Kia Seltos petrol-automatic review: Is it the pick of the range?

28^th Feb 2020 two:50 pm

We have lastly obtained our hands on the reasonably inexpensive one.5-litre petrol engine-run Seltos, and the information is excellent.

60,000 – that is the quantity of Kia Seltos models sold in the to start with 6 months of its launch in India. For a debutant car manufacturer in the Indian market place, that is a substantial quantity and really an accomplishment. The Seltos’ good results in original levels can be credited to its good design, prolonged checklist of tools, and the choice of many powertrains at various selling price details.

As you may possibly know, the Seltos’ engine line-up features a 115hp, one.5-litre normally-aspirated petrol engine a 115hp, one.5-litre diesel and a 140hp, one.four-litre turbo-petrol. And even though a 6-velocity guide gearbox is made available as common, just about every engine gets a various type of automated transmission choice. The one.5 petrol gets a CVT, the one.5 diesel is available with a 6-velocity torque converter vehicle, and the one.four turbo-petrol is made available with a seven-velocity twin-clutch gearbox.

We have previously sampled the turbo-petrol and the diesel engine, and this time all over we have the one.5 petrol paired with a CVT automated with us. So, does this make a wise invest in above the one.four turbo-petrol if you are on a spending budget? Let us obtain out.

What’s it like to drive?

The ‘base’ Seltos takes advantage of a one.5-litre, 4-cylinder, normally-aspirated petrol engine, which places out a sensible 115hp and 144Nm of torque. And even though Kia has the desires of performance-oriented customers included with the one.four-litre turbo-petrol model, this one.5 device is all about an easygoing mother nature and a relaxed driving knowledge. Appropriate from the second you get started the engine, it is refined and runs quietly at small to mid revs. It is only in the upper reaches of the powerband that it feels strained and the engine noise is intrusive. Off the line, electricity shipping is smooth and the engine is responsive to slightest of throttle inputs. It doesn’t have the mid-vary punch of its turbocharged, but it doesn’t really feel gutless either like several normally aspirated engines. Outside of four,000rpm the engine starts off working out of breath, and whilst it revs all the way until 6,500rpm, there’s quite minimal performance to be extracted in the leading stop.

We sampled the one.5 petrol engine in its automated avatar, and we can explain to you that the CVT (constantly variable transmission) does its position nicely. Yes, it does have the regular rubber-band result you knowledge in most CVTs, where you accelerate challenging and the engine rpm rises, but the similar isn’t translated into velocity. On the other hand, the excellent information is that this unwanted result has been retained to a minimum amount, which indicates there’s ample electricity even though overtaking on the highways. What the CVT does definitely nicely is it responds immediately at small speeds, specifically on aspect-throttle, generating it easy to shut a hole in targeted visitors or make a quick overtake. There is a guide manner to flick by predefined ratios but it doesn’t permit aggressive downshifts, say to maximise engine braking. On the other hand, for the duration of outright acceleration, the guide manner retains on to just about every ratio slightly for a longer period than D manner in advance of leaping to the up coming ratio. Therefore, in the guide manner, the Seltos petrol CVT did 100kph from a standstill in a respectable 12.06sec. For reference, this is two.3sec slower than the 140hp, one.four-litre turbo-petrol engine but quicker than the 115hp, one.5-litre diesel engine by .85sec. Aside from outright acceleration, the Seltos feels at household even though cruising on the highways with the engine speeds just under two,000rpm at 100kph. All in all, this mixture functions definitely nicely if you have a relaxed driving fashion.

The suspension setup is on the firmer side, and sharp potholes and bumps register them selves in the cabin, far more so mainly because of the 17-inch wheels, but it doesn’t really feel quite awkward. As you get velocity, vertical movement is retained in test and it is steady even though cruising on the highways. Even on twisty roads, many thanks to the agency suspension and a tight chassis, the Seltos feels well balanced. Body roll is nicely contained even though driving all over corners and quick route variations never really feel quite unnerving. And whilst the steering weighs up as you get velocity, there’s quite minimal really feel and link. Brakes present excellent stopping electricity and have a progressive really feel to them.

How nicely equipped is it?

Available only in the Tech line, this one.5-litre petrol engine can be experienced in 4 variants – HTE (base), HTK, HTK+ and HTX. The CVT, on the other hand, is made available only on the HTX variant and you are unable to choose for this engine transmission in the leading-stop HTX+ variant, which gets electric sunroof, ventilated seats, front parking sensors, wi-fi charger, run driver seat, BOSE eight-speaker audio method and a even larger seven-inch MID for the driver. What you do get on this particular HTX variant is 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, LED DRLs, ten.25-inch touchscreen with UVO related car tech, inbuilt navigation, drive get started button, 60:forty break up rear seats, air purifier and tyre strain monitoring method.

Should I invest in just one?

As outlined previously, this powertrain is available in the HTX variant, which is priced at Rs fourteen.09 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Just to give you a viewpoint, the equivalent guide variant expenditures a lakh rupees significantly less. And if you wish to go for the equivalent variant (GTX) of the far more strong one.four turbo petrol with a DCT automated, that would charge you an more of Rs two.two lakh (GTX+ is Rs 3.two lakh far more). On the other hand, you do get a far more strong engine, a a lot quicker gearbox and several far more basic safety characteristics like 6 airbags and hill keep assist. So the question continue to stays, is the normally aspirated petrol a excellent invest in if you never wish to devote too a great deal on the turbo petrol? The remedy is yes this one.5 petrol engine with the CVT automated has just the right amount of electricity, refinement and smooth driving knowledge. So, if you have a laidback driving fashion, this Seltos will surely cater to your desires and even shock you if you at any time wish to examination its restrictions.