Kia is one brand that has cracked the Indian market very nicely and extremely quickly. The Kia Seltos and Kia Sonet have been popular across categories of buyers and the Kia Carens has become more of a fancier Ertiga for Indian buyers. Even the Korean manufacturer’s premium range of cars like the Kia Carnival, the Kia EV6, or even the Kia EV9 have seen fantastic response both in terms of the market or what critics have to say about Kia’s cars in India.
The Kia Seltos is arguably one of the most popular Kia and most versatile cars as per the India buyers. The compact SUV is probably the hottest car in the most popular segment in India. The Seltos has so many variants that you can buy this car across budgets of over 10 lakh going up to ₹20 lakh or above, meaning buyers across various budgets can also aim for this car, something that adds to the whole versatility factor here.
While I did get my chance to review the Kia Seltos X-Line DCT last year, I wanted to really try out a more enthusiast-centric variant of the car which is a diesel engine with a manual transmission. So after jumping publications and coming back to reviewing cars, I got my chance and I took it. The Kia Seltos diesel feels different, feels more powerful, feels more alive. With a manual transmission, it is even sweeter.
Kia Seltos Price in India & Competition
So the Kia Seltos has an expansive range of trims and price options. The Seltos starts at a price of ₹12.95 lakh (on-road Delhi) and goes up to ₹24.12 lakh (on-road Delhi) for the top-end variant. So practically, you can buy the same car for double the amount of money. As I write this, I dread detailing each and every variant and it’s on-road price in Delhi, but here goes:
- HTE (O) Petrol MT – ₹12.96 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Petrol MT – ₹14.62 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK (O) Petrol MT – ₹15.09 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTE (O) Diesel MT – ₹15.03 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Diesel MT – ₹16.61 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Plus (O) Petrol MT – ₹16.64 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK (O) Diesel MT – ₹17.19 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX Petrol MT – ₹18.27 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Plus (O) Petrol iVT – ₹18.20 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Plus Turbo Petrol iMT – ₹18.22 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Plus (O) Diesel MT – ₹18.82 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX (O) Petrol MT – ₹19.36 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX Petrol iVT – ₹19.85 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTK Plus (O) Diesel AT – ₹20.29 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX Diesel MT – ₹20.42 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX (O) Petrol iVT – ₹20.83 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX (O) Diesel MT – ₹21.62 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- HTX Diesel AT – ₹21.96 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- GTX Plus Turbo Petrol DCT – ₹23.03 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- GTX Plus Diesel AT – ₹23.53 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- X-Line Turbo Petrol DCT – ₹23.62 lakh (on-road Delhi)
- X-Line Diesel AT – ₹24.13 lakh (on-road Delhi)
Kia Seltos Performance and Handling
Coming to performance and handling, the manual Diesel is probably the most suited towards the driver. While the Kia Seltos is not a driver’s car, it comes close. The variant we have been driving for this review is a diesel (first time I’m driving a Kia diesel). The car comes with a 1.5 litre 4 cylinder CRDi diesel engine which is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. This is a front wheel drive car and makes 114.1 bhp of maximum power and 250Nm of torque.
Other features include a 17kmpl fuel efficiency, disc brakes on both front and rear, and a 50-litre fuel tank capacity. The car drives just fine. Kia Seltos is an easy to drive, easy to get used to car. The manual transmission is really good. The gear shifts are precise and slick. Throughout my time with the Seltos, I did not face a single issue with the transmission. However, one thing I would like to mention here is that while the clutch on the Seltos is really smooth and light, it isn’t remotely as weightless as the clutch on the new Kia Sonet (diesel manual).
In city drives, the Seltos has more than enough going for it. You never feel like you’re in an underpowered car and the 250Nm torque is more than enough to facilitate quick overtakes, in case you are in too much of a hurry. The handling is also really nippy and easy. The Seltos is quite easy to maneuver and it doesn’t feel as big while driving as you’d expect from a car this size. The steering wheel feedback is on the softer side, which is a personal preference. Some like their steering wheel feel to be soft, while some people prefer a bit of better feedback from the wheel. The Seltos, despite a softer electronic steering wheel, still has really good handling and is pretty easy to put into corners.
Even the ride quality isn’t much of that of an SUV. You do sit higher that you would in a sedan or a hatchback, but it’s not too different apart from the obvious higher riding position. This, however, also means that there isn’t too much bodyroll in the car and it is pretty stable in higher speeds.
And while all this may mean that the Seltos is not much of a driver’s car, it isn’t meant to be anyway. It is meant to be the car that appeals to everyone including enthusiasts who want a practical, comfortable daily driver. That, it does really well.
The best part about the diesel manual is the average. This car easily puts out a mileage of over 15 kmpl in the city which is really good. For a more efficient driver, the Seltos feels like it can easily put out more. On the highway, the car gave more than 19kmpl in a single drive of about 130 kilometers which is really good.
So overall the performance, handling, and average of the Kia Seltos diesel is pretty generic. Most people would really like how this car drives and how easy it is to get used to. Not the most powerful, but definitely one of the most convenient.
Kia Seltos Interior and Comfort
Now interior and comfort is one area where Kia always punches way above its weight. Here, there are no surprises. The interiors of the Kia Seltos HTX Plus Diesel are a pretty good place to be in. We get a dual-tone tan and black interior, which feels quite nice. There are touches here and there that don’t feel premium, but the space is pretty decent. I like the tan and black combination better than the beige or grey or full black on other variants – feels more premium than all the other colour options.
In terms of features, this car is fully loaded with everything you’d probably want in terms of creature comforts. We are getting a dual-zone climate control, we are getting the fully-digital instrument cluster, the 10.25-inch infotainment system, and more. There is no wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay though. The car also comes with ventilated seats, and the driver’s side seat is also electronically adjustable.
There is a full 6-speaker Bose sound system which offers very immersive sound. Not the best I’ve experienced, it is a bit bass-heavy, but you can hear all details quite clearly in music and other audio. And of course, there is also an air purifier and a panoramic sunroof, which go together quite well in a city like Delhi since opening the sunroof brings more polluted air inside the cabin so an air purifier comes in handy.
The air conditioning works really well and with the ventilated seats, the Seltos doesn’t take more than 2 minutes to cool down after being left under the sun for a long time, even in temperatures around 40 degree celsius. With the Seltos Diesel HTX Plus manual variant, you are also getting dual zone climate control, which is super useful if two people with different resistance towards heat are traveling together.
Coming to comfort, the Seltos is a pretty comfortable car for the city. The seats are big and plush, and there is enough lumbar and thigh support for you to have a comfortable ride. Even the seats on the back are wide enough for 5 mid-sized people to sit comfortably, and the thigh support is also pretty decent. The headroom, however, both on the front and back isn’t a lot. I am not a tall person by any standard and with the driving seat in my preferred position, there was barely a couple of inches between my head and the roof lining. This is because of the scoping roof design of the Kia Seltos.
The leg room, however, is sufficient. This car will easily fit people taller than 6 feet as well. The back seat has enough room for a mid-sized person to lounge comfortably. There is no seat ventilation on the back seats, but we do get adjustable headrests with the Kia Seltos.
So overall, this is a comfortable space to be in. Not the most plush or luxurious, but not shabby by any standard. This does feel like a premium place to be in with all the bells and whistles and the tan brown interiors. Comfort is absolutely fine, driving the Seltos for longer distances is pretty comfortable.
Kia Seltos Exterior and Styling
The exterior styling of the Kia Seltos is probably the best in this segment. Since the day Kia has launched the Seltos in India till today, this is one of the best designed compact SUV. It is modern but not too flashy. It looks bulky and mean but isn’t. The exterior is something that again appeals to multiple kind of users – those who want something mean looking, but also those who want something subtle.
As compared to the pre-facelift Seltos, this has been a very good facelift. It is easy to be identified in the wild, and everyone can tell from the new to the old. To quote our friends in Autocar, “The Seltos was already a handsome SUV, the subtle updates make it look more contemporary.”
We are getting a larger grille which is similar to other newer Kia cars, the new headlight DRL which extends into the grille and folds around the edges to resemble the new Kia logo. Good design element. This new headlight, however, makes the facelift appear slightly less wider as compared to the older model. The fog lamps below the headlights also get an updated four-block pattern. Along the sides we are getting newer claddings and skirting that add to the whole appeal of this car.
The rear of the Kia Seltos facelift has seen a more drastic change. We are getting new connected taillights and the rear now is somehow more angular and aggressive in design. The rear bumper is also new and gets the reverse lights integrated with the new model.
The build quality remains similar to the older model. It doesn’t feel all that sturdy, but it feels more reinforced than the Honda Elevate or the MG Astor. Kia has used pretty decent sheet metal, but the Seltos doesn’t feel like it would be able to take too much of an impact.
So the design still holds up. There are subtle but impactful changes in the front, and the rear looks much more aggressive and styled than the previous version. The side profile, however, remains pretty much the same as the older Kia Seltos.
Kia Seltos Safety and Tech
Safety and tech is again something this car has enough of. Given that this is the top-end manual that Kia offers in the Seltos, there are a few things missing that you would expect from the top-end Kia Seltos. First and foremost is the 360-degree camera. Yes, we only get a rear camera and parking sensors with the Seltos HTX Plus diesel manual, but a very high-quality one at that.
There are parking sensors both at the front and the back, so there are enough assists for a user to make use of. Second, we don’t get ADAS. But again, there is no car in the Indian market that offers ADAS capabilities on a manual transmission.
But let’s talk about what all we do get with the Kia Seltos HTX Diesel manual variant. The car comes with 6 airbags, which include airbags for the driver, the passenger, side airbags, and curtain airbags. Apart from that, we also get ABS, EBD, and brake assist for safer and enhanced braking.
The car also comes with an engine immobiliser which prevents thefts and we also get an electronic stability control (ESC) which keeps the car stable while turning on higher speeds. So in terms of safety, there is pretty much everything here except ADAS and 360-degree cameras.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Kia Seltos?
Verdict for me remains the same as last time. This is one of the safest sub-₹20 lakh crossover that you can buy in India. Yes, people have a similar take on the Hyundai Creta as well, but both the cars share similar DNA and I like the Kia more, mainly because of the reputation Creta has garnered on Indian roads.
The Seltos, however, has a special appeal for it. It appeals for middle-aged parents, it appeals to the young college-going crowd, it appeals to practical users, it appeals to enthusiasts. So yes, this is by far the most versatile car in this segment, more so than the Creta. It may not rank too high on the fun-to-drive scale, but I am not complaining given the amount of comfort, safety, entertainment, and novelty features we are getting with the new Seltos.
It looks good, offers a plethora of features, and the diesel engine is fun, especially if mated to a manual transmission. And to top all of that off, the diesel is extremely fuel efficient as well.
Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 8.2/10
- Design and Build: 8/10
- Safety: 8.5/10
- Tech: 9/10
- Performance: 7/10
- Ride Quality: 7/10
- Features and Comfort: 8.5/10
- Fuel Efficiency: 8.5/10
First reviewed in April 2025.
