2023 Kia Seltos Facelift Review

I just test-drove the iMT turbo petrol HTX+ today, and boy was it a bomb of a car. I was driving it hard and fast (but not at constant triple digit speeds owing to the road conditions), and the engine never left we wanting for more power, its really good. It didn't even warrant a downshift most of the time on two-lane highways.
The iMT also was good enough, and i didn't have any complaints, (yes, i could have shifted faster on a manual, but not to the point that it would make any difference in real-life conditions).
For the HTX+ variant though, I don't think it makes sense to get the iMT as the DCT is barely a lakh above. but for maybe a customer of the HTK+, i think this is a great option for the turbo engine (over the manual) for anyone living in the city(Provided you can live with the lack of rear headrests on this).

Dear fellow BHPians,

One of my friends has booked the facelift Kia Seltos. He booked a diesel but changed the booking to Petrol 1.5 Turbo as he has owned Petrol cars in the past. He is still confused between Petrol+DCT combination vs Diesel+TC.
He lives in Bangalore, and takes around 45 mins to an hour to cover distance between home and office (10 kms) once or twice a week. Most of his driving will be in city (80%) vs highway (20%). While petrol offers the new and spirited 1.5 turbo, he has concerns around DCT gearbox heating up in bumper to bumper situations. Diesel transmission has peace of mind but issues around long term government regulations.

Checking for some suggestions for him to settle on Petrol v/s Diesel.
Thank You in advance.

Their explanation in showroom is, we have provided MapMyIndia maps in System itself, so you don't need wireless Andriod/Carplay to play maps. Such a dumb thoughts, person who gave this suggestion should be sacked from Kia. While competitors are marketing their product as Wireless Andriod/Carplay, Kia is marketing its top models as Use MapMyIndia maps, you don't need wireless

Same with Hyundai also, don't know who can tell them, this is completely dumb.

For low driving requirements of about 20 to 40 kms in week, petrol drivetrain would be enough. Diesel maintenance, plus DPF issues would concern your friend in long term. Driving a DCT carefully, as it should be, would not cause problems.

The most boring option: NA + IVT or CVT is ideal for cities but will leave you wanting in highways. On the other hand Turbo Petrol + DCT is the most fun to drive on highways but it exhibits lot of jerkiness in city driving(may not sound like much but the reality will make one loose all driving pleasure). The Turbo Diesel + TC is the absolute middle ground compared to the above options. The engine is very tractable in city and a mile muncher on the highways with enough power and torque for overtakes. The DPF clogging won’t be a problem if every once a while your friend goes on a long drive.

So my suggestion would be Diesel TC > NA IVT > Petrol DCT in that order for 80% city + 20% highway.

IMO the best combo is Turbo Petrol + TC. Although it will never be manufactured.

PS: I have a Virtus GT and the jerkiness exhibited by DSG in city speeds gets annoying sometimes. Also, hit one bad patch of road and the DSG downshifts aggressively to maintain traction. The FE is between 9-11 kmpl in the city.

Cheers

If driven in ECO mode the jerkiness isn't present and is actually quite usable in city conditions. You should try the same in Virtus as well.

None of the Seltos DCT drive reviews mention jerkiness in city driving conditions. Not even our official review.

Anyone has any views to share on Government Regulations for the next 3 to 5 years for risks associated with getting a new Diesel car (in Bangalore).
My take, it will be commercial vehicles that are affected first whenever that happens and Passenger Diesel cars would still have some time to Live On.

Virtus GT does not have an exclusive Eco mode that is user selectable. The engine cuts off two cylinders under light loads and that’s about it. It makes no difference to the gearbox jerkiness. Again me saying it again and again makes it sound like a huge dealbreaker. Absolutely not. Love it to bits because my usecase is 90% highway and 10% city.

It is mentioned in our official tbhp review. Excerpts from our review:
1) “However, we did notice that the gearbox got a little confused on a few instances while driving through some traffic.” - A confused gearbox usually jerks to the right gear after initial hesitation. It is implied and not stated explicitly. This is from my experience driving the Virtus.
2) “The Sport mode isn't something you'd want to engage in the city as it can get a bit jerky to drive.” - There is mixed opinion on this all over the Internet. Some reviewers have opined just the opposite. They’ve said that sports mode is much smoother to drive compared to normal or eco. Guess it depends on individual driving style.

Cheers!

I was going through all the engine, transmission and variants combos and found that the most VFM variant is HTK+ of 1.5 T-GDI petrol Turbo iMT. Priced at 14.99 lakh ex-showroom, it stands as the most affordable and powerful car in the market with a panoramic sunroof — an impressive combination of features.

The second best VFM option is the HTK+ variant of the 1.5 CRDI diesel iMT, although it lacks the panoramic sunroof offered in the turbo petrol model in HTK+

HTK+ variant comes with all basic features - alloy wheel, panoramic sunroof (only in turbo petrol), fully automatic AC, LED DRL, cabin LED lamps, driver side auto down and up, outside mirror auto fold, rear view camera, rear ac vent, smart key, wireless android auto/apple carplay,

Safety Features in HTK+ - 6 Airbags, Abs, ESP, BAS, All Wheel Disc Brakes, ESC, HAC, ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), Highline Tire Pressure Monitor, Rear Parking Sensors, Front Parking Sensor, Speed Sensing Auto Door Locks, Impact Sensing Auto Door Unlock And Immobilizer

Important missing features in HTK+ - 60:40 split, ventilated seats, one touch up/down all windows, LED headlights, ISOFIX Child Anchor

For those want additional features, the GTX+ or X-line variants are worth considering. In my opinion, the HTX and HTX+ variants do not justify the upgrade over the HTK+ in any engine and gearbox combination.

Hello.
Test drives for Turbo petrols have already begun. In Mumbai they started it on 22nd. Also kudos to KIA, they are providing TD of Diesel, Turbo Petrol and NA petrol as well, unlike Hyundai which has only Turbo petrols as TD vehicles.

Also I don't think the price is going to increase for at least the next 3-4 months. Maybe it will increase post Diwali

Firstly, IMO Diesel is here to stay for another 8-10 years looking at the current EV infrastructure.
Also it might be the opposite that passenger vehicles are affected first since, already commercial vehicles get less FE due to cargo and weight. If they shift to petrol, cost of transport will increase manifold


Go for the Diesel. A half an hour drive on an open road twice a week would get them rid of DPF issues. Also the diesel motor is one of the best in the category and the driving pleasure cannot be matched

Having driven current gen 1.4 turbo DCT Creta quite extensively, I can confirm that it does feel jerky in city traffic conditions. It’s not as smooth as 1.5 NA IVT. You really need to drive it sedately (Eco mode helps) to not make the drive too jerky or unpredictable.

But yes, it does shine on open roads and highways. I’m sure the 1.5 turbo will have the same driving dynamics. So if your driving requirement is more within city limits, turbo with DCT may not be the best option. The 1.5 diesel with TC or the NA with IVT should work better. Of course, diesels have DPF issues, particularly if you can’t take it on open roads frequently, which makes the NA engine with IVT a strong contender, along with turbo with iMT.

Whats the best way to save money while purchasing?

The dealer is quoting an insurance amount of 75k on the GTX+.

Also, he did not mention anything about the MyConvenience package? Is it something we can buy later on like extended warranty or we need to buy with the initial payment?

Would love everyone's thoughts

Actually, it has been the other way round. Diesel private cars are the soft targets. Minimum noise and resistance from owners, and lip service done. It is not easy to dictate terms against transport vehicles because of strong transport/trade lobbies and the immediate effect such a move will have on the economy in terms of availability of trucks, tempos etc. This is what happened here in Delhi NCR.

For 80% city usage, it would best to avoid DCTs. Apart from heating the jerks encountered for speeds less than 15 kmph would leave the person frustrated and that too it would be driven in Bangalore traffic .