In the midst of intense competition within the mid-size SUV segment, Kia recently unveiled the highly anticipated Seltos with a range of upgrades to ensure its freshness and relevance.
The 2023 Kia Seltos will have the new 1.5-litre turbo petrol direct-injection engine which has already debuted in the recently launched Hyundai Verna. It will replace the erstwhile 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine that was on sale previously. The bookings for this facelift model opened on July 14 and the Korean auto giant has already received over 13,000 bookings for the mid-size SUV on day 1. That is a testament to the kind of warm reception the potential buyers have showered upon it. Remember, Seltos was the first product from Kia which started the mad success the Korean giant has displayed in our market. Now the official figures reveal that the new engine will be more powerful, faster and more fuel-efficient than the outgoing unit.
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New Engine of 2023 Kia Seltos
Since Hyundai is the parent company of Kia, the two share the powertrains in our market. Recently, the new Verna got this 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine replacing the 1.4-litre unit. Now this engine will also make its way into the updated Kia Seltos. As per the official data shared by Kia, the acceleration time for a 0 to 100 km/h sprint with the new engine is just 8.9 seconds compared to 9.8 seconds with the outgoing engine. That is the glaring difference of around 1 second. Similarly, the kick-down acceleration times for a 20 to 50 km/h and 60 to 100 km/h sprint were 2.1 seconds and 4.8 seconds compared to 2.5 seconds and 5.7 seconds respectively. Finally, the claimed fuel efficiency is 17.7 km/l (iMT) and 17.9 km/l (DCT) compared to 16.1 km/l (iMT) and 16.5 km/l (DCT) respectively.
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Specs
The new Kia Seltos introduces a range of options, including three powertrain choices and five transmission variants. These options encompass a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine, and 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. The car is available in three trims: X-Line, GT-Line, and Tech-Line. The first two engines are carried over from the previous model. The latter is sourced from the recently launched Verna and serves as a replacement for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. Power and torque outputs for the engines are as follows: 115 PS / 144 Nm for the petrol engine, 115 PS / 250 Nm for the diesel engine, and 160 PS / 253 Nm for the turbo petrol engine. The transmission options include manual, IVT, and DCT for the petrol engine. Meanwhile, the Diesel engine is available with iMT and automatic transmission.
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What We Think
Kia Seltos facelift is bound to bring a lot of buzz in the segment. Hyundai Creta is already the segment leader for a long time with a huge margin. With this updated Seltos, Kia aims to challenge that domination. This will be done by offering tons of segment-first features and a slightly premium feel to attract more customers. Whether it manages to be successful in doing that or not remains to be seen. Going by the sheer number of bookings received, the signs certainly look positive.
