The Kia Seltos went on sale in India on 22 August 2019 and had received more than 50,000 bookings at the time of its launch. The SUV is available in two trim lines named Tech Line and GT Line, whereas there is a total of 16 variants. It comes with three engine options, notably with a powerful 138bhp 1.4-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol. The other two include a 114bhp 1.5-litre petrol and another 114bhp 1.5-litre diesel, all of which come mated to manual as well as automatic transmissions. We are taking a look at the fuel efficiency of the latter two. Both of these were tested in a six-speed manual gearbox configuration.

What you'll like:

• A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
• Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
• We find the Seltos to be well-priced for what it offers
• Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
• Loved the 1.4L turbo-petrol & 1.5L diesel. They are BS6 compliant too
• Both the automatics - Diesel AT & Petrol DCT - are simply fantastic!
• Mature on-road behavior, including at highway speeds. A+ brakes as well
• Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
• Top safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS etc.
• Impressive kit (360-degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more)

What you won't:

• Good suspension. Liveable, but bad roads will bother you (especially on 17”-wheel variants)
• Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
• Niggles are being reported by owners (details here)
• Some misses (no paddle shifters or illuminated window buttons, thinner spare tyre on top trims, no dual-tone option on GTX+ / HTX+)
• Dual-clutch ATs (like the Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
• Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment. Creta 1.6L is faster
• Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread. We still haven’t gotten the hang of it!
• Kia's after-sales service quality is an unknown. We await details in our ownership reports
• Waiting periods are already a couple of months long for some trims
• You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)