2020 Kia Seltos - First impression

There’s a new product in the sub-compact crossover segment which has been the highlight of the recent news and has caused a bit of a stir in the market. Any guesses? It is the brand-new 2020 Kia Seltos.

Kia revealed the prices of the Seltos for the Philippines last month and soon after the car reached the dealerships. For those of you who don’t know, Kia is Hyundai’s sister brand which means that it also hails from South Korea.

And we must say that the Koreans have done a great job because, with just the first looks, the new Kia Seltos feels very promising. Don’t you think? Let’s find out more about this new boy in town in our first impression.

2020 Kia Seltos exterior-

You would find various features in the Kia Seltos specs sheets pleasing and attractive. For example, on the outside, the Seltos gets a pair of large LED headlamps with LED DRLs. It also gets LED side turn indicators. The shape and design of the entire headlamp unit are gorgeous and feels very modern and upmarket.

Then we have this nice blacked-out grille with a very sophisticated geometric pattern that would fancy many. Down below, there are two LED fog lamps stacked vertically. We also find the Seltos to be quite bold from the side thanks to its large 17-in alloy wheels and roof rails.

Coming to the rear, we get large tail light clusters with LED signature lighting inside. These lamps are bridged together via a thick horizontal chrome strip with Kia’s logo in the middle. We also like the rear diffuser with faux exhaust outlets.

2020 Kia Seltos colors -

You can get a brand-new Kia Seltos in Starbright Yellow/Cherry Black and Clear White/Cherry Black in two-tone, and Starbright Yellow, Mars Orange, Dark Ocean Blue, Gravity Gray, and Iron Gray in monotone shades.

Upclose, the new Kia Seltos look quite big in dimensions, especially when you go and experience it in a dealership. However, it isn’t that huge as it falls in the sub-compact crossover category.

Following are the 2020 Kia Seltos dimensions to give you an idea -

Length	4370 mm
Width	1800 mm
Height	1610 mm / 1615 mm (EX and SX)
Wheelbase	2630 mm

2020 Kia Seltos interior -

Just like with the exterior, Kia hit the right chords in the interior of the new Seltos. The cabin looks very well finished with a good amount of space for all its occupants. We always appreciate a black theme and the Seltos has it too.

 

Things are neatly laid out. The dashboard is uncluttered. There is a large 8-in floating touch screen infotainment system that comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity options.

Following are some other key interior features -

• Push to start/stop button
• Automatic AC
• Smart keyless entry
• Power windows
• Central power locking

What about the engine?

Ans. 2020 Kia Seltos has three variants in total - LX, EX, and SX - and all of them have the same engine. It is a 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 147 bhp of max power and 179 Nm of max torque. There’s only CVT available for transmission which Kia likes to call as Intelligent Variable Transmission.

Does the new Kia Seltos have any driving modes?

Ans. Yes, Kia has provided three driving modes in the new Seltos. These are Normal, Eco, and Sport. You can switch between them via the Drive Select knob.

What about the safety features?

Ans. Thankfully, the Seltos ticks off just the right amount of boxes when it comes to safety. Some of its key safety features are-

• Electronic stability control
• Downhill brake control
• Hill start assist
• Various airbags
• Rear sensors
• Cruise control

Keep in mind that the aforementioned features would vary depending on the variant of the car.

2020 Kia Seltos rivals -

The new Seltos is a great overall package and a tough one to beat. Its chief rivals are Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona.

2020 Kia Seltos price list -

Variant	Price
2020 Kia Seltos LX	Php 1.1 million
2020 Kia Seltos EX	Php 1.2 million
2020 Kia Seltos SX	Php 1.5 million

 

Also Read: Kia rear occupant alert: Better safe than sorry