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

60,000 – that is the number of Kia Seltos units marketed in the very first six months of its launch in India. For a debutant automobile brand in the Indian market place, that is a substantial number and fairly an accomplishment. The Seltos’ results in preliminary stages can be credited to its good design, extended listing of products, and the option of a number of powertrains at different rate points.

As you could know, the Seltos’ motor line-up involves a 115hp, one.five-litre the natural way-aspirated petrol motor a 115hp, one.five-litre diesel and a 140hp, one.4-litre turbo-petrol. And even though a six-speed guide gearbox is made available as conventional, just about every motor will get a different type of automated transmission option. The one.five petrol will get a CVT, the one.five diesel is readily available with a six-speed torque converter vehicle, and the one.4 turbo-petrol is made available with a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox.

We have earlier sampled the turbo-petrol and the diesel motor, and this time close to we have the one.five petrol paired with a CVT automated with us. So, does this make a sensible obtain about the one.4 turbo-petrol if you are on a finances? Let us come across out.

What is it like to push?

The ‘base’ Seltos makes use of a one.five-litre, four-cylinder, the natural way-aspirated petrol motor, which puts out a reasonable 115hp and 144Nm of torque. And even though Kia has the demands of performance-oriented potential buyers lined with the one.4-litre turbo-petrol edition, this one.five device is all about an easygoing character and a peaceful driving knowledge. Correct from the second you commence the motor, it is refined and operates quietly at lower to mid revs. It is only in the upper reaches of the powerband that it feels strained and the motor noise is intrusive. Off the line, electricity delivery is sleek and the motor is responsive to slightest of throttle inputs. It doesn’t have the mid-range punch of its turbocharged, but it doesn’t truly feel gutless both like many the natural way aspirated engines. Outside of 4,000rpm the motor commences running out of breath, and though it revs all the way until six,500rpm, there is very minimal performance to be extracted in the leading end.

We sampled the one.five petrol motor in its automated avatar, and we can notify you that the CVT (repeatedly variable transmission) does its career effectively. Of course, it does have the regular rubber-band outcome you knowledge in most CVTs, where by you accelerate hard and the motor rpm rises, but the same isn’t translated into speed. Even so, the excellent information is that this undesirable outcome has been retained to a minimum, which indicates there is ample electricity even though overtaking on the highways. What the CVT does actually effectively is it responds instantaneously at lower speeds, primarily on section-throttle, producing it easy to shut a hole in website traffic or make a speedy overtake. There is a guide mode to flick by way of predefined ratios but it doesn’t allow for intense downshifts, say to maximise motor braking.

During outright acceleration, having said that, the guide mode holds on to just about every ratio slightly for a longer period than in ‘D’ mode, just before jumping to the up coming ratio. As a result, in the guide mode, the Seltos petrol CVT did the -a hundred run in a respectable twelve.06sec. For reference, this is 2.3sec slower than the 140hp, one.4-litre turbo-petrol motor with the seven-speed DCT automated, but .85sec more rapidly than the 115hp, one.five-litre diesel motor with the six-speed torque converter automated. Apart from outright acceleration, the Seltos feels at household even though cruising on the highways with the motor speeds just under 2,000rpm at 100kph. All in all, this blend functions actually effectively if you have a peaceful driving fashion.

The suspension setup is on the firmer facet, and sharp potholes and bumps sign up by themselves in the cabin, a lot more so for the reason that of the seventeen-inch wheels, but it doesn’t truly feel very uncomfortable. As you achieve speed, vertical motion is retained in test and it is secure even though cruising on the highways. Even on twisty roads, thanks to the agency suspension and a restricted chassis, the Seltos feels balanced. Overall body roll is effectively contained even though driving close to corners and speedy course alterations don’t truly feel very unnerving. And though the steering weighs up as you achieve speed, there is very minimal truly feel and relationship. Brakes deliver excellent stopping electricity and have a progressive truly feel to them.

How effectively equipped is it?

Offered only in the Tech line, this one.five-litre petrol motor can be experienced in four variants – HTE (foundation), HTK, HTK+ and HTX. The CVT, having said that, is made available only on the HTX variant and you can’t decide for this motor transmission in the leading-end HTX+ variant, which will get electric powered sunroof, ventilated seats, entrance parking sensors, wireless charger, run driver seat, BOSE 8-speaker sound method and a bigger seven-inch MID for the driver. What you do get on this individual HTX variant is seventeen-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, LED DRLs, ten.25-inch touchscreen with UVO related automobile tech, inbuilt navigation, thrust commence button, 60:forty break up rear seats, air purifier and tyre tension checking method.

Really should I obtain one particular?

As pointed out earlier, this powertrain is readily available in the HTX variant, which is priced at Rs fourteen.09 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Just to give you a point of view, the similar guide variant charges a lakh rupees less. And if you desire to go for the similar variant (GTX) of the a lot more potent one.4 turbo petrol with a DCT automated, that would price tag you an more of Rs 2.2 lakh (GTX+ is Rs three.2 lakh a lot more). Even so, you do get a a lot more potent motor, a more rapidly gearbox and number of a lot more safety functions like six airbags and hill maintain support. So the problem continue to remains, is the the natural way aspirated petrol a excellent obtain if you don’t desire to commit too significantly on the turbo petrol? The answer is yes this one.five petrol motor with the CVT automated has just the appropriate total of electricity, refinement and sleek driving knowledge. So, if you have a laidback driving fashion, this Seltos will definitely cater to your demands and even surprise you if you ever desire to take a look at its restrictions.