Kia Seltos is a bold looking car, to say the least. There are not many automakers who would take this bold move but it has worked out well for the Seltos. There are a lot of modern features that have been laid out in this compact form factor and you would never be weary of looking at it.
The only other bold car in this segment that can cope up with the vibe of Kia Seltos is Tata Harrier. The first impressions were kind of hazy but that doesn’t make it any less of an explosive package and a worthy competitor for the Kia Seltos.
This crossover from Kia is based on a new universal platform that is also shared with the second Gen Hyundai Creta. It is a modified version of the K2 platform that underpins the likes of Verna and Elantra. The car is solid and well built with a noticeable weight to all of its panels and can be specifically felt from the openable parts like the doors, bonnet and tailgate.
The front fascia is dominated by what Kia calls a tiger-nose grille. It is a common design cue used in many Kia offerings and surely looks like a tiger snarling at you! Very menacing. The unique headlamp design goes well with the grille and forms a single uninterrupted part. The base variants get projector headlights and as well go up, it gets transformed into a full-LED unit.
The most noticeable part of this headlamp setup is the LED DRL strip that flows almost to the centre of the grille giving it an unlikely stance, mostly at night. This strip is, however, present only in the GT Line variants. Kia calls its crazy headlamp set up a “crown jewel” LED cluster which is given a healthy dose of chrome treatment.
The front bumper has integrated skid plates which gives it a clean look and LED fog lamps are positioned vertically for a unique overall look. Branding is subtle as the “KIA” logo is positioned at the centre on the bottom end of the bonnet. Coming to the sides, it has a very western vibe to it. Black plastic claddings around the wheel arches and on the door bottom give it a muscular and rugged look.
The read end is subtle as compared to its very happening front end. Prominent creases on the tailgate and bumper give reciprocates with the overall, muscular design language. The most noticeable element is the thick chrome strip that runs across connecting both the tail lamps. A subtle yet chrome centric “Kia” logo is positioned at the centre of the chunky chrome strip.
Taillights are halogen for the base variants and as we move up the table, LED taillamps adds to its premium feel. The differentiating exterior features are listed below based on its variants. As Kia has overwhelmed us with 9 variants, we had to split it into two tables to make things simple. Take a look.
Variant | HTE | HTK | HTK+ | HTX | HTX+ | GTX+ |
Exterior Features | 16-inch steel wheels | All features in HTE added/replaced and: | All features in HTK added/replaced and: | All features in HTK+ added/replaced and: | All features in HTX added/replaced and: | All features in HTX+ added/replaced and: |
Kia signature tiger-nose grille | ORVM LED turn signals | 16-inch alloy wheels | 17-inch alloy wheels | Rear spoiler | 17-inch crystal cut alloys | |
Metal painted diamond knurling pattern | Bridge type roof rails | Heartbeat LED DRLs | Silver centre wheel caps | Electric sunroof | Red centre wheel caps | |
Front and rear skid plates | Front and rear mudguards | Glossy black Kia signature nose grille | Kia Signature tiger-nose grille- Black high glossy with GT line logo | |||
Black door garnish | Chrome diamond knurling pattern | Front bumper with red accents | ||||
Body-coloured outside door handles | Chrome outside door handles | Rear bumper with dual muffler design and red accents | ||||
Halogen tail lamps | Body-coloured door garnish with silver accent | Black and body-coloured door garnish with red accent | ||||
Projector headlamps | Dual muffler cut-out for the rear bumper | |||||
Shark fin antenna | Crown jewel LED headlamps | |||||
Sweeping LED light bar | ||||||
Heartbeat LED taillamps |
The lesser visible parts are given due importance as well as the fit and finish of the underbody protection is commendable and has been done well which helps drastically in our unpredictable roads. Other subtle let notable design cues include the prominent creases on the bonnet to give it a muscular look and usage of different patterns on the upper and lower front grilles to give it a polarizing look. The front and rear contrasting skid plates add to its ruggedness but Kia should have omitted with the fake dual exhaust cuts in the rear bumper.
The GT Line variants have subtle yet noteworthy changes which change its sporty vibe. The front grille has a neat “GT Line” logo and it looks killer with the contrasting black colour. The rear also gets a “GT Line” badging and prominent red accents are added on the front and rear bumpers. It also gets unique “crystal cut” 17-inch alloy wheels along with red calipers upfront.
Variant | GTK | GTX | GTX+ |
Exterior Features | 17-inch crystal cut alloy wheels | All the features in GTK added/replaced and: | All the features in GTX+ added/replaced and: |
Red centre wheel caps | Front Red brake calipers(that's the only different feature!) | Electric sunroof(that it, again!) | |
Kia Signature tiger-nose grille- Black high glossy with GT line logo | |||
Chrome diamond knurling pattern | |||
Front bumper with red accents | |||
Rear bumper with dual muffler design and red accents | |||
Crown jewel LED headlamps | |||
Sweeping LED light bar | |||
Heartbeat LED taillamps | |||
Rear spoiler | |||
Bridge type roof rails |
Kia also provides a top lip spoiler and roof rails which adds to its SUV-ish appeal. Dimensionally, Kia Seltos is now very similar to that of its arch-nemesis, Hyundai Creta and is a compact offering despite its loud and bold outlook. It is 4,315 mm long and 1,800 mm wide which is ample to seat three occupants at the rear with ease while navigating through tight traffic situations. It has a wheelbase of 2,610 mm and height of 1,645 mm which adds to its sleek crossover look.
It is a well laid out package with minimal faults to look out for. There are no quality issues as it gets the same precision quality as its sister, Hyundai does and panel gaps are well controlled. A much competent value for money proposition that is sure to turn eyeballs for a long time forward.