Other models that the Selto will compete against is the Renault Captur, Mahindra XUV500,upcoming MG Hector and the Nissan Kicks.
Hyundai Group company Kia Motors has finally debuted in India with the unveiling of the made-for-India Seltos, a mid-size sports utility vehicle that will compete against the Hyundai Creta and Tata Harrier.
Manufactured at the Anantpur factory in Andhra Pradesh, the Seltos will be commercially launched in July, which is also when Kia plans to open bookings and reveal the pricing. The market expects the vehicle to be priced at in the range of Rs 10-15 lakh.
Other models that the Selto will compete against are the Renault Captur, Mahindra XUV500, upcoming MG Hector and the Nissan Kicks.
The Seltos (a combination of Greek God Celtos, son of Hercules, and speed) will be available in two fuel options – petrol and diesel – in a variety of trims. Kia has promised to launch the vehicle in Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) form right from the start. The diesel variant can be run on BS-IV grade fuel, confirmed senior Kia India officials.
The Seltos will sport a 1.4 litre turbo-charged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DCT transmission whereas 6-speed automatic and manual variants will also be offered. The car will have normal, eco and sports mode, first seen on some of Tata motors cars such as Nexon and Harrier.
Kia will start retailing operations from all of the 265 touch points appointed in 160 cities. A total of 350 such touch points will be installed by 2021. This will be the largest retail base for any manufacturer to begin operations in India. The Seltos will be offered in eight colours and five two-tone colour combinations.
Han-Woo Park, CEO and President – Kia Motors, said, “Kia has directly invested $1.1 billion in India so far which has gone into setting up of the 300,000 per year capacity plant. We plan to have four models in two years in India and Seltos is the first among them. The Seltos is engineered and designed with India in mind. India will become a major production base for markets such as Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa.”
The Seltos will come with UVO connect, a connected car technology which offers an array of convenience and safety features. It features navigation, safety, vehicle management and remote control. The facility which will be free for the first three years will feature AI voice command, stolen vehicle tracking and immobilization, auto collision notification, emergency assist feature, air purifier, and in-car air car quality monitor and safety alert such as geo-fencing, speed and valet.
The car also offers active and passive safety features. The Seltos gets six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, traction control, brake assist, hill assist, 360 degree camera, front and rear sensors, to name a few.
Besides, it also features an 8-inch head up display, 8 speaker Bose sound system, door curtains, cooling seats, second row USB chargers and two-step reclining seats.
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