[Omkar]

It was the 2019 Team-BHP Car of the Year and that should give you an idea of how popular and loved the Kia Seltos has been in the Indian market. Kia hit a debut homerun with the Seltos and they’ve never looked back since. The strategy with the Seltos was that it offered something for everyone. If you were a sedate driver who wanted a smooth automatic for the city, they had the 1.5L NA petrol CVT. If you were more of a highway driver munching miles, the Seltos had a 1.5 diesel engine. And if you were bitten by the enthusiast bug, they had a 138 BHP 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and a 6-speed manual too. Even when it came to features, it was a kerfuffle, but they had almost everything. I remember going through the brochure for almost 45 minutes to try and fully understand the variant-wise feature distribution. So, just like it was at the time of launch, it is now in the used car market – something for everyone.

Used Kia Seltos Pros

• Still fresh in the market. Won't give you the typical used car feel
• A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
• Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
• Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
• The 1.4L turbo-petrol is fast & fun, while the 1.5L diesel is economical & practical
• Both the automatics - Diesel AT & Petrol DCT - are simply fantastic!
• Mature on-road behavior, including at highway speeds
• Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS, etc.
• Impressive kit on the top-end variant like a 360-degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more
• A lot of used Seltos are still within the factory 3-year / unlimited km warranty, and you can top that up with an extended warranty for another 2 years, making it a relatively risk-free purchase

Used Kia Seltos Cons

• Asking price for most cars is high due to its popularity, relevance & today being a seller's market
• Barely managed 3-stars in the GNCAP crash tests (full discussion)
• Firm suspension. Liveable, but bad roads will bother you (especially on 17" wheel variants)
• Some misses (illuminated window buttons, thinner spare tyre on top trims...)
• Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
• Owners have reported niggles in their cars
• 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
• Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread
• You get bigger Used SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)

Related Threads

• Official Review

• karan561's Seltos 1.4L Turbo Petrol (GTX+ DCT)

• rahul_goyal's Seltos HTK+ 1.5L Petrol 6MT

• dipdawiz's Seltos GTX+ Diesel Automatic

• sharan_si's Seltos HTE Diesel MT Review

• Amyth Prabhakar's 2020 Kia Seltos GTX+ 7DCT

• noopster's Seltos GTX Plus Diesel AT

• WheelJack's Seltos GTX+ 1.5 Diesel AT

Things to watch out for in a used Kia Seltos

• Kia's service campaign for the diesel Seltos over faulty fuel pump

• Service campaign for the turbo-petrol variants of the Seltos

• DCT gearbox issue in sandygordon's Seltos

• Brake failure issues in the Kia Seltos

• Kia Seltos GTX+ Fuel pump failure & breakdown. Update: Solved

• Excessive tyre wear issue

• Seltos Diesel AT fluctuating RPM at idle

• Gearbox & suspension issues in sweetvar's Kia Seltos 1.4 turbo DCT

• Dejay's 9-month-old SUV develops a gearbox problem

Mod Potential

There's good potential for a remap and plenty of people have done it already. Here's an example of the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine remap which is claimed to produce 170 BHP and 250 Nm (related article). Engine maps are readily available for the 1.5 diesel as well.


Source

Availability

Great for a car that's just 3 years old. Kia has sold over 3 lakh units in these 3 years and plenty of them have found their way to the used car market. Check out some examples on sale here.

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing!

[CliffHanger]

No. Though everything appeared well sorted and interiors well appointed. I just couldn't connect with the car and didn't find it engaging to drive - unsorted driving experience. Wouldn't recommend even for a new buy, unless someone is looking for just a reliable big hatchback.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Definite no.

Between the poor safety ratings, the stiff ride quality, mediocre urban fuel economy and the generally inflated prices this car commands in the used car market, I see better options to be had for the money. I also have serious concerns over the long term reliability of the turbo petrol engine and the DCT gearbox.

Overall, pre-owned buyers can expect a more wholesome ownership experience with the Gen 5 Honda City instead.

[GTO]

I would & voted Yes. Because it is quite the all-rounder, has great powertrains and is still contemporary enough. Would prefer the Diesel AT above the Petrol DCT due to its robustness & efficiency. Mainly as a city commuter though, would avoid extended highway usage due to its GNCAP ratings.

[Kosfactor]

Yes!

A complaint about Creta was that it wasn't European enough! Seltos solved the problem.

I get to drive a base variant diesel MT often, I really like driving it. The amount of attention to detail in terms of drive train and refinement is amazing for the price.

If I am in this segment to purchase a vehicle, it would be my choice.

[techcoze]

With facelift version around the corner, pre-worshipped Seltos makes sense only if you get good VFM deal. With resale car prices already sky high, it might make sense to wait for few more months for facelift and either buy new one / expect good price drop of pre-worshipped cars in market.

[Lowflyer23]

Did I read the second point under pros right? Superbly engineered!? How can a car with no use of ultra high strength steel and poor chassis strength can be considered superbly engineered? Apart from the interior plastics, I don't think anything can be considered as well engineered in the Seltos.

Coming to buying it used in today's inflated seller's market with absolutely no discounts, no thanks. I wouldn't put my money even on a heavily discounted new one, there are far better engineered, safer, more engaging to drive cars in the same price segment.

[ashis89]

Voted No, instead I would buy a new one.

This is one of the models which retains good resale value in the market and hence, doesn't make sense to me to buy a used one.

Owning a Seltos for 3 years now, I still don't see a good alternative should I ever plan to replace this. The XUV700 and ScorpioN caught my attention but so did the long list of niggles. The Harrier twins are no different here and so is the Compass (along with being over-priced). In comparison, the Seltos has been trouble-free and silent so far.

[sodapop]

Originally Posted by GTO

I would & voted Yes. Because it is quite the all-rounder, has great powertrains and is still contemporary enough. Would prefer the Diesel AT above the Petrol DCT due to its robustness & efficiency. Mainly as a city commuter though, would avoid extended highway usage due to its GNCAP ratings.

I don't think the Seltos makes for a good buy in this case at all. The 1.4 turbo DCT has poor FE in the city and DCTs hate traffic. The 1.5 diesel with its DPF isn't fit for short runs. There's just no use case for a pre-owned Seltos taking into account the poor build and bad safety ratings. We as a community of enthusiasts should weigh in safety ratings when choosing a car.

[sunikkat]

Voted No.
Not a car I would have bought it new, as for my requirements Kushaq or Taigun will serve better. Also paying so much in used car market for a car with such poor crash rating is not for me.

[Nilesh5417]

Yes only cause of long waiting periods of new one and availability of almost brand new ones in used car market. Else totally agree with the opinion of everyone that for prices being quoted for used ones, might as well get a brand new car.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Easy NO!

Didn't consider one when buying new (though we absolutely loved it when it first came out), not buying one used- especially at the current asking rates.

My Hyundai ownership has taught me enough that these cars are only surface-level engineered to feel good, appear bling and last through the warranty period.

When there are cars which cost 1/3rd the price that offer much better safety- I wouldn't consider this one as well engineered or well-rounded.

[MAS]

No.

The Pre- June 2022 Seltos has super stiff (bad) suspension, The Traction control is only on top spec car (unlike the new ones)

I would get a new one instead of a pre-owned one.

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Easy NO!

My Hyundai ownership has taught me enough that these cars are only surface-level engineered to feel good, appear bling and last through the warranty period.

Exact same thoughts and you have put it well. Hyundai's last through the warranty period only and post that it becomes expensive to maintain and the workshops are not competent to diagnose problems.

To me, the poor safety scores of the Koreans will keep me away.