Suspension is harder than the Hyundai Creta and others at low speeds but results in slightly better handling. Maybe VW Taigun / Skoda Kushaq are the only better handlers with a little better ride quality.
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Point wise likes & dislikes of the car
Likes
- Very smooth and refined engine/ transmission combination
- Well equipped in HTX variant – Auto dimming mirror, leather seats, white headlights, remote start & app features, etc.
- Spacious and great ergonomics
- Easy to drive – ergonomics, non-jerky transmission/ engine/ brakes, driver visibility, clear reverse cam & front sensors
- Great music system and sound insulation
Dislikes
- Auto Start-Stop has to be switched off every time the car is started. It is also too reactive; if you stop to reverse, the car goes off before you can go into R
- IVT though sufficient if you are familiar with CVT behaviour, is not the enthusiast's choice; nothing will happen if you floor it. One has to gradually increase accelerator pressure for noiseless/ brisk progress. Even then, you are not going to win any races
- IVT not available in GTX Trim/ X line – since there was no IVT in HTK+ I would have liked ventilated seats, Bose music system, ventilated & electric seats, etc. without the DCT
- IVT not available in previous HTK+ trim – this was actually a very well equipped trim but now rejigged to omit foldable mirrors but include sunroof. Had everything you needed but without the sunroof
- Questionable safety – well-known con of previous 3-start rating and currently unknown rating
- Headlights should have been brighter/ projector based
Need for a car, all the alternatives that were considered, and why I zeroed in on this particular car
A very long & slow search for a car to replace my 2011 Honda City due to the 15-year rule (I would have kept it forever otherwise) resulted in the Seltos being acquired.
By Jan 2024, the City had aged a lot - was due for new tyres, suspension & steering overhaul, and a music system upgrade + alloy upgrade which I never got done. This would cost about ~1L + a lot of time spent with FNGs and accessory shops. The list would also be endless as a 12+ year old car though on original paint still needed painting on a few panels, new rubber beadings, etc. Even though engine-wise the car was doing excellent and running on synthetic engine & gear oil and discs & pads replaced from Honda ASC in 2018/19, the car was feeling old.
Honda ASC unfortunately in Gurgaon at least was a pain to deal with because of which I was getting it serviced outside since 2021. The 2011 model is also notorious for being exceptionally low and hitting every crater speedbreaker in Delhi/Gurgaon.
The steering had become hard and the AC fan made a racket – which is when I realized it was time up. We maintained it really well so all these major repairs should have actually been due in ~year 8 rather than ~year 13. It was on stock paint, clutch, suspension, basically everything. The stock brake pads and discs were changed proactively from Honda in 2018/19 at 65K KM from a grand sum of ~12-15K
Post-covid, the annual usage of the car was 3-5K KM due to WFH, other cars at home, and the newest cars being used the most. The time and money to refurbish the car would not be worth keeping the car for another 2 years. If the 15-year-old rule didn’t exist, this thread would be about how I gave my old City a new life. It was a very sad albeit mature decision for me to take as I was really attached to the car and was really a benchmark in terms of ergonomics, efficiency, fun-to-drive, reliability, and overall quality. I had done most of my driving on it and made sure it was always shiny and in tip-top condition. I used it to go everywhere at all times and there was nothing to complain about. I was 18 when I started driving it (a full-sized car with 120 BHP!) and had mastered the art of surviving without Bluetooth, rear camera/ sensors, and other creature comforts.
Nothing EVER went wrong/broke down or stopped working in it. Compared to the cars it overlapped with at home over the years – 2006 Aveo, 2014 Grandi10, 2016 Creta – which went through AC, coolant, suspension, clutch related replacements.
I can write endlessly about the 3rd Gen City and why it is one of the best cars to be sold in the recent past in India. In 2011, my father had test driven the Liva (), Brio, i20, etc. but chose this for which I am very thankful. It was the S-MT variant for some 8-8.5L. I think the V was 50K more for alloys, fog lamps, and tweeters.
After the keys were given away
I had casually started test driving cars from when the Slavia launched in March 2022 (all AT) till December 2022 when we ended up getting an i20N line. The search restarted at the end of 2023.
- Slavia 1.0 (Twice – in 2022 and 2023)
Lovely car but I suppose 1.5 is the one to get (I realised 3-cylinder vibrations after we got the i20 N line). Unfortunately, my usage was so low (4k a year) and the planned time horizon to keep the car was so long that I was unsure about the ease and longevity of a Skoda/ VW.
Very good dealership experience, both times. The first time I went was when the car had just launched and even though I mentioned I was "just looking" and probably looked like a random kid, they insisted I take a test drive.
- Taigun 1.0 (2023)
Again 1.0 was not preferred because of refinement and 1.5 is too closely priced to base Hycross, Scorpio-N Z8, etc.
- Urban Cruiser 4AT/ Old Brezza (2022)
Not a bad car and extremely VFM but they were out of the top models when I test drove them; this was just before Hyryder's introduction.
- Honda City CVT (2022)
Great car and felt like home but ground clearance is still very low and insulation is very bad. I am also tired of going diagonally on speed breakers
- i20 N Line (Bought this to replace a 2014 Gi10)
Lovely car which we liked so much we bought it to replace another; this slowed down the search but was worth it because it introduced me to turbo petrols and DCTs. It is IMO the most fun you can have in any car within 18-20L followed by the 1.5 TSI/ 1.5 Turbo Verna
- Thar
Nothing beats the feeling you get in this. I will buy one when I have 20L to spare
- Jimny
Had booked one before launch and cancelled when the prices were announced. Test drove for the first time last month when Thunder Edition was announced at the end of 2023; somehow didn't connect with it because of the lack of power on road and low space. As much as a capable off-roader it is, my primary usage will always be on the road. The manual one would be really engaging to drive IMO and would love to have one as an extra car for off-roading only someday.
Cars considered but not driven
- Scorpio N - Really wanted Z4/ Z8 but being asked to wait for 2 years was a little too much in 2022
- XUV700 - AX7 to expensive and AX5 had some essential features missing
- Honda Elevate - was ready to buy it in a day as a Honda fanboy but was in for a rude shock, explained in a separate post of mine about the sad ergonomics
- Grand Vitara Sigma - Extremely VFM for low usage; get stereo from outside and sell whenever because of the insane resale on these cars
- Hyundai Verna - too low and quirky
- Hyundai Creta - Already have 2016 AT, was in between a facelift at the beginning of ’24, and I really wanted foglamps in my new car
- VW Virtus/ Skoda Kushaq - Would have got a GT 1.5 if I had the usage to justify the purchase
- Used cars (Not considered because of the inflated market, scummy dealers, insurance/ name transfer hassles, etc.)
Finalizing Kia Seltos (driven twice in ’23)
Was never considered to be honest because of the 3-star safety thing. But after looking at a lot of cars I just wanted to complete the process and this seemed like the most complete package for the intended usage. Funnily, at least 5 of my friends/acquaintances have one at home too. What could have come closest in this choice is the Grand Vitara/ Hyryder Neo drive 6AT but I got to drive the combination in a borrowed car and it felt lethargic - the gearbox also jerked a lot and saw the same feedback in some YouTube vids.
Had even considered it in mid 2023 (it was available with great discounts; pre facelift) but somehow didn't work out then.
Complete booking & delivery experience with the dealership
This was really sad in what was essentially my first car purchase. Everything from booking to delivery to post-delivery could have been 10 times better. This makes you realize why Hyundai does better than Kia in India, especially in Tier 2/3 towns - I have been present for purchases of the 2014 Gi10, 2016 Creta, and 2022 N Line.
All the possible classic car dealer problems for the customer were created for me:
- Car on the way (don’t know when) but please send some money
- Car will come next week (every week for a few weeks)
- Hard-selling weird accessories and super-inflated insurance at the time of delivery
- Exchanged car not being transferred on time and being super casual about it
- Dealership employee demo-ing my car standing for delivery to prospective customers 5-min delivery
- Right after delivery, they mentioned that they charged 2K extra for the car because they thought it had auto up/down
- Number plate wrongly printed on the car…
Even Kia India’s response was super lethargic. I got them involved for my City not being transferred and they were of 0 help. My emails to Kia leadership also went unanswered.
But thankfully the car is transferred after some 5 months.
After taking delivery
On-road price & discounts
- Ex Showroom – 16.59L
- TCS – 16.5K
- Road Tax + EW + Insurance – 1.99L
- Total – 18.73
- Old Car - ~1.75
Insurance was being sold for 60K which I brought down to 40K. I had to spell it out that it was either insurance at 40K or me not taking delivery when I went to make the payment.
I am okay with giving them some margin but 20K extra was too much for me to digest.
Engine type & variant opted for
HTX IVT and thus the title of this thread. The DCT was not even test driven – we have an N-line for all antics. The usage of the Seltos would be minimal and mostly in traffic. It takes a lot to admit that the DCT is insane on open roads but the stark opposite in traffic. It jerks between 1-2-1 and is perpetually lagging. A peak-hour drive on the Delhi-Gurgaon highway will make you want to cry.
The good and bad about its features
Loaded with features even in HTX trim
- Music system: Very good and barring the sub, not too far behind the Bose offered by Hyundai/Kia
- Interiors & Ergonomics: Top notch quality and functionality. Hyundai/ Kia really kill it in this department – everything is easy to use and where you expect them to be. It is really similar across all Hyundai/ Kia cars as well
- AC: Very very good. Something which is very important to me as I love having the car ice cold.
- Keyless entry & Auto headlights: Works as expected and can’t imagine using a car without these now
- Exterior: It’s a good-looking car and visibly larger than Kushaq/ Taigun/ 1st gen Creta. I think it looks better than the Creta as well. I had spray painted a portion of the rear bumper and tail lights to make it little unique. The tail light part was removed but the bumper is still black.
I hope to get all the chrome elements and silver wrapped in gloss black – grill, window trim, front bumper highlight, and rear bumper highlight (my paint job visibly looks like a DIY)
First few days I think, plastics were soon removed and the dash cam properly installed
My DIY project, soon reversed
Safety & related equipment
- 6 airbags, ESP/ TCS, ABS, etc. Actual safety rating very questionable….
Number of kms at the time of writing review
All of 2500!
Usage pattern (e.g. 20 kms daily in dense traffic, highway on weekends)
About 100km/ week for mixed usage of social, sports/gym, office, etc. with an average speed of 30-40. Only able to hit higher speeds of 70 and over while driving to/fro Delhi late at night.
No inter-city travel yet as most travel has been on flights.
Comments on:
Exterior styling & design; Overall build quality, fit & finish, paint quality and panel gaps; Interior design & quality (plastics, upholstery, fit & finish etc.)
IMO very good-looking (balanced) car compared to Creta, Taigun/ Kushaq, Elevate etc.
All tangible points feel like a million bucks and this something where Mahindra, Tata, Maruti, VW, etc. all lag behind
A full tank of normal petrol is about 4400. This car doesn't need XP95
Interior
Interior space & comfort... front & back (seat support, legroom, headroom & width); Driving position, ergonomics, controls & MID; Visibility & size of mirrors
- Nothing to complain about at all. I find it to be much more comfortable than the current i20, Verna, and Slavia
Engine
Engine performance & driveability in the city/ highway; Additional comments on the engine (outright power, refinement, revv-happiness, turbo-lag etc.)
- 0-20 is the best thing about the engine. Very smooth and predictable power delivery.
- 20-40 is not too bad compared to turbo cars; 40-80 and over is where you might feel unhappy compared to NA manual/ Turbo DCT or manual cars. That said, sliding the gear box to the right to S mode really makes a difference and keeps the car brisker/ more responsive
Automatic gearbox
Smoothness, quick or slow shifting, kickdown reaction time, lag, manual mode etc.
It is a CVT mated to an NA engine and behaves exactly like one. With that understanding, it is extremely satisfactory. Though the car shakes when moving through P/R/N/D much more than any petrol unibody car I’ve driven till now. Fortuner/ Crysta AT like shake
Fuel efficiency: City and Highway
Surprisingly good fuel efficiency of 10.5-11 in the city with 100% AC and enthu short distance driving. Similar driving gives 7-8 KMPL in a Creta 1.6P AT and i20 Nline DCT. City Manual gave 10.
Yet to take it on the highway
Suspension & ride quality
(At low as well as high speeds); Handling, on-road behaviour, grip levels, stability, body roll & turning radius; -Steering (size, feedback, weight, EPS / Hydraulic etc.); Braking (effectiveness, pedal feel...)
Suspension is harder than Creta and others at low speeds but results in slightly better handling, everything else is constant. Maybe Taigun/Kushaq are the only better handlers with a little better ride quality.
MISC
- Is it a good VFM car?
Relatively to the rest of the market and current scenario, I think yes. We had paid 15L for our Creta P AT in 2016 so 18.5 for the Seltos with many more features and 8 years later doesn’t feel so bad.
- What do I like the most about it?
Extremely comfortable, predictable behaviour, good music system, welcoming interiors, and good looks. Black, though a pain to maintain, looks very good. I regularly use Turtle Wax Black Magic wax and Turtle Wax spray tyre shiner.
- What could be better?
With the same engine, more features, Proper 5-star safety rating. This is the only thing missing in an otherwise great car.
- Family observations
My parents drive it occasionally and have nothing to complain – very similar to the Creta. My brother and I appreciate it for being easier and more comfortable to drive than the N line
- What do I fear?
The CVT! Only Honda service stations know about AT gear oil changes. Go to any Toyota, Maruti, Hyundai/Kia service centre and they will demonstrate 0 knowledge or need to replace the gearbox oil but we all know it has to be done
- Was this an upgrade?
Owners of the 3rd Gen City can attest to the fact that this is not a true upgrade but just a replacement. A true upgrade would have been an Octavia/ Superb/ Elantra, etc. I really liked the 2019 Civic but was only a student then and didn’t want to go the second-hand route right now. Let us see what is next in a few years…
- Why didn’t I get PPF?
I wasn’t comfortable with leaving a brand new car with a random accessory shop that would go out around my car’s paint with a paper cutter and screwdriver to remove door handles and trims. Yes, colour me crazy that is my impression of PPF. Also there is little reason to cut the car’s paint the day you get it.
My friends and I have gone to the “best” accessory shops in Gurgaon and Delhi but trust me – no one cares about leaving scratches and rattles. Karol Bagh and old Gurgaon are the worst.
I also don’t think it is worth it for the cost of this car, and not too sad about seeing minor scratches – they are inevitable. Anyway major damage would require replacement and repaint even if PPF were installed. I do see some places doing pre-cut PPF nowadays so maybe will consider next time around in a more expensive car if I get one.
I feel Ceramic is great but needs proper maintenance, something my car cleaner or I don’t have time for. I am happy with OTC wax and tyre polish, my City was shiny even after 12+ years, covered parking though.
- Will I update this thread?
Because of the low usage, I don’t see updates coming in regularly but will update as much as possible. The rain spoilt my usual routine to go play outdoors so I wrote this thread in about an hour – any feedback is welcomed.
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