2023 Kia Seltos 1.5 Turbo Review

Why would I buy it?

Good value proposition
Potent and efficient engines
Easy, effortless and enjoyable to drive

Why would I avoid it?

No hybrid powertrain
Uncomfortable middle rear seat
No manual gearbox with turbo petrol or diesel engines.

Engine and performance

The new Seltos comes with the option of three engines - a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel, and the new 1.5-litre turbo petrol. We have the latter. The new engine has impressive output figures - 160bhp of max power and over 250Nm of peak torque, and it comes mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. One can also opt for a six-speed iMT transmission with this engine, but there is no manual on offer.

The engine feels peppy and torquey, almost like a diesel, but more refined. Overtakes with the Seltos, as a result, are a breeze. It is also happy to cruise at 120kmph when the highways permit. It is quick under full-bore acceleration hitting 100kmph from a standstill in around nine seconds. And kickdowns are dispatched in a hurry too. The only challenge is how long the Seltos takes to drop down to the right gear and then take off. It makes the engine feel a little less potent than it is.

The engine itself is refined. One can hear it when you push past 4,000rpm, but it never gets too noisy. It also never feels like it is being pushed too hard. As far as fuel efficiency goes, expect it to return between 10-12kmpl in the city and almost as high as 20kmpl on highways, albeit when driven between 80-100kmph with a light foot.

Ride and handling

The original Seltos felt firm and not the most cosseting in terms of ride quality. The suspension was then tweaked to make the ride more supple. Now, Kia says it has further reworked the suspension on the 2023 Seltos to arrive at an even better balance between ride and handling. The approach has been to make the front tauter and the rear have more give. The result on the road is a pleasant one. The Seltos rounds the bumps and potholes well. There’s no harshness to the ride. And the SUV rides flat through most undulations, bumps and dips. Add to it a quiet cabin, and the overall experience of driving or being driven in the new Seltos is that of a big, stable and planted car. Its ride still isn’t all-conquering, so one needs to be mindful when tackling poor roads at speed.

The new Seltos might ride better, but its focus on dynamics hasn't waned. It is still a nice car to go around corners with. The steering feel isn't great. And it doesn't run the quickest of steering racks either. However, enter a corner, and the turn-in is positive and predictable; the body roll isn't pronounced; and it is not one to understeer without provocation. It is an enjoyable car to go up and down the twisties with, especially with the brakes offering consistent and reliable bite, progression and feel, even after quick repeated use.

Exterior design

The older Seltos was a nice-looking car already with a good mix of traditional SUV sharp lines and some touches of modernity. Since the body panels on this facelift are identical, the visual cues continue on the 2023 Kia Seltos as well. It does, however, get a bolder face now. With the added play of lights and a sportier front bumper, it stands out even more in a crowd. Changes to the rear include a new connected tail lamp design, and like the front, a more aggressive bumper design. The facelift also gets sequential indicators, both front and back.

Comfort, convenience and features

The interiors of the new Seltos look well built, sporty, and premium. The choice of colours, the metal highlights, and the graining used for the hard plastic, especially on the dash top, help give it that upmarket look. It gets soft-touch inserts on the dashboard and the doors, which further enhance the look and feel. Operability of the switches, stalks and buttons, though not completely crisp, do have adequate feedback. We would have liked a better aircon control panel, nonetheless. The operation of the buttons lacks finesse, and the panel itself looks subpar compared to the rest of the cabin. Otherwise, it is a cabin you feel good about every time you step in. And that panoramic sunroof, on an overcast day, feels lovely to have.

Besides the sunroof, the 2023 Seltos gets a dual-zone climate control system. It has ventilated front seats with an electrically adjustable driver’s seat. The rear seats now recline. The head-up display or HUD makes a comeback. There’s wireless charging, auto headlamps and wipers, and a 360-degree camera. Plus, there are plenty of storage spaces to put away your cups, bottles, wallets and the like.

The party piece of the new Seltos’ interior, however, is its new single-panel digital cluster. It's an integrated screen that includes displays for both the driver information system as well as the touchscreen system for the multimedia. Both these displays use 10.25-inch full-colour, HD screens. Otherwise, the multi-media system is similar to the older Seltos with a Bose sound system with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which still aren't of the wireless variety. At the rear, you get dedicated AC vents, an armrest with cupholders, and window blinds to keep the sun away on a hot, sunny day.

The new Kia Seltos also comes with Level 2 ADAS in the top trims. There are 17 driver assist systems including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and blind spot collision avoidance, which prove to be handy companions on the highway. In the city though, we found it best to keep the ADAS off barring the rear collision avoidance. These apart, all versions of the new Seltos also get six airbags, disc brakes all around, ESP, and hill start assist.

The Seltos continues to be a good five-seater SUV. Firstly, the seats all around are large and comfy. We especially like the ones at the front. The rear ones aren't bad either, and the recline feature is a welcome addition. The rear seats though are a little close to the floor for our liking. As a result, the thigh support isn't great. Also, the rear can accommodate three, but the one who takes the centre seat will have a tough time thanks to the stiff backrest. The boot continues unchanged. It is of a decent size. Plus, a 60/40 split for the rear seats and a flat loading bay, once the seats are down, lends added luggage-carrying ability and flexibility to the Seltos' boot.

Conclusion

This might be a facelift, but the new Seltos now gets more features. It has better interiors and a nicer exterior design, and changes have also been made to its suspension and shell to give it better ride and handling, and crashworthiness. Not to mention, it now gets a new, powerful turbo engine in the 1.5.

And after all these changes, the new Seltos costs only Rs 30,000 more than the car it replaces. This is for the fully loaded GTX plus and X-line trims. The lower trims are similarly priced as the older model. Yes, some equipment like a music system has been deleted but in exchange, these trims get a better safety suite as standard.

As we see it - in value-for-money terms - the new Seltos has it right.