Since the launch of the Seltos, it has been selling in good numbers. It has now become a very common sighting on our Indian roads. The Seltos is available in various different engine and transmission options. Today, we have a drag race video of two Seltos diesel. The only difference between the two is that one has a manual gearbox while the other one is an automatic. The video has been uploaded by Arun Panwar on his YouTube channel.

The video showcases two identical Kia Seltos. The vlogger shows us that one is equipped with an automatic transmission while the other one is has a manual gearbox. Both gearboxes have 6-speeds in them. Vlogger says that the manual Seltos is expected to lead the drag race. However, they wanted to know how much lead the manual gearbox can take over the automatic one.

The windows of both the SUVs are rolled up and the air conditioning is also turned off in order to extract the best possible performance. In the first round, the automatic Seltos’s gearbox is in fully automatic mode so the gear shifting will be done by the vehicle itself. As soon as the drag race starts, the Seltos with the manual gearbox is able to take the lead easily. It also holds the lead throughout the drag race. Having said that the automatic Seltos is not too far behind which is commendable for an automatic transmission. So, the Seltos with the manual gearbox wins the first round of the drag race.

In the second round, the automatic transmission of the Seltos is shifted into manual mode. In this round also the manual Seltos leads the drag race while the gearshifts are done manually in the automatic Seltos too. The manual Seltos wins the second round too.

Then the vlogger tells the reason for the automatic Seltos losing the drag race. The initial pick-up of an automatic transmission is slow and smoother. This is done so that the occupants do not feel head nods when they are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. The other reason why automatic Seltos lost is because that in manual mode the vehicle is restricted to just 2,000 rpm whereas the manual Seltos can be revved up to 5,000 for a more powerful launch.

The Seltos comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces 115 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. Kia offers the diesel engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

There are two other engine options also. There is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 115 PS of max power and 144 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox, 6-speed iMT or an IVT automatic gearbox. Then there is the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that comes with direct injection. It produces 140 PS of max power and 242 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The Seltos starts from Rs. 9.95 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 17.65 lakhs ex-showroom. It goes against Hyundai Creta, MG Hector, Renault Duster, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Nissan Kicks, Tata Harrier, Skoda Kushaq and the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun.