[SRK72]

Kia can provide all gizmos and fancy features, but finally if their cars are unsafe prospective buyers should be made aware of the Safety ratings. To me safety is of paramount importance than mere bling.

[The Rationalist]

On a lighter note, Yeh tune kya KIA!

[pandatrooper]

Well, its such a pity that the Indian Consumers are now in a strange conundrum. The only vehicles with 4 and above stars are Tatas and Mahindras [ and a bunch of European cars ]. If one were to buy a Tata, their Sales and ASS would just make the customer regret their decision. If one were to buy a Mahindra, lack options like decent automatic transmissions, hit-or-miss service reliablity, poor resale would just make the customer think twice. The Europeans are either ways unpredictable on both fronts, vehicle pricing and service costs.

The Nexon went through two GNCAP tests. One in the month of August where it scored 4 stars and the other in the month of December where it improved its score to 5 after some safety enhancements by Tata. Can Kia replicate Tata's effort to save its brand image ?

[armaan_singh]

Originally Posted by sam264_2000

Hi armaan_singh,

How did you end up buying the Honda Civic (a low slung sedan) when you were actually looking for a Crossover? I am currently in the same dilemma, albeit between Honda City and Creta/Seltos? What was the thought/decision process? Do you mind sharing please?

Thank you.

It just came down to the handling in the end, the Civic feels extremely planted on highways (I make a lot of trips) and the overall comfort I felt with the Civic was difficult to replicate in any of the cross-overs, not to mention that the Civic is one hell of a looker.

Good luck on your search.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by SS4

As a Seltos' owner, to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement.

It is a bitter pill to swallow but don't forget, you still have a much bigger impact on safety as the driver. Make sure everyone buckles up, follow the rules, drive defensively and keep your vehicle in top shape.

In five years or so, it will be time to switch cars and you can use this experience to make having a GNCAP rating a priority for your next purchase.

[gkg2423]

Does Kia recommend Premium fuel for Seltos. As far I believe, if the manufacturer does not recommend premium fuel then it won't benefit much using premium fuel. And those who have used both fuels in their Seltos, did they notice any difference?

[lucaxander]

The NCAP rating is disappointing, to say the least. A 20L+ vehicle scoring less than those that cost half.

And it seems like a fact has gone unnoticed here, Seltos has barely passed the mark for a 3* rating, the adult protection score is at 8.03, just to get that into perspective, even the Ertiga scored 9.25.

So, in reality, the Seltos is closer to being rated 2*.

Expecting that Creta would score similar, I don't see any viable options left in the market right now, for a buyer looking to spend 12-18L.

[carnutfrombanga]

Originally Posted by gkg2423

Does Kia recommend Premium fuel for Seltos. As far I believe, if the manufacturer does not recommend premium fuel then it won't benefit much using premium fuel. And those who have used both fuels in their Seltos, did they notice any difference?

By premium if you mean a higher octane rating than regular fuels, it is not necessary.

There is not going to be a mileage or power difference even if you use it.

Some 'premium' fuels contain better cleaning detergents which might help with decarbonisation to a small degree.

Your manual will list the octance rating of the fuel required.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0210-paying-premium-high-octane-gasoline#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20in%20most%20cases, listen%20to%20your%20owner's%20manual.

[84.monsoon]

Such a sad day for Indian Auto. The two largest manufacturing heavyweights (Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai-Kia), which sell over three quarters of all cars in India, faring so poorly in crash tests. The Ignis with a zero rating, the Grand i10 Nios with a two star rating, and the Seltos barely making it to 3 stars.

This should act as a wake up call to the Indian customers. They should demand greater level of safety from these two "feature-conscious but safety-unconscious" and frankly irresponsible market leaders. They should vote with their wallet and favour safety-conscious manufacturers. Nothing speaks as loudly to Maruti as market share loss does.

Regulators should make some kind of crash test rating mandatory within 3 months of launch. Auto journalists should take a safety pledge and make it a priority to highlight safety-first by speaking about safety features in the lowest variant in the first 2 minutes of every single one of their reviews.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Regulators should make some kind of crash test rating mandatory within 3 months of launch. Auto journalists should put make it a priority to highlight safety-first by speaking about safety features in the lowest variant in the first 2 minutes of their reviews.

Why 3 months after the launch, if I may ask? Should the early buyers be treated as guinea pigs? Given the scale of advance bookings and early delivery rush seen for new launches, an OEM would have sold 50k copies of models by then

If and when they are made mandatory, these tests should be done before a car is launched. And the car should carry the crash rating just like they show the ARAI rated FE (or the star rating seen on modern electrical appliances)!

[sam264_2000]

Originally Posted by armaan_singh

It just came down to the handling in the end, the Civic feels extremely planted on highways (i make a lot of trips) and the overall comfort i felt with the Civic was difficult to replicate in any of the cross-overs, not to mention that the Civic is one hell of a looker.

Good luck on your search.

Thanks armaan_singh. How does the car tackle bad roads? Not pothole ridden or crater like roads, but uneven surfaces. Do the overhangs or underbody scrap with passenger and luggage load? The Civic has some mouthwatering discounts and I am considering it too.

[andafunda]

Originally Posted by sam264_2000

Thanks armaan_singh. How does the car tackle bad roads? Not pothole ridden or crater like roads, but uneven surfaces. Do the overhangs or underbody scrap with passenger and luggage load? The Civic has some mouthwatering discounts and I am considering it too.

I had the same conundrum between the Harrier and the Civic. In the end, went for the Civic ZX. Have driven for 1000km, on great roads, not so good roads and even a narrow road to Ludwig Point in Mahabaleshwar. Have had no issues with GC. The GC on the Civic is more than that on my old Rapid. If you are worried about creature comforts, you can add OEM wireless charger, root the HU and install regular Android apps, etc.

[PrasannaDhana]

Dear Mods,

Please do include the below average safety rating in the negatives section of the review summary. It currently has safety in the positives section.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Why 3 months after the launch, if I may ask? Should the early buyers be treated as guinea pigs? Given the scale of advance bookings and early delivery rush seen for new launches, an OEM would have sold 50k copies of models by then)!

To answer this question, you have to understand how NCAP tests work. The way Global NCAP tests is that they will directly buy the lowest variant of the car from a showroom, they do not ask manufacturers to send the test cars. However, manufacturers can send an additional car for testing if they wish to. The reason I say test results need to be made available in a few months is:
(a) The vehicle has to be available to be bought from the showroom and
(b) The lowest variant has to be available- many of our manufacturers have lowest variants only on paper.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

To answer this question, you have to understand how NCAP tests work.

Well, that's where things need to change and the Government needs to step in. After the Govt. has made certain features as mandatory for all variants, why not go the full length here?

If and when they make these crash tests mandatory, OEM has to provide the necessary base variant of the car for testing and obtain a certificate before they start selling the car. Let's say it would be another step for ARAI homologation and the newly launched vehicle would carry a ARAI fuel economy and crash rating.

If only...