[rahul_goyal]

Folks!

I recently replaced my Xcent CRDI 1.1 S with Kia Seltos HTK+ 1.5 NA Petrol 6MT. My sub 4 meter diesel sedan served me well for over 5 years/71000 kms and had an excellent FE, but it had started to show its age, so I decided to upgrade to a crossover. On September 29, 2019, I became proud owner of Kia Seltos. Through this write-up, I am sharing my initial experience of Seltos 1.5 NA Petrol.


Prologue

Truth be told, I have always loved SUVs and I wanted to own one as my first car. So back in 2014, when I was looking to buy my first car, I almost narrowed down to Ecosport Base TDCi variant, but then it was a little overbudget and being the basic variant it also lacked on some key features I wanted. So, I told my heart "may be next time" and decided to go with Xcent (which was smoothest diesel I could get in that budget).

Now in 2019, I was on a lookout for replacement and the upgrade criteria was simple:-

1. A Crossover;
2. with Decent GC;
3. Ability to carry 5 people and enough luggage for a long trip;
4. Easy to drive and maintain;
5. A petrol car (Diesel didn't make any sense for me, as my daily running is low and I would not be able justify the ownership/running cost difference in the 10 year limit of diesel in NCR); and
6. Within budget limit of 11-13 lakh rupees.

After long and careful consideration, I decided to go with Kia Seltos.

Likes

• Exteriors styling and well proportioned body shell;
• Silent 1.5 NA Petrol BS6 Engine and its drivability at low speeds;
• NVH and Sound Insulation Levels;
• MID and its customisation;
• Comfortable Front Seats;
• Ride quality and handling;
• Sense of space and visibility;
• Projector Fog lamps, Headlamps and DRLs;
• Light Clutch (short travel is a boon);
• Cruise Control;
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with ARKAMYS sound system (6 Speakers);
• One touch operation for driver's side window;
• Push Button Start/Stop and door request sensor;
• Auto head lamps;
• 16" inch OEM alloys

Dislikes

• HTK+ misses out Automatic Climate Control (Does any one know of another car that has cruise control but doesn't have automatic AC?);
• NA Petrol lacks the power punch (power is delivered in a linear manner);
• Interior plastic quality could have been better;
• Rear seat under thigh support;
• No auto-dimming IRVM;
• Gear knob is an eye sore;
• No rear arm-rest (My Xcent had this feature in S variant, which wasn't the top variant);
• No digital fuel gauge;
• Fixed head-rest for rear seats in a car that costs about INR 13 lakhs is unacceptable;
• Dashboard reflection in front wind shield;
• Glove-box space is minimalistic;

[rahul_goyal]

Research and Alternatives
The alternatives considered were:

1. Hyundai Venue
   I was considering the Petrol 1.0 Turbo MT SX variant. A very powerful engine on a small platform combined with a compelling price of 11 lakh rupees (on road price), made it an attractive package. But the plan was dropped, because for additional 1.9 lakhs rupees, I was getting a much bigger car (from a segment above) and I didn't want to live in the regret of 'only if I had spent some more money'.
   
   
2. Hyundai Creta
   Never closely considered Creta as an option because its next generation is due in March 2020 and the BS4 stock cars didn't really have jaw dropping price cuts at that point of time. Considering, the BS6 pricing of Seltos, it just seemed a better and future proof option.

Why Kia Seltos?
Seltos ticked all the boxes on my requirement list. Kia despite being a late entrant in the Indian market, did their research well enough to understand the needs of Indian customers. Considering the overcrowded showrooms and the number of bookings it received in the record time, I think it is safe to say that Kia couldn't have expected a better response from Indian market.

Seltos had everything I wanted from my next car and it had a BS6 engine to its advantage.

In terms of support and after sales service, I expect it to be at par with Hyundai. This is one major aspect which will be discovered in due time. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Global Launch
One of the most awaited and much hyped car was launched on August 22, 2019. As rumoured, Seltos came with a long list of features and variety of engines/gear box combinations. What also came along was the number of variants on offer, while Kia did their best to leave no stone unturned and tried to offer something for everyone, it left the end consumer in a fix as many prospective customer lost their sleep in deciding upon the variant. In the end, it boiled down to what compromises made more sense and felt justifiable.

Variant Saga
Anyone who has followed Kia Seltos thread (that currently runs on 200+ pages) knows how much debate and man-hours have been spent by the BHPians over this. IMO, there's no perfect variant that fits everybody's requirement and in the end it's the customer who will have to choose the variant that fits perfectly to his requirements. For me that variant was HTK+. While the HTK seemed like the most value for money offering, it missed out on some key features that was being offered in HTK+.

Additional features in HTK+ over HTK

• 16" inch Metallic Alloy Wheels
• Cruise Control
• Power folding mirrors
• Auto Headlamps and LED DRLs
• Smart Key with Push Button Start
• Rear wiper and washer
• Rear defogger
• Rear parcel tray
• Rear door window curtain
• LED Sound Mood Lighting

While the add-ons that one gets on the HTK+ don’t justify the premium (INR 1.2 lakhs) over the HTK variant, it still has certain features which are impossible to get in the after market without voiding the warranty of the car.

Booking
On August 24, 2019, I went to Allied Motors (Kia) at Sohna Road, Gurgaon and booked the Steel Silver HTK+ 1.5 Petrol by paying INR 25000/-. The Sales Advisor was courteous and polite. I told him that, I might want to change the colour if steel silver doesn't look as nice as it does in pictures. He assured me that colour will not be an issue and can be changed later on. Simultaneously, he checked with his colleagues about availability of Steel Silver car. Fortunately a Steel Silver car was parked in their basement and i was able to see the car in person. While in the basement the colour seemed different (a shade darker), I could picture the colour in open sunlight. I was convinced of my colour choice. The SA promised the delivery in a month's time before the end of September.

Test Drive
Even before the official launch, the test drives had begun and I was persistently following up with all Kia dealers in Gurgaon for a test drive of the Petrol 1.5 NA Engine, but all in vain. The SA later informed that the manual 1.5 petrol might not be available for the test drive at all, however, the IVT might arrive soon. I was looking forward to it, as it would give me some idea on the drivability of the engine. Well the IVT came but was handed over to their service team for training. I was disappointed and informed the SA repeatedly that how could they expect people to pay up 10-15 lakh and not offer test drive of the engine transmission option that they have booked. He showed empathy and concurred with what I said, but could not do anything to make the 1.5 petrol available for test drive. Sadly, I never got to test drive the 1.5 NA petrol.

I don't know how much of this is true, but the rumour amongst SAs is that Kia is intentionally not making the 1.5 Petrol MT available for test drive as it wants to push the sales of 1.4 Turbo Petrol. It is believed that after test driving the 1.5 NA Petrol, some people may not feel a lot of difference in performance compared to 1.4 Turbo Petrol, to justify the premium price tag. I would take this information with a pinch of salt and leave this for other BHPians to confirm who have driven both petrol engines.

I did test drive the diesel and absolutely loved it. NVH levels were amazing and the diesel engine was super smooth to drive. There is oodles of torque available throughout the rev range and the gear ratio is configured in a manner that one would not feel the need to shift around too much.

Sooner than expected arrival
I got a call from Allied Motors in the first week of September and to my surprise I was informed that my car has arrived at the dealership. I did not expect the car to arrive this soon. I told the lady on phone that I was told that car will arrive in end of this month and I will not be able to take the delivery until the end of the month. I was picking up Grand i10 Nios in that week and did not want to take delivery of two cars in the same week. Link to Grand i10 Nios ownership thread is attached. Link (My Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Sportz AMT - Titan Grey).

Delivery
I wanted to pick up the Seltos on September 29, 2019 (Sunday) and accordingly, completed all formalities/payments before the said date. The SA informed that since September 29 is the first Navaratra, they have 35 confirmed deliveries on that date. He suggested that, I should reach dealership at the early hours for a smooth delivery experience. I confirmed to arrive between 9:30-9:45 AM. I planned to do a pre-delivery inspection and even visited the showroom a day before, but due to some personal engagements, I could not find the time to look at the car.

Next day, I reached the dealership at around 9:40 AM. The SA had already called thrice by that time and was humbly waiting outside for us. We sat down inside and the coffee arrived. While I was sipping on my coffee, the SA got all the relevant papers signed. Before I could finish my coffee, he said we are ready for delivery when you are. Few minutes later, we were taken to the delivery area, where the car was parked (covered with a red satin cloth). Kia regional head of sales was present there to congratulate us on the purchase.

The delivery process began, the satin cloth was pulled down and the entire team was applauding/congratulating us on the purchase. I was looking at my car for the first time. The good part was that the car was minimally decorated with just four flower ribbons, making it easy remove and clean the tape adhesive marks. I was out of the showroom by 10:15 AM.

Freebies offered were:

• Key ring and a Pen;
• Non-slip dashboard mat;
• A box of small car shaped chocolates;
• High quality service book cover
• A bouquet of flowers.

The on-road price break up is as under:-


Insurance quote from outside was INR 38,310/-, but the Kia promotional insurance pack had couple of added features so I decided to go ahead with that.

Extended warranty was purchased to have a stress free ownership experience of 5 years/1,00,000 kms.

The dealership also created a dedicated whatsapp group for my car so that my concerns (if any) can be resolved at the earliest. I did face the alignment issue in first 500 kms and felt that the car was pulling towards left. I raised my concern to the team and they asked me to visit their workshop. Tyre pressure on one of the front tyres was 48, which was causing the issue. I don't know how this happened because soon after delivery I got the tyre pressure checked at fuel pump. I am keeping the tyre pressure in check on every fuel up. Will share if I notice any substantial auto-inflation in future.

[rahul_goyal]

Exteriors
Seltos has a proportionate outer shell and is surely a head turner. It has nice subtle creases all over its body which makes the design stand out. At the front you get the tiger nose grill surrounded by the projector headlamp and DRLs. At the lower end of the bumper, Seltos gets projector foglamps that look neat and enhances the visibility at night considerably. The tail gate looks appealing with thick chrome strip in the middle connecting the tail lamps. The car gets black plastic cladding all around to add to the SUV look.

Interiors
The car gets all black interiors with decent fit and finish. HTK+ misses out on the soft touch leatherette materials. Quality of plastic could have been better. Front seats are well cushioned and provide good bolstering and lumbar support. Fabric quality and pattern looks nice. There is ample leg room available for all passengers. With driver's seat set to highest position, driver will be able to see the hood. Non-sliding armrest does help in long journeys (sliding mechanism would have enhanced the experience a notch). 8" inch touchscreen infotainment unit is smooth to operate. Car gets ample amount of storage all around. Rear seat lacks under thigh support but recline angle will be appreciated by most (Rear seat armrest is missing in this variant). Rear seats get sunshade curtains and LED sound mood lights enhance the driving experience at night.

Ergonomics and Storage
All the controls at steering wheels, on the driver's side door and on the infotainment have a good tactile feedback and is of durable quality. ORVMs are large and provide good view of the road at rear. IRVM is placed lower than it should be and creates a blind spot. Tail gate glass area is large enough and does not hinder with rear view. Steering wheel supports tilt adjustment. Driver also gets one touch up/down functionality (probably with anti pinch feature - this needs to be tested). Horn pad is smaller and people with small hands may find it troublesome to reach. Horn sound is just adequate and not too loud.
Each door gets 1 litre bottle holders and the centre space between front seats get two glass holders. There is additional space provided underneath the front armrest. Below the air conditioning controls, there is small space provided to keep knick-knacks. There is a secret space provided above the USB ports to keep the mobile phone.

Safety and Security
HTK+ gets ABD with EBD, Dual Airbags, Front Disc Brakes (diesel gets disc brakes at the rear as well, I wonder what would have been the logic behind this partiality), Rear wiper & washer, Rear parking sensor with camera and Driver Rear View Monitor (DRVM).

Infotainment
8" infotainment unit comes with Arkamys premium sound mood, Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The car comes equipped with 4 speakers (one in each door) and 2 tweeters mounted next to inside door handles of front doors. Sound output from 6 speaker system is clear and bass is punchy. I am no audiophile but, I found the sound quality to be above average. On engaging reverse gear, the 8" screen doubles up as a display unit providing the view of rear. Quality of rear camera is decent in daylight, at night it leaves you wanting for more. Infotainment unit also provides for driving information which gives analysis on the way the car is being driven (I am still exploring how this information works).


If android tablets are available at prices as low as INR 15,000/-, then why don't the manufacturers put a smarter touchscreen system with built in GPS, WiFi and other gizmos to make it more user friendly/convenient. I find the mandatory requirement of connecting phone via USB cable (for using android auto) to be annoying.

MID
To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I found out that the HTK+ gets a monochrome 3.5 inch MID. The higher variants were getting the 7 inch colour MID and that looks really stunning. So, I was not expecting much from this MID. But to my surprise, it had a lot more to offer. MID displays the odometer, outside temperature, distance to empty at all times. Transmission shift indicator pops up according to the throttle input suggesting to upshift/downshift. Trip computer display is different from what I have seen in other cars. Instead of the showing the standard Trip 1, Trip 2, Distance to Empty, Average Fuel Economy, Real time fuel economy figures independently, this MID accumulates the information and shows it in a smarter way.
The trip computer has following 4 screens:

1. Fuel Economy
   On this screen, the car displays the average FE by figures (since the last average fuel economy reset), followed by a real time FE bar that ranges between 0-30 kmpl.
2. Accumulated Info
   This display shows the (a) accumulated trip distance; (b) the average fuel efficiency; and (c) total driving time.
3. Drive Info
   Every time you get in the car and start driving, this information shows information of that particular drive. Information displayed is same as accumulated information and resets 4 hours after ignition has been turned off.
4. Digital Speedometer
   Real time speed of the vehicle is displayed in digital meter.

Under the user settings on MID, you can customise the (a) Doors (speed sensing auto lock enable/disable); (b) Lights (one touch turn indicator flash interval can be customised for 3/5/7 flashes); (c) Convenience (opening/closing of ORVMs on unlocking of the car).

MID also gets fuel economy auto reset option. On filling up 6 litres or more fuel, the average fuel economy resets automatically after the car is driven at a speed of 1 km/h. Service interval schedule can be programmed in the car to provide reminders on the display.

MID displays name of the song on each change (tested for music played from phone over bluetooth), Light Mode (switching on or changes in lights), Wiper Mode (switching on wipers or any adjustment to speed). The LCD display also shows open warning indicating for each door, tail gate and hood.

MID Hood Open Warning


MID Boot Open Warning; MID also displays the specific door which is open


Air-conditioning
Air conditioning is effective and cools the entire cabin in no time. For a real test (45 degrees of heat) of air conditioning system, we will have to wait until next summer. Rear AC vents are powerful.

[rahul_goyal]

How does it drive?
Unlock the car, get in the driver's seat (I typically use door request sensor to unlock the car) and you are welcomed by the KIA logo on the MID. Pressing Engine Start button once, takes you to the accessory mode. On pressing it again, a mini Seltos is displayed on the MID and a system check is performed. Depress the clutch and press the button again to start the engine.

MID System Check


On a cold start, the RPMs needle goes all the way upto around 1700 mark and settles to 800 rpm in about a minute. Has any other BHPian noticed this?

Clutch is super light and travel is short. I found the clutch bite point to be on the higher side. Lift your foot off the clutch pedal and the car starts crawling gently (without any accelerator input). 1st gear is short, but the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear ratios are very well laid. In city usage, you can go as low as to the speed of 15 kmph and still pull up to 40 kmph in 3rd gear without any pressure on the engine. Gear upshift indicator pops up at about 1900 rpm mark and is tuned towards efficiency.

This engine is silent and provides good drivability. It's not an engine that will push you in your seats or win you any races. This engine likes to be driven in an unhurried manner. Sedate drivers will enjoy. Try going heavy on the throttle and you find the engine response to be a little slower that one would expect. But make no mistake that this is still a very capable engine. Coming from a diesel turbo engine, I had very little expectation of this engine but having driven this engine for a while now, I have no complaints or regrets. The power is delivered throughout the rev range in a linear manner. The car feels most relaxed on cruising at about 2000 rpm. People looking for a power surge should look at the 1.4 turbo petrol engine.

The suspension is soft and soaks up the potholes with ease. Auto cruise control is a boon on the highways. Brakes are very effective, no complaints there. Steering is super light at lower speeds but weighs up decently on highways. Seltos has good turning radius and manoeuvring this car is not a problem even on tight roads and small u-turns.

Gear box felt rubbery for the first 500 kms but now the shifts have become a lot smoother. Throws are short and consistent; I faced no issues with the gear box.

Visibility from the driver's seat is adequate (bonnet line is visible). Auto-headlamps do a nice job and has powerful lighting.

Kilometres completed and average use
I have completed 1400+ kms so far with a mix of city and highway drive. I expect average monthly usage to be around 1200 kms.

Fuel Efficiency
I am on my 3rd tank of fuel and average fuel efficiency for first two fuel-up on a tankful to tankful method was 13 kmpl and 12 kmpl respectively. MID accumulated information figures were 15.5 kmpl and 14.5 kmpl. I expect the fuel efficiency to improve a little more in future because at present I am following the Team-BHP recommended run-in schedule i.e.

(a) First 1000 kms - up to 2,500 rpm
(b) Up to 1500 kms - up to 3,000 rpm
(c) 1500 kms - 2500 kms - gradually increase to maxiumum

The manual prescribed instructions on "Vehicle break-in process"

No special break-in period is needed.

By following a few simple precautions for the first 1,000 kms you may add to the performance, economy and life of your vehicle.

• Do not race the engine.
• While driving, keep your engine speed (rpm) between 2,000 rpm and 4000 rpm.
• Do not maintain a single speed for long periods of time, either fast or slow. Varying engine speed is needed to properly break-in the engine.
• Avoid hard stops, except in emergencies, to allow the brakes to seat properly.
• Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000 kms of operation.

Service Interval and First Service Experience
I got the 1st service (1000 kms/1 month) completed from Allied Motors Workshop in Gurgaon. While the workshop has been done nicely, the roads leading to the workshop are pathetic. They are so bad that you wish you had a Scorpio to come here. The staff is well trained and this dealership has picked up some good people to get the things in order. The service advisor was an ex-volvo employee and the chief mechanic used to work in BMW.

I expected a little from this first service but since the workshop was not crowded they let me be around the car. After a small chit chat with the service advisor who asked if I have any particular concern, the car was handed over for service. The mechanic popped the bonnet and checked all fluid levels and cleaned the air filter. He replaced the radiator cap and said that this is part of a campaign going on currently. My guess is that there is some issue with radiator cap and Kia is offering a replacement free of cost. Please let me know if any other BHPian noticed this in first service. Moving on, the car was put on the lift and the underbody was inspected and all bolts were checked/fastened. The mechanic moved on to check the lights, indicators and wiper/washer functioning. He also tightened the tyre bolts. The car was then sent for washing and was handled by a team of 3M guys who did a commendable job in cleaning the vehicle. The car's interiors were dirty when I took delivery and I had mentioned that to the SA, who said that we will get it completely cleaned at our workshop and they did deliver on their promise.

Seltos Underbody


Next service is due at 5000 kms or 6 months, whichever is earlier. This service is also for a general inspection and washing. Engine oil and other fluids are changed at interval of 10000 kms or 1 year, whichever is earlier. Kia by adding this 5000 km service has saved itself the cost of labour as 3 free services end at 10000 kms. Typically, 3 free service go upto 20000 kms.

The regular service interval is 10,000 kms or 12 months, whichever is earlier.

Smaller yet significant things

• DRLs are connected with handbrake and turns on automatically when handbrake is released;
• Doors auto-lock when car reaches the speed of 15 km/h;
• Boot can be opened with the key in your pocket;
• Instrumental console unit has ambient lighting (Turns dim automatically while entering into an underpass)

Upgrades

• Installed the door guard on all 4 doors (Purchase from Amazon)
• Got the 5 piece noodle mats for INR 1500/- (They are not 100% fit to carpet but does the job, quality is very good)

Planned Upgrades
None

[rahul_goyal]

Picture time.!

Exteriors

Front view


Front Left Side View; A pillar is blacked out; Projector headlamp are placed just above the bumper.


Front Right Side View


Projector Fog Lamps


Tiger Nose Grill and Front Bumper


Grill close-up view (Notice only the last row is open for air-inlet)


Request sensor on driver side door handle and silver coloured door guard from Amazon


Rear looks smart (chrome strip joins the tail lamps)


Tail lamps are well-sized and effective


Crease line


Rear Left Side Profile


Rear Right Side Profile


16 inch OEM Alloys adds to look of the car


Tyres are from Kumho Solus; Size is 205/65 R16 95H


Rear wheels get drum brakes


Bonnet is large and has a rubber lining


Engine bay is huge and can swallow a bigger engine with ease


Roof has a nice pattern


High mounted stop lamp (Small hole on the right side is for rear windscreen washer)


Roof rails


Seltos Badging


Shark-Fin Antenna


Side Profile (Silver color door guards look neat)


Seltos gets McPherson Strut & Coil Spring suspension at front; Rear gets Coupled Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring


Washer wiper is neatly tucked under the bonnet

[rahul_goyal]

Interiors

Dashboard


Manual Air-Conditioning Controls


Air Con Vent (Driver's side)


Anti-slip pad (Freebie)


Driver arm-rest


Storage under driver arm-rest (Notice the handbrake lever eating into space inside. No cooled storage provided.)


Single boot-lamp to help you find stuff at night


Boot-space


Each door gets 1 litre bottle-holder


Car manual cover provided by dealership is high on quality


Door pad mounted controls


Front doors are large


Engine Start-Stop button is conveniently located on the right side of steering


Floor hooks to hold OEM Mats


None of the front seat gets back pocket


Gear knob is ugly


Grab handles are fixed type (Fold type handles would have added to the look and feel)


Handbrake with tip finished in silver


On left: instrument cluster light adjust button; On right: Headlight adjust button


Infotainment unit is covered by Screen Protector purchased from Amazon


Front passenger side gets this handle


Both keys are remote (Silicon cover is purchased from Keyzone through Amazon)


Loading lip is not high and the floor is parallel (Notice the ribbon provided to access the tool kit and spare tyre)


MID on Accessory Mode


MID showing Accumulated Information


MID showing Digital Speedometer


MID showing Fuel Economy

[rahul_goyal]

Minimum and maximum space available to rear passenger


ORVM's are large and provide good view of the road (LED Indicator is mounted at the back)


Parcel Tray is far away from the rear seat


Gap is wide enough for small objects to fall in the boot


Passenger side view of the dashboard


Pedals are widely placed (Footrest is very useful)


Secret phone space (not visible from driver's seat) and storage below to keep knick-knacks (Also notice the USB sockets)


Rear AC Vent is powerful and has a small storage space underneath


Side view of the rear bench


Rear door gets curtain (nifty feature to have in Delhi heat)


Rear seat has soft cushioning, but three full sized adults may feel squeezed


Rear seats get fixed headrest


Pull this lever to fold the rear bench


Front seat belts are adjustable


Rear seat belts have dedicated hooks to keep them in place and avoid rattling noise


Up-close view of the seat fabric


Spare tyre and tool kit


Spare tyre is a steel wheel (no alloy provided)


Door trip has unique speaker pattern (Mood lighting effect reflected on this speaker grill)


Steering wheel and infotainment unit from Driver's seat (Notice how the dashboard is reflected in the windshield)


Steering Wheel feels nice to hold and has grip contours (No leather wrapping provided in this variant)


Left stalk to adjust wash/wiper; Right stalk has auto-head lamp and indicator controls


Left side steering control has buttons for adjusting volume, change tracks, bluetooth telephony
(Notice how volume adjust button is different; pressing this button in the middle mutes the infotainment)


Right side steering control gets Cruise Control and buttons to change settings in the MID


Sunglass holder open and close


Tweeter pattern is similar to speakers. Inside door handle is finished in silver and looks neat.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

Your car is going straight to our homepage

[Dr.Abhi]

So back in 2014, when I was looking to buy my first car, I almost narrowed down to Ecosport Base TDCi variant, but then it was a little overbudget and being the basic variant it also lacked on some key features I wanted (bluetooth telephony being one of them).

First of all congrats for your new ride, which also happens to be a new model from a all new brand. May your new ride serve you well and make all your voyages memorable one.
Btw I have owned Ecosport base Tdci since 2013 and I am using its music system and bluetooth telephony since then. And if my memory serves me right, Ecosport base variant was never stripped off its music system since its launch. Correct me if I am wrong.
Cheers and drive safe.

[rahul_goyal]

Originally Posted by Dr.Abhi

First of all congrats for your new ride, which also happens to be a new model from a all new brand. May your new ride serve you well and make all your voyages memorable one.
Btw I have owned Ecosport base Tdci since 2013 and I am using its music system and bluetooth telephony since then. And if my memory serves me right, Ecosport base variant was never stripped off its music system since its launch. Correct me if I am wrong.
Cheers and drive safe.

Thank you for your wishes.

I think you may be right about the bluetooth part (my memory didn't serve me right), apologies. But I do remember that the cost difference was substantial (over a lakh) and I was getting some additional features in Xcent.

[RajeevSharma]

Congratulations on your fabulous new car. Your review is precise and nicely written. I want you to write a little bit more about steering set up, feel and feedback. Can it tackle sharp corners at speed and what is the extent of body roll (if any) that you have felt so far.

Do you think boot space is as much as promised on paper in terms of taking in luggage or not!

[saisree]

Congratulations on the new buy. Seltos is surely a head turner and wish you more happy miles on it. Very detailed and with loads of pics, I almost felt like I already know in and outs of Seltos. Great Job

Originally Posted by rahul_goyal

Folks!
I became proud owner of Kia Seltos. Through this write-up, I am sharing my initial experience of Seltos 1.5 NA Petrol.

Your review almost made it as the official review on this forum. Ouch! tough time for the Official reviewers.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Congratulations on the new ride. It looks stunning. Even I was shocked when they said same HTX+ variant of Diesel gets rear discs and not the Petrol variant. Great review and observations.

I was wondering why you have not opted for faux leather seat covers. Fabric seats look decent but not suitable for 13 lakhs car. In my personal opinion the Seltos should have been a tad bit bigger. It would have given Hector and Harrier a run for their money.

[Aditya]

Great review Rahul. You have put in a lot of effort to compile it.

Coming to the Seltos, I must say it is extremely impressive whether it is the looks, quality, equipment or engine department. No wonder it is selling so well and has taken Kia to the number 5 spot in the manufacturer ranking in the country.

I haven't driven the 1.5L petrol, but going by your comments, this one seems to be more suited for a sedate driver. Glad to know that you have not faced any issue with the gearshift. It was one of the points I didn't like about the car.

Do keep this thread updated. It will help many BHPians who plan to buy the Seltos.

Wish you many happy miles of ownership.

[revsperminute]

Wow! Great review Sir. The Kia seems to be a really well-rounded product. Kia hit the nail on the head with it's variant wise feature distribution. All the best and I hope you enjoy your car to the fullest!