[Aviator_guy]

God bless competition! Now, XUV700 prices slashed by 1-2 lakhs by the company. Kia and MnM feeling the heat from new Creta.

[ttm_220d]

6066 KM in the new Kia Seltos GTX+ (Diesel Automatic)

“This car is a fancy training shoe you wear on the treadmill as compared to a rugged pair of mountain climbing boots.”













Before making the decision to purchase the Seltos, our fleet comprised of a 2017 Toyota Innova Crysta Touring Sport (2.8), a Mercedes C Class Diesel (220d) and a 2015 Honda City Diesel (I-DTEC). All these cars are fantastic and offer us decent fuel economy, torque and practicality. However, for Bengaluru traffic and our daily driving- the Crysta became less economical to run on a daily basis, with the Merc there is always a worry of using it daily due to any dents or scratches that inevitably happen in Bengaluru traffic and lastly, the City was really starting to feel its age.

There was a need for a new car that had all the latest technology to make our lives easier, something that had a robust diesel engine to return the mileage and efficiency my father and I are used to, something compact enough for the city but still have enough presence and size for our long drives and most importantly, peace of mind service and support.

For the first time, I started looking at the “Compact SUV” segment, which is all the craze in India right now, so these were the cars that were in consideration.

Fronx - I heard many people rave about the Fronx, I took a test drive and yes, it is a fantastic city car but it didn’t fit our use case. Plus, for almost 16 lakhs on the road for the top model- it didn’t feel justified.

Honda Elevate - Solid car, literally. Built like a tank and there is something robust and elegant about its interior. But no Diesel and the technology seemed like something out of 2018. And having already owned two Honda products, it was time for a change.

Creta - On paper, yes, it ticked all the boxes, after all it is the sister of the Seltos but there was something missing in our showroom visit and experience, there was a lack of premiums in the entire ordeal from the showroom to the car itself, moreover as the Creta had just launched then, there was high waiting times and zero incentives or discounts.


The Kia Seltos -

Showroom experience: We visited Advaith Kia, Cubbon Park and were immediately impressed by how modern it all felt. There was also a buzz of curious and potential customers in the showroom, something we only saw in the Hyundai Showroom. I feel a buzz of customers at the showroom is a positive indicator of the current health of a car brand. Our sales representative arranged for a test drive in the GTX variant in of the Seltos and we were immediately sold. The technology, power and refinement were genuinely much higher than I had expected. There was also something so premium and tasteful about the way the interior felt and looked. Walking away from the test drive, my father and I knew the Seltos was the one.

Delivery experience: The delivery experience had all the usual pomp and celebration of any new car nowadays. The representatives set up our Kia Connect, explained all the features and gave us all the contact numbers for the body shop, service centres etc. The only thing I was not happy with was the amount of fuel in the new car, they insisted it was five litres, but our range and fuel tank level indicated otherwise.

My experience:

Let’s talk about the most important thing - the efficiency. Until the first service, we were genuinely wondering if there was something wrong with the vehicle as we were only getting between 7 to 11 km/l. However, following the first service I comfortably get 11-14 km/l in the city and 14-18 km/l on the highway. Not bad for an automatic Diesel car which is BS6 phase 2 compliant. I won’t say the mileage blew me away, my Honda City Diesel still gives much better figures, but not bad at all. And who knows? With the selection of diesel vehicles in India dwindling, I am happy to have something that can hopefully run for the next fifteen years with no problem.

The technology is the highlight feature of owning the car. I know car purists often make fun of Hyundai and Kia buyers for choosing features over other characteristics (believe me, I used to be one of them), but these features genuinely make life so much easier. The lane watch camera system on the instrument cluster is a godsend; the 360-degree camera system works well. I love the Kia infotainment system; it is very easy to use and navigate. Even the Kia Connect features are not bad at all. They allow me to remote start, vehicle tracking, and even check if there are any malfunctions (I shall get into this later). A small hidden gem is turning on the feature that connects your Instrument cluster layout to the time and temperature, it looks very space-age and cool. I am disappointed it didn’t get the live camera view from the car, especially since the new Sonet gets it and there is no wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Autos. And maybe the ambient light could have been implemented a bit better.

Driving experience: The first negative is the ride comfort. I know it's not an off-roader, it’s not meant to be. This car is a fancy training shoe you wear on the treadmill as compared to a rugged pair of mountain climbing boots, but I was not expecting the ride to be this jarring- even on well-made speed breakers or rumble strips. There is quite a bit of “crashing” of the suspension on broken roads and bumps. It isn’t a deal-breaker, but it definitely takes some getting used to for the rear occupants. Also, as the GT Line sports 18-inch wheels, this also makes some difference to the ride quality.

But everything else is absolutely spectacular. It has more than adequate power for quick overtakes on the highways, the transmission feels smooth and the engine feels refined. My father and I once drove 775 KM in a day in this car and we did not feel tired after a long day of driving this car. I think that itself is a win. Even in the city, it performs well, you get the random “mind the speedbump ahead” warning from the Kia navigation and I cannot stress this enough, but the lane change cameras are a huge help in the city. The braking performance is quite good, too.

ADAS: Our first car with ADAS, yes, we turned off the Front Collison System in the city as we did have one, two, three where it was triggered at the wrong time. But everything else based on the ADAS works well, the lane keep and steering wheel assist all work well and even on the highway the Smart Cruise Control is a delight to use if the road is well-marked and there are other sensible drivers around you. The rear collision mitigation system works well, and it has saved us a couple of times when a bike or vehicle speeds past us while we are merging onto the road or a lane. If you have doubts about ADAS, barring the forward collision system, everything else works well and makes your life easier.

Dealer Experience: So far, we have had a pleasant experience with our dealer, but only time will tell. Which brings me to why I had to visit the dealership in the first place.

On a random Sunday, the ‘check engine’ light was on, and even the Kia Connect App indicated a fault in the engine management system. The car drove fine, but we took it in, and within ten minutes, the service centre cleared out some carbon from the system. I am not sure if this issue plagues new diesel cars as I don’t have experience with them, but it wasn’t something I’d say that was a cause for worry for me, at least right now. There is this feature on the Kia Connect Navigation that alerts you if you drive past a school zone (“Children Crossing Ahead”). This is not time-sensitive or accurate, so it’s best to turn it off. Also, there was a random instance where the one-touch open/close of the sunroof stopped working, so I had to watch a YouTube video and reset the system by long pressing the sunroof open button for some time.

These are small niggles in a car that I mostly have only good things to say about. Only time will tell how the car holds up, but I am confident it will have a long time in our garage, being an essential part of our fleet. Let me know if you have any questions about this car.

[GTX+]

Originally Posted by ttm_220d

The car drove fine, but we took it in, and within ten minutes, the service centre cleared out some carbon from the system. I am not sure if this issue plagues new diesel cars as I don’t have experience with them, but it wasn’t something I’d say that was a cause for worry for me, at least right now.

Congratulations on your new car

Seltos GTX is indeed a fab car and more bang for your money. Overall everything looks and feels premium, inside and outside and it looks gorgeous in Aurora Black.

The issue you mentioned is quite common in BS6 diesel engine cars. The carbon builds up and the DPF is unable to clear it if the car is not driven frequently for considerable distances.

Just search for DPF issues on the forum/internet and you will get everything you need to know about this.

Cheers.

[ttm_220d]

Originally Posted by GTX+

The issue you mentioned is quite common in BS6 diesel engine cars. The carbon builds up and the DPF is unable to clear it if the car is not driven frequently for considerable distances.

Hello, thank you very much for the information, I will definitely look into this. Have a good day

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Sir, could you please confirm if this is any specific dealership in any particular city? Are there multiple dealers in the said city?.

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

This offer is available for 2024 models in multiple cities (confirmed with dealers in Delhi, Dehradun and Solan) so it should be a nationwide offer. Not certain if it applies exclusively to the Seltos though. I can check and update tomorrow.

PS: The 2023 models are being sold with FAT discounts at the moment. We were offered free insurance, accessories and 1 lakh cash discount on a GTX Plus 7DCT model without any negotiations. God bless competition .

Just reconfirmed - the offer applies only to the Seltos (valid on 2024 models) and appears to be available with multiple dealers across different states. The 2023 models have additional cash discounts as dealers are desperately trying to clear their inventory.

[vyom_elan]

Originally Posted by ttm_220d

6066 KM in the new Kia Seltos GTX+ (Diesel Automatic)

“This car is a fancy training shoe you wear on the treadmill as compared to a rugged pair of mountain climbing boots.”

Welcome to Team-BHP. I have been following you on Instagram for quite some time now. Waiting for your review on the City(i-DTEC)

[Desi Dybuk]

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

If you observe closely in daylight, you should be able to spot the tint (there should considerable difference in how much light passes through the glass). Here is a picture from the official review for reference:

Thanks for this reference, helped a lot! My Seltos' windows are lightly shaded like this. So, I can assume that UV-Cut glass is provided on my X-Line.



Also, I feel that the manufacturers should give a comparison sheet for any feature additions/deletions between the official date of booking & delivery date. What is to stop a manufacturer to downgrade features or even engine power etc between Booking & Delivery? Currently they are under no obligation to disclose anything. Kia could very well have put a 120 HP engine instead of 160HP engine.

[Desi Dybuk]

Originally Posted by ttm_220d

On a random Sunday, the ‘check engine’ light was on, and even the Kia Connect App indicated a fault in the engine management system. The car drove fine, but we took it in, and within ten minutes, the service centre cleared out some carbon from the system. I am not sure if this issue plagues new diesel cars as I don’t have experience with them, but it wasn’t something I’d say that was a cause for worry for me, at least right now. .

Unfortunately, DPF clogging for BS6 Diesels is a common 'feature' (not an issue) with all diesel engines from all manufacturers. If you primarily drive within the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city, then car's emission system doesn't get the opportunity the burn-off the carbon at low speeds of city traffic. Hence it is suggested to take out the car for some highway drives once in a while to allow the system to burn off excess carbon & particulates at high RPM out in the open. There's nothing wrong with your car & the system is working as intended.

I see that you are in Bangalore & we all know how our city's traffic is. Take out your car on some highway once-in-a-while to keep the system chance to clear carbon. Heck, make it a family event; take the missus & kids along for some ice creams & lunch at some highway restaurant

[Desi Dybuk]

KIA has released a new map & system update for July!

https://update.kia.com/IN/E1/updateNoticeView/z5meyi

However, the much anticipated support for Wireless Android Auto / Wireless Carplay is missing. These have been introduced in Europe & Australia for Seltos for the Standard Gen5W Navigations system, which is what the Indian version of Seltos also has.

[Col Mehta]

Just came back from extensive test drives of both the 7DCT and D AT - 30 min each (covering a mix of open roads and heavy traffic). We've finally settled on the black Xline D AT!

While the 1.5 turbo petrol is a great engine, with an amazing mid-range (which is so addictive), it's sadly let down by a confused gearbox. Not saying it's a bad gearbox, but we haven't been able to connect with it after numerous test drives. In a heavy traffic environment, this gearbox just fails to make a positive impression. We took our neighbor along for an unanimous decision and he also concurred that the gearbox was "jumpy" in slow traffic conditions (eco mode is a little better, but the turbo lag is more apparent in that mode). No such issues on open roads though where this combo excels. DCT's long term reliability is also a concern, however not many issues have been reported so far with Hyundai/Kia's DCT gearbox.

For us, we prefer a smooth driving experience in all possible conditions, and that's where the D AT comes in.

The D AT combo is exceptionally smooth and makes driving effortless, closely resembling the NA IVT combination in our Creta (of-course the D AT is more powerful). However, it's not as fun as our 1st gen Creta with 1.6 D AT. The contrast is quite noticeable if you've driven the previous engine gearbox combo. I have shared my feedback on different threads. Perhaps it's been (de)tuned to comply with the phase 2 regulations. Having said that and driven it for a longer duration, it's not bad at all. In fact, it's frugal, torquey (though not quite as much as its predecessor) and very refined. No NVH related issues on that demo car which seemed to have been abused quite badly. On open roads, it pulls cleanly, though not as strongly as the 1.5 turbo petrol. Apart from concerns about the future of diesel engines, the only cause of worry is DPF clogging but we have plans in place to take care of things, so it should be okay.

[GTX+]

Originally Posted by Desi Dybuk

KIA has released a new map & system update for July!

https://update.kia.com/IN/E1/updateNoticeView/z5meyi

However, the much anticipated support for Wireless Android Auto / Wireless Carplay is missing. These have been introduced in Europe & Australia for Seltos for the Standard Gen5W Navigations system, which is what the Indian version of Seltos also has.

Thanks for the update. What a coincidence. Just today morning I had checked for any update in the infotainment menu and nothing was displayed.

AFAIK, We are still deprived of wireless AA/CP because of some dispute with MaymyIndia for the higher version with 10" screen.

Some of the Lower versions which have 8" screen do have wireless AA/CP.

[Alphaseal6]

Kia Inspiring Drive Program !!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C84ku...E2Y2FxMGk0d3Rm

Guys KIA has launched the Inspiring drive program and the competition has begun for this quarter ending in Sep 2024. However I am unable to see the program active in Kia Connect.

Does anyone have more info?

[marathp]

Originally Posted by GTX+

AFAIK, We are still deprived of wireless AA/CP because of some dispute with MaymyIndia for the higher version with 10" screen.

Not sure if this is true. Collaboration with MapMyIndia just started very recently in May 2024. I don't know which map provider they were using before.

https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto...634898923.html

[GTX+]

Originally Posted by marathp

Not sure if this is true. Collaboration with MapMyIndia just started very recently in May 2024. I don't know which map provider they were using before.

https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto...634898923.html

My apologies, I wanted to write the "navigation" provider, but wrote MapMyIndia cuz at that time I was also looking at the Kia Seltos update page where their name was mentioned. It just got stuck in my mind.

But regarding the wireless AA/CP non-availability on higher trims with 10.25" display, I have read it on TBHP & other forums, as well as some articles online that it is because of some disagreement/dispute with the navigation provider because of which the non-availability.

Now, AFAIK Kia has never officially disclosed the reason, but if so many people have mentioned it, there must be some truth in it.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

Just came back from extensive test drives of both the 7DCT and D AT - 30 min each (covering a mix of open roads and heavy traffic). We've finally settled on the black Xline D AT!

.

Good choice! The Diesel At is actually very smooth and efficient. In my 11,900 kms of running so far in 6 months on my Xline Diesel At, I have gotten an overall efficiency of 17.6kmpl (for the total 11,900 kms) and that too is only in my home to office drive from Gurgaon to Noida and back everyday (100 kms).

In Comparison, my friends GTX petrol At is delivering a mileage of 9.5 kmpl in daily running.


On my Xline, I have gotten partial PPF done on the bonnet and front fenders and ceramic coating on the rest of the body. This is coping fine with the daily grind so far. With the Xline, bird droppings leave a stain so it is better to get this done.