusiastically, but otherwise that engine is a really good, fun-to-drive engine with close to 120 bhp of power. And when you want to have fun behind the wheel. Like in the Sonet, it makes for a good combination, especially for people who want to have fun behind the wheel, and also carry their family around.

Also Read: Kia Targets 43% Sales From Hybrids and BEVs In India By 2030; Seltos Hybrid Confirmed

And when talking about the family car, the diesel is a better bet. It is more frugal and has a good torque band as well. And you have it either with the manual or the automatic. It's a very well-sorted combination as well, and makes for a very sensible buy. It's a really well-sorted diesel engine, and as we know, at this price point, you don't get a lot of diesel engine options right now. You do get one in the Nexon, 3XO, and the Sonet/Venue. Therefore, with a good diesel on offer with the Syros, you really should go for it if you have a lot of daily commutes and long-distance touring in your yearly calendar.

As for the controls, the Syros comes across as a good beginner's car. Its controls are nice, light, easy and comfortable. But I also want to point out one good highlight about the Syros – the visibility. With a unique proportion, I initially thought the B-pillar might be a bit of a hindrance, but it's not. You get a good, clear visibility from your IRVM and the rear windscreen. But I also particularly like to point out that the rather upright A-pillar, instead of the conventional slanting one, results in good visibility all around, especially for newer drivers.

Reasons To Avoid

1. Design Flaws

Sure, the Syros is a modern car and follows the newest design philosophy from Kia, which we have seen on their bigger and international models such as the Carnival, EV9, the recently launched Sportage and all the new EV Concepts. But this design is not to everyone's taste. People have been comparing it to the Wagon R, and their biggest problems come from the placement of the headlamps and tail lamps. Fearing they might rub it, scratch it or break it, or someone else might do it for you on the Indian roads. My only grouch is with the seats. They are too small, and not wide enough bolsters tug in the back, making it a tad uncomfortable.

2. Dynamics And Lack Of 1.2

With the Sonet, the only prominent negative we can think of is the stiff ride quality. Here in the Syros, the ride is slightly softer than Sonet, but that makes it a bit bouncy and yet you still feel the undulations on the road. And owing to the tall boy stance, the handling isn't the best either, with a prominent body roll. 

Also Read: Kia Carens Clavis Unveiled: Facelifted MPV Gets Panoramic Sunroof, L2 ADAS

Kia also hasn’t offered the 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine with the Syros. That engine does duties in the Sonet, and buyers love that engine as it is simpler, smoother and more frugal than the turbo-petrol. It would have also gone well with the family orientation of the Syros and made a better buy for those who don’t want the punchy nature of the 1.0-litre and can’t get the diesel either. 

3. Too Expensive 

And lastly, the reason not to get the Syros has to be its pricing. Because no matter how many features it has on offer, it still is a sub-4-metre offering. And when being a sub-4-metre offering, it doesn't do well for this Syros to retail at over Rs 20 lakh on-road, right? There are well-decked-out C-SUVS that you can get at this price or less. In fact, you can go for the bigger sibling Seltos at this price point, and as we all know, we Indians want our cars to be bigger than our neighbours.

Conclusion 

So, the Kia Syros is one of those cars that comes around in a well-machined segment and tries to disrupt it by being too fantastic. It has its set of cons, but the positives triumph over the shortcomings, like any other Kia car, right? 

Like its sibling, the Sonet, the Kia Syros is a fitting car for a modern-day car buyer. One who wants to wear Balenciaga over Nike or Adidas. 

Pictures by Pawan Dagia