Kia Seltos GT Line Diesel vs Petrol? Scared of DPF and DCT!

I also have a Kia Sonet iMT Turbo Petrol, which has been niggle free in it's 2.5 year existence with us.

BHPian 07CR recently shared this with other enthusiasts,

I would soon be replacing my Ecosport Diesel S TDCI (BS4) with a Seltos GT Line model.

I like to keep my cars for long (Ecosport unfortunately being an exception due to Ford's exit). I wish to keep the next car for around 10-12 years.

With that away, I have narrowed down to Kia Seltos GT Line. However, I am a little confused with respect to the fuel choice.

Some information about my usage-

• My annual running is about 9000 kms.
• Most of it is in city conditions with long highway trips thrown in once a month. The car would spend it's major time in short city trips of around 10 kms.

I also have a Kia Sonet iMT Turbo Petrol, which has been niggle free in it's 2.5 year existence with us.

I am worried about the long term maintenance of Seltos's DCT, if I go in for the Turbo petrol DCT combo. Will the DCT be reliable with me, if I pay attention to basics? (not overheating it, putting it in neutral whenever possible, relatively sparse traffic in my region)

On the other hand, with my relatively low highway running, I am worried that I will encounter many DPF related issues.

With Only these factors in mind, seeking your guidance, as to which engine transmission combo should I go for? Turbo Petrol DCT or Diesel AT? In other cars, while the Hybrid combo of Hyryder is a great option, but I feel the overall package is more Maruti than a Toyota, hence won't consider it.

Here's what BHPian avira_tk had to say on the matter:

Why bother with the dct, an automatic is meant for convenience, not timing red lights and watching the temperature gauge like you're baking. 10 kms is a good distance, the engine will warm up in that time for a diesel. The added bonus is that the diesel will be cheaper to run with good performance, the turbo petrol will perform only with premium fuel, those headline HP figures are misleading, just slick marketing.

Here's what BHPian Hayek had to say on the matter:

Petrol any day. The BS6 diesel makes no sense unless you are a regular highway driver. Plus you live in the #8 city in India - so you do face the risk that at some stage, diesels will be banned in Pune too.

DCTs are not as reliable as torque converters - but they are not failing at a 100% rate the way the infamous DQ200 did back in the day. And Kia will likely support you if you have a problem. Take the extended warranty though.

Also I believe the face lifted Seltos has autohold - so you don’t need to keep shifting to neutral etc.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

Echo most of what Hayek said and for the same reasons too.

I am also simply off diesels now (specially BS6 diesels with all their DEF hassles etc). I would any day recommend the petrol and like Hayek said, go for the max extended warranty.

I’m in fact fast tracking my own garage off diesels too and expect to make a shift to one petrol car asap and within 3 - 4 years, a second car which will be either a strong hybrid / EV. If I was buying a car today, a diesel would simply not be on the list at all, specially for people living in Tier 1 cities like Mumbai and Pune. Policy is just far too unpredictable.

A couple of years ago there was also too much uncertainty on ethanol blending but today most cars are coming with E20 compliant fuel so you should be sorted on most fronts with petrol and max warranty now. Your running is not that high for fuel cost to be a concern and 10 - 12 years holding period for the car is a long enough time horizon to bet on petrol instead of diesel.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

It’s a no brainer to rule out diesel in your case - short city commute, maintenance complexity, regulatory risks.

A good hybrid would have been great but hard to find something as appealing as Kia. If you prioritise trouble free long term ownership, this certainly deserves another look. I feel hybrid and EV should be given due consideration if someone is purchasing a city car.

DCT from a dependable brand like Kia should not be an issue - it’s not as notorious as DSG and Kia is not like a VW when it comes to customer support.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

1. There is no case for diesel. You don’t have the running to make it worth the DPF risks, short running and potential regulatory issues

2. While the iVT automatic would have rid you of the DCT reliability concerns, I don’t think it is an option you are open to. NA-iVT is arguably more suited to short urban commutes than turbo-DCT. Cheaper on the pocket, initially as well as in the long term

3. The ideal car for your kind of usage is a hybrid, especially for peaceful long term ownership. Unfortunately, it is a monopoly situation with poor availability.

Still, as it is a compromise one way or the other, my take is that you explore your options more, including electric. If your heart is still set on the Kia, get the turbo DCT X Line and have all the fun in the world with it.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.