re: The Kia Seltos SUV (SP Concept). EDIT : Launched at Rs. 9.69 lakhs I apologise well in advance if this feels like a long post. Also, I might go a little off topic but then again I'm not able to contain my excitement hence here I go.
First of all, what an entry by Kia to the Indian Automotive scene! This is the kind of excitement I would want to see among consumers as well as enthusiasts regarding a new launch in our industry. The Seltos looks absolutely gorgeous, I loved the front end, even though it's extremely busy with LED Projector headlamps, 3D Effect kind of turn indicators, their "Ice Cube" fog lamp housing etc. There is a lot to digest in terms of design but it shouts premium.
Tbh, I feel the Hector seems overdone in front of this. Even with such a design, Kia has taken the sophisticated route and it does not feel overdone. Then again, designs are subjective. I for one, absolutely love it!
Moreover as everyone said here, It's indeed the perfect size. An ideal highway cruiser with that strong appearance & presence of a SUV and at the same time it seems spot on for city driving as well just like the Creta.
What impressed me the most are the engine options on offer, a 1.5L Petrol & Diesel with multiple gearbox option and I'm sure it will produce similar power or more than the Creta along with the introduction of 7 Speed DCT with 1.4L GDi Heart and branding it as a Performance variant. Something, none of the makers in the market has attempted yet in the UV Segment. A HOT UV?! Hell Yes! That too with terrain modes, couldn't ask for anything more.
The initial equipment list, is the icing on the cake, Bose speakers in this range, are you kidding me? The cheapest car to come with it was Renault Koleos that too was above the 25 Lakh mark!
Heads Up display, even my Luxuryline 3er doesn't gets that. The ventilated seats, again an extremely nice touch but it was kind of expected thanks to Hyundai. Though the surprise touches as reclining rear seats & Rear door curtains.
A 360 Degree camera, more gadgets to play with and Leather seats with Sunroof in all display cars as per Autocar India. If they pull that off then the packaging keeps on becoming more tempting.
Now, I'm reading a lot of comments above that Kia & MG are entering a sinking ship. To be honest, I feel this day was coming anyway, in India, most of the manufacturers are providing low cost vehicles with nothing exciting to choose from hence consumers aren't willing to shell out such high prices for them! To top it off, the increasing prices are also a huge put off. I still remember getting my i20 Asta for 6 Lakhs on-Road. Now, the same costs more than 8.5 Lakhs in 10 years?! The same goes for my other rides as well, Corolla Altis, 15.5, now it costs 24 Lakhs that too in just 5 Years! The Civic, 13 - 14 Lakhs on road and now it touches 30!
Are you kidding me?! I can't fathom paying 15-16 lakhs for a Honda City now which I had purchased for nearly 10 Lakhs a few years back and I'm sure a lot of consumers feels the same. These new entrants are actually going to save the market from sinking and wake the lazed out manufacturers making them take necessary action if they want to stay relevant in the industry.
Gone are the days, when people accepted the Duster with it's shoddy interiors and it got evident with the massive failure of Captur. As Nissan didn't do anything interesting for the consumers, they too have been shown the exit, same goes with Fiat. The sales of Honda too is falling as again nothing exciting, people liked their attempt on Amaze hence they accepted it. They did not like the prices of Accord & CR-V hence again they're market duds. The same goes with Toyota, Irrespective of the trust built, consumers have realised that only the UVs from the Japanese market is exciting enough and has that wow! Factor hence people don't shy away from spending. They feel that Value for money factor with reliable engines, a decent interiors and low cost ownership experience. The similar vibe isn't present among the sedans hence they don't sell well. The survival of Skoda & VW is partly due to enthusiasts in the country, even after the poor After sales service, both the brands know how to make good products hence people are still buying them.
Skoda in India, works due to it's premium line up (Octavia & Superb) whereas VW is surviving on offers. Now, with Hyundai, Tata & MS already being aggressive in the market, these new entries are heating it up further. Finally, consumers have understood the premium factor among vehicles. For them, it has become more about the overall lifestyle and what a vehicle offers in terms of pampering them along with driving experience. They don't shy away from experimenting a little, even if they're brand loyal, the current generation has different tastes and they highly influence the final decision of their families. This where these new entries plays an extremely important role, they're offering Indian consumers what exactly they want without compromising in any aspect. It makes the consumer furthermore, smarter hence people are on a rejection spree. The one who got it right are relevant in the market today, for e.g Creta, Baleno, Elite, Verna, Nexon, Ecosport etc.
Hence, interesting times ahead especially for these giants, I'm quite keen on seeing how these other brands counter attack Kia & Hyundai together now.
Also, regarding the pricing, Seltos could be a little more expensive than the Creta but it's definitely not going to cross the 18.5 - 19 lakh mark (Ex-showroom) as Kia like Hyundai is said to be an extremely value for money proposition in other markets and I'm sure they would like to make the same their USP in the Indian market as well. |