Stolen at 3000 km: A Kia Seltos tale with a Crisis and a Close Call

I would say that Kia has really nailed it for whatever price point a Seltos has to offer, and I wholeheartedly recommend it esp. to people with drive with light foot.

BHPian HereticHermit recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I will come to the being glad part in end but just sharing my few thoughts about Seltos. I had a very small wish list when looking for a new car. At work I have a Ciaz for intercity and Bolero for field trips, both driven by chauffeur. My personal car(s) remained lowly Santro Xing since 1999. They were all Santros for some reason, so I had 1 Tall Boy, and 2 facelift Xings since 99. Present one is 2010 and expiring by year end. In that sense I have been in a time warp (and happily) as far as technological advances and buyers expectations in cars is concerned. Having experience from family member owned Ambys, Fiats and Gypsy and various Marutis from era of 2000s when I step out to buy a newer car, I am un-clued and almost wince at the thought of having to go through 2 pages here on tBHP about lack of electromagnetic dimming IVRM and similar white noises on various aspects of car features esp. when people are scouting for new car buy. I prefer simpler car and practical creature comforters over having to own and steer a complex electronic driven vehicle. [I do understand that it is practically impossible to buy a car today having the kind of electronic controls from 90s but still I would try to avoid overly complex can-bus highway of wires or cars having ecu code files that ran into GBs of data.]
With the above, my wish list was simple, and you will not find me chasing the latest or greatest in car innovation here. A 2000cc 4-cylinder engine (personal driving is almost 85% highway), Diesel, Manual shift, Cruise Control (because it is almost a necessity on expressways now a days) Rear wiper and defogger, little over 4 meters in length (no Innova due to parking manoeuvring between 2 pillars), 16-inch wheels or above. I realised that options are far and few in between with this list. Never considered Mahindra and both Tata Harrier/Safari were dropped even without a test drive. (Tatas still have not mended that silly curve tapering down on the dash facia that foul left knee if you are over 5feet 8inch tall) Just setting on the seat, with knees touching the lower of facia I knew I cannot drive it for over 3 hours. MG Hector was 3rd in line but dropped unceremoniously due to her boat like roll on highway. Finally, I really wanted to get the Jeep but with no cruise control on a manual, it was a very hard call for me and I dropped Jeep too.

So, I simmered down my engine requirement and started looking at 1500CC engines list. The cast net was wide, and it got even more bewildering with 4-meter models jumping into action. One thing became immediately clear to me that I will be getting only one model up from the base since higher variants had this tendency to get into tech heavy experience, useless sunroofs, and assisted driving for which I just didn’t cared. Despite reservations I will not comment upon the new fad of buyers clamouring for wide sunroofs and ADAS on higher variants as having served a recent ‘ban’ when I spoke out on these issues, I realised the biggest problem I see with current online forum culture is that every single statement has to be drilled down to the lowest common denominator and it created a culture where people are just looking to be offended because on their behalf, admins like getting offended. Far too much cancel culture, It's getting ridiculous.

With summary trials and weaning away from many offers, I had only Creta and Seltos remaining in consideration. None of them were my favourites and I really loathed the ‘shark tooth’ taillights of Seltos. Special mention to @Col Mehta who was looking for buying a new car as well and kept us posted here about his observations, which I shamelessly considered and exploited to keep the aimless discussion by Sales guys in check when visiting car showrooms. His spadework was helpful for me when working on Creta/Seltos decision making. Thank you Col Saab.

Second base model from either Creta/Seltos was OK for me and only 5% bias I had for Seltos was due to stiffer body roll on highway drives. Otherwise, driver cabin in both cars were bit too loud, pretentious and digital. I felt like I am looking at the electronic panel of a washing machine at home and not a car fascia. I waited for 2 months just so the dealer could fish out old stock; and since I had no favourite and KIA dealer offered the lowest price against Creta 2nd base, I got HTK+ without sunroof in last week of December 2024. It was moderately decked up in terms of ‘washing machine panel’ feel and had physical buttons for most parts. No ADAS or other intrusive tech and ran 17km for every litre of Diesel. I will say that I felt sorted with the buy and was happily taking her out every night for breaking in the engine since I had a 1400KM one way trip to Delhi coming up in January 3rd week. At about 850 km odo reading, one late night on highway it was bit foggy and I was doing 65kmph with cruise control, in distance I saw a mongrel on left side of the road looking across the opposite I had an instinct that he might run across but he lowered his head and was about to turn, so I continued. 2 seconds later, suddenly he whipped around and made a dash and had a contact with my right bumper, got ran over, howled and bolted away. I did not stop to check on him or the car since my speed was very moderate and that he ran away, I continued my 50 km run and came home. Next morning when I saw the bumper and front apron it looked like I may have killed not one but two dogs. Bumper was torn, plastic clips yanked away, and iron sheet apron bent and twisted inward. Wife joined me over a video call for inspection and looking at the damage, declared that my mind is touched, and I have become a Kutta Killer Psycho. The damage was so ‘severe’ that logic of me doing moderate speeds due to engine breaking in, foggy night forcing anyone to drive slow etc; made no appeal to her instincts.

Next day, workshop presented me an estimate of about Rs 26,700/- to fix up the mess which looked like a QC issue to me. I called up wife and told her that, for this money we can probably buy enough mutton for whole year, but pity it was a dog. She was naturally upset and reconfirmed that I have turned psycho. Now, the thing is it wasn’t the first ever dog hit in my life but the damage this accident caused at 65kmph speed is unheard of in any vehicle I had owned and driven since 1985. My confidence in Korean ‘paper and clip’ technology was quite shaken at this point and I started thinking if Japs were any better? (Couldn’t find a comfortable sitting position with Elevate despite a 50-60KM long TD so dropped Elevate from consideration long back). Anyhow since my departure for Delhi was nearing, I asked them to repair it without invoking insurance claim and brought the car in for first service at 1050km odo. First service at KIA is basically a joke where they simply eyeball the car and touch it randomly here and there to declare it fit. My request for a paid oil change was met with contempt and it quickly spiralled down to ‘humko zayada pata hai ya aapko zayada pata hai’ level. Had to call up the showroom owner and got it done.

How does it drive?
It was 1200 on odo when I had a flat out run for Delhi 1400km away in under 21 hours. On Poorvanchal expressway I let all her horses loose and RPM maxed at 4150 and as per gps, topend was 1 and sixty seven. For me the sweet spot was between 1100 to 1250 rpm when it ran very stress free. Body roll was contained but could have been better. Diesel chatter was not loud, but it is there. Steering dia was spot on and in consonance of the inputs. Steering wheel cantered perfectly and returned with slightest assistance and weighed adequately on high speeds. Though it is matter of personal preference, I didn’t really care for artificial weight it carried (but which car doesn’t, today?). Cabin insulation was better than few others I tested. Special mention for seats, coming from Ciaz, the seats on Seltos felt better and cushiony. I do like that they were meant to sit ‘on’ and not sit ‘in’ unlike Slavia or VW cars. Seating position was high and offered a good view all around. When pushed, diesel engine displayed all the jazz a turbo diesel is meant to display in a very linear way and I never felt it was out of breath, so KIA really have my 10/10 for tuning.

Milage: During break in period, intercity and bit of highway runs I got display FE of about 18+ and didn’t have enough miles with her to calculate tank full to tank full method. When floored, the real time FE display was 13. But overall, I was happy with the way car performed and dog hit damage was the only fly in ointment, but it was too late to do anything about it.

3000KM and thankfully the car got stolen.
This was the odo reading when I was in already in Delhi for few weeks and catching up with wife, daughter and doing things one does on a home town visit. On 13th February, early morning around 7:30am my daughter developed a medical situation and had to be rushed to emergency (buying the Seltos was a decision so to facilitate the family and travel back with them to where I work) I rushed down to parking area on open road (not everyone lives in closed gate societies here), my daughter hanging in my arms and trailing to being unconscious and I pressed the key to locate car and open car door.
No sound, no beep of car. I pressed again. Nothing. Pressed again and again. No car around. Took me a 1 minute to realise that car is stolen. Quickly got Ola cab and rushed to hospital while daughter almost stopped breathing. She was admitted in emergency, and it was not before 3 hours Doc emerged to say she is safe and that we managed just in time as another 15 min delay could have set off brain hypoxia. My wife and I hadn’t slept for past 42 hours and out of sheer exhaustion we dozed off together when our daughter developed the complication. It was by sheer chance and luck that wife heard muffled crying of daughter and alerted me. When doctor declared everything safe, wife just broke down in relief. But I still had to rush and inform police station least the insurer says there was delay in reporting. Later, when scanning local cameras, the timing of theft left me speechless. At 6.13am morning a Maruti Dezire crept alongside Seltos, they broke open door, reprogrammed keys. At 6.22am they drove off with car very nonchalantly like it is nobody’s business. It just took them 9 mins to do it. Approx 1 hour later, we needed the car for medical emergency and it just got stolen. Just imagine.

Though I was occupied with paperwork and chasing recalcitrant policeman; after few days wife wondered that just a day previous, we have removed lot of small Knick knacks, papers, files from car but left some money she meant to give in charity and dry ration packs she wanted to distribute. She surmised whatever evil was causing distress to family and kid is gone for good along with charity money and food. The extraordinary dog accident and catastrophe just a hair’s breadth away from daughter was not without reason. God bless that woman and her reasoning, for we when we have no control over events, it is a necessity to seek strength from somewhere, somehow and we have to accept that Seltos going away was a good omen somehow.

Emotions and financial losses aside, I am afraid, given the highway safety concerns (bit lazy for posting the damage pictures but if someone shouts, Pictures, or it didn't happen, I will post) my next car will not be from KIA but for those who don’t mind few compromises and are on budget. I would say that Kia has really nailed it for whatever price point a Seltos has to offer, and I wholeheartedly recommend it esp. to people with drive with light foot. Since the car was with me only for 3000 kms, I didn’t have much time to connect with it but feel free to ask if you have any queries. Though there isn’t a singe detail or experience which is not covered by others users in last 50 off pages or so.

I am out in market again for a new car but I am not in a hurry, family flew back with me and here my daily run is barely 3km a day. Old girl Santro Xing is still fit enough to do small 200-300 km runs if required but I still need to pass her on, by end of year. Back to the same old wishlist with Creta and Seltos written off I don’t find much in market that appeal to me on various accounts. Marutis are cheap but slow as molasses, Mahindra, Tata already out of race for other reasons and I am out of depths as to what I should consider now. Jeep is back somewhere in background but hard call, given I will use it 90% on highways without cruise control. (Internet is surprisingly dry as far as content is concerned on retrofitting a CC on Jeep Compass) Skoda Kylaq second base variant (can retrofit most of missing things) have everything I need except rear wiper, a highline TPMS and that it is a 4 meter car. Kushaq and siblings feel bit stressed with 1.0 TSI and 1.5 is loaded with things I just don’t care for and wasteful for what they offer.

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