New Delhi. Many people think of buying a car but are unable to do so due to low budget. But what will be your reaction when you come to know that now you can become the owner of a car without buying it. Actually, nowadays many car companies have come up with such schemes through which you can become the owner of a car without spending a lot of money.
Korean car manufacturer Kia Motors has come up with a similar scheme. Kia India has announced a new flexible ownership plan 'Kia Subscribe' for its customers. The benefits of this subscription service will be available in 14 cities of the country. These include Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Jaipur.
Kia's SUV will be available on lease The company has introduced 'Kia Subscribe' as a short-term lease option. 'Kia Lease' will be offered to B2B customers, corporates and MSME customers with long-term requirements ranging from 24 to 60 months with various mileage options. The company has said in an official statement that this program has been designed to revolutionize the car ownership experience in India and meet the emerging needs.
Earlier this year, Kia partnered with ORIX Auto Infrastructure Services Ltd to launch the Kia Lease program. Initially launched in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune, these initiatives were designed for greater flexibility. The subscription program gives customers the option to use the vehicle without any down payment. Along with this, additional benefits like maintenance coverage, insurance handling and relief from resale concern are also available.
What is the subscription charge? The subscription charge has been fixed according to different Kia cars. Talking about the subscription charge, it has been fixed at Rs 17,999 for Kia Sonnet, Rs 23,999 for Seltos, Rs 24,999 for Carens and Rs 1,29,000 for EV6.
New Delhi. The demand for electric cars is continuously increasing in the Indian market. People are now demanding hatchbacks, SUVs and sedan cars in this segment. If we look at the current market for electric cars, Tata Motors dominates. Out of 100 electric cars sold in the country, 70 are from Tata Motors. If seen, Tata Motors is the king of the electric car market, but Maruti Suzuki's upcoming electric car can change the game.
Maruti Suzuki cars are known for their fuel efficient and maintenance free engines. This is the reason why the company sells the most cars in the country. To ensure that customers always trust Maruti cars, the company will try to provide similar quality in its electric car as well. The company unveiled its concept electric car Maruti Suzuki EVX at the 2023 Auto Expo. It is being said that it could be launched in early 2025.
You will get a range of more than 500 kilometers After its launch, this car can definitely create problems for Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV and Tata Curve. Some media reports are claiming that this car can give a driving range of 550 km on full charge. At the same time, this car can also be equipped with the fastest charging battery. Let us know in detail about the features, powertrain and possible price of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki EVs from the leaked details.
The design of Maruti EVX will be something like this According to the latest spy shots, the LED headlights of the upcoming electric SUV are housed in a projector which also has an X-shaped design. Apart from this, the top LEDs in the tail lights can be connected to each other with an LED light bar. Let us tell you that the upcoming electric SUV will also get LED headlamps, new front and rear bumpers, C-pillar mounted rear door handles, two-spoke steering wheel, large touchscreen infotainment system, fresh center console, dual-tone upholstery, rotary dial for drive mode and front center armrest. According to a report published in the news website gaadiwaadi, the estimated starting ex-showroom price of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki EVs can be Rs 15 lakh.
Will be equipped with 60kWh battery On the other hand, if we talk about the powertrain, the upcoming electric SUV Maruti Suzuki eVX can be given a battery of 55kWh to 60kWh, which can offer customers a driving range of more than 550 km on a single charge. On the other hand, if we talk about the interior of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki EVX, then customers can get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, digital instrument cluster, drive modes, automatic climate control, wireless charger, ventilated and powered front seats, adjustable headrests and level-2 ADAS technology.
New Delhi. Korean carmaker Hyundai has started booking for its facelifted Alcazar SUV in India. This SUV will come with 6 and 7 seater options, 6 colors and two-engine options. Booking of the facelifted SUV is open from August 22 and to book it you will have to pay Rs 25,000. The company will announce its prices on September 9 along with its launch.
If reports are to be believed, it can be offered in 4 different variants Executive, Prestige, Platinum and Signature. The size of the new Alcazar has been retained from the outside. At the same time, its front design is now kept similar to the Creta facelift. Its front has LED projector headlights on the bumper with H-shaped LED DRL and a large grill in the front. The bumper area has also been kept muscular.
The new Alcazar will get Level-2 ADAS In this you get a new rear spoiler, high-mounted stop lamp and design for the bash plate. Hyundai has not revealed the cabin, but we know that it will get all the updates from the Hyundai Creta. The automaker has confirmed that the Alcazar will get level-2 ADAS in the automatic variant.
SUV will be equipped with turbo engine Hyundai Alcazar facelift will get the option of efficient powertrain with 1.5 Turbo GDi petrol engine with 6-speed manual transmission and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Apart from this, the option of 1.5 U2 CRDi diesel engine with 6-speed manual transmission and 6-speed automatic transmission will also be given.
What will be the price? Hyundai is going to reveal the prices of the new Alcazar on September 9. However, according to experts' estimates, its starting price can be Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom).
New Delhi. Tata Punch is one of the best selling cars in the country. It has also surpassed popular cars like Swift and WagonR in terms of sales. In the last 6 months, this car has sold more than 1 lakh units. Now Tata Motors has made it available in Canteen Stores Department i.e. CSD at a price of Rs 1 lakh less.
Let us tell you that you have to pay less GST on buying a car from CSD. While the general customers in the market pay GST at the rate of 28% on cars, only 14% GST has to be paid in CSD.
How to get Tata Punch cheaply This offer in Tata Punch is only for CSD. That is, if there is someone in your family who is serving in the Indian Armed Forces, Air Force or Navy, then he can take advantage of this offer. The special thing is that now the base model of this car is available at a very low price, due to which people buying it can save more than Rs 1 lakh. Earlier the starting price of this model was Rs 6.13 lakh, but now its price has come down drastically due to being tax free for CSD customers.
Special Features of Tata Punch The Tata Punch is powered by a 1.2-litre Revotron engine that generates 86 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. It comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. The Tata Punch manual has a claimed mileage of 18.97 kmpl and the automatic 18.82 kmpl. This car includes many features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic air conditioning, automatic headlights, connected car technology, etc.
Tata Punch has been making its place in the list of top-10 best-selling cars since its launch. Tata Punch is being well-liked due to its strength, great design and excellent features. This car comes with a 5-star Global NCAP safety rating.
New Delhi. The mileage of any car depends on its engine, size, weight, driving conditions and your driving style. Generally, the mileage of a hatchback car is between 15 to 20 kilometers per liter (km/liter). It is also seen that the car gives good mileage on long drives, but the mileage decreases on short drives.
But if you have to drive your car for 10 km, how much petrol will the car consume? Let's find out how much petrol the car will consume for this distance.
If the car is 15 kmpl: If your car runs 15 kilometres in one litre of oil, then it will need approximately 0.67 litres of petrol to run 10 kilometres.
If the car gives a mileage of 20 kmpl: In this situation, the car will need 0.5 liters of petrol to run 10 kilometers.
The mileage of the car depends on these things Traffic: If you are stuck in traffic and use the brake and clutch repeatedly, petrol consumption increases.
Use of AC: Use of air conditioner also reduces fuel efficiency.
Tyre pressure: Low tyre pressure puts more load on the engine, which can increase petrol consumption.
Driving style: Accelerating fast or braking suddenly also consumes more petrol.
New Delhi. BS (Bharat Stage) norms determine the emission standards for vehicles in India. These standards are set by government agencies keeping in mind several criteria. These norms state that the pollution from a vehicle should not exceed a certain level. The BS norms in force in India are based on the European emission standards (Euro norms) and are updated from time to time to reduce air pollution.
Let us tell you that the first emission norm BS1 was implemented in 2000. 5 years later, BS2 was implemented in 2005 and BS3 in 2010. BS4 rule was made in 2017 with many major changes. At present, BS6 emission norms are in force which were implemented from 1 April 2020. Let us tell you that BS5 was skipped.
Preparation for BS7 norms after BS6 In BS6 norms, the levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx), hydrocarbon (HC), particulate matter (PM), and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from vehicles were made more stringent than ever before. In this norm, particulate matter emissions for diesel vehicles were reduced by 80% and NOx emissions by 70%.
Talking about the possibility of BS7 norms, no official announcement has been made by the government regarding its implementation yet. However, considering the increasing steps towards environmental protection, the possibility of BS7 norms in the future cannot be ruled out.
Objective of BS Norms The main objective of BS norms is to control pollution from vehicles and reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere. These norms ensure that vehicle manufacturers make their engines more efficient and environmentally friendly over time.
New Delhi. Tata Motors has launched its new electric SUV Tata Curve EV in the Indian market. The price of this great electric car starts from Rs 17.49 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata Curve EV is available in a total of seven variants and 5 different colors. The driving range of this car is said to be around 550 km, which makes it a great electric car even for long distances. But the question arises that how much salary should one have to buy this car? Let's know.
If you are thinking of buying this SUV, then first of all you have to make a proper plan keeping in mind your financial condition. As a general rule, you have to take care of some important things for buying a car, which include down payment, EMI and loan tenure.
20% down payment will be required The ex-showroom price of Tata Curvv EV is Rs 17.49 lakh. After this, after adding insurance, registration and other charges, the on-road price of the car will be around Rs 18.55 lakh. On this price, you will have to make a down payment of 20%, which will be around Rs 3.71 lakh.
This is how you can decide EMI Whenever you take a loan for a vehicle, keep in mind that your EMI should not exceed 10% of your monthly income. For example, if your monthly income is Rs 1 lakh, then your EMI should not exceed Rs 10,000.
It is very important to keep the loan tenure in mind. The loan tenure should not be more than 4 years. Taking a loan for a longer period can increase your total interest amount, which will also increase the total cost of the vehicle.
How much should the salary be? If you take a loan of Rs 15 lakh to buy Tata Curvv EV and take it for 4 years at 9.5% interest rate, then your monthly EMI will be around Rs 37,685. According to the basic rule of 20-4-10 for buying a car, your salary should be around Rs 3.5 lakh, so that the budget for other expenses does not get spoiled.
Hidden Features In Car: Nowadays cars have become technically much more advanced than the old cars. Companies are providing many such hidden features in them, if you know how to use them, then your driving experience will become much better. Today we are going to tell you about some such features.
New Delhi. Maruti Suzuki is focusing on safety not only on its premium cars but also on budget cars. The company has taken the safety of its affordable cars a step further and has given a major update to Alto and S-Presso. The car manufacturer has now included Electronic Stability Program (ESP) in both these cars as standard. This means that now this feature will be available in all models from base to top model of both these cars. The special thing is that even after adding the new feature, the company has not increased the prices.
The S-Presso and Alto K10 are entry-level affordable small cars based on the brand's HEARTECT platform. Some of the safety features that these vehicles get are dual front airbags, reverse parking sensors, ABS with EBD, collapsible steering column and engine immobilizer.
What does ESP do in a car? ESP stands for Electronic Stability Program, which helps improve vehicle stability and avoid accidents. ESP works in conjunction with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Traction Control System (TCS) to prevent the vehicle from skidding in slippery or challenging road conditions.
The earlier models of these cars have scored disappointingly in the GNCAP crash safety test. But it is good to see new safety features being introduced. Hopefully, adding more safety equipment, reinforcements and new technology will help the cars achieve better safety ratings and buyers will get even safer products.
New Delhi. Tesla, the world's leading manufacturer of electric cars, is now facing tough competition from European companies like BMW and Volvo. BMW has defeated Tesla in terms of electric car sales in Europe. According to data from Jato Dynamics, German carmaker BMW recorded sales of 14,869 electric cars in July 2024. Meanwhile, American carmaker Tesla was able to sell only 14,561 electric cars during the same period.
During this period, Tesla's sales have declined by 16%. However, Tesla is still ahead of other companies in terms of year-to-date sales. It cannot be denied that Tesla's market share has decreased in Europe due to companies like BMW and Volvo.
Electric car sales decline in Europe If we look at the figures, sales of electric cars in Europe are continuously declining. Last month (in July) 1,39,300 new electric cars were registered in Europe, which is 6% less than the cars sold in the same period last year. One of the major reasons for the decrease in sales of electric vehicles is being attributed to the reduction in subsidy. In countries like Germany and Sweden, a huge decline is being seen in the sales of electric vehicles due to the reduction in subsidy.
50% of Audi's cars in India will be electric German car manufacturers are quite positive about the future of electric cars in India too. Audi says that by 2030, 50% of the 100 cars it sells will be electric. Currently, electric cars account for 3% of Audi's sales.
According to the data of the Vahan portal, the share of electric cars in the luxury segment is 6%, while the share of mass market cars is only 2.5%. This is a good sign for luxury electric cars. Currently, Audi's luxury EV portfolio has cars ranging from Rs 1.15 crore to Rs 2 crore. The company is not selling cars below Rs 1 crore. However, the company hopes that the arrival of affordable electric cars can increase the company's market share.
Tags: Auto News, Auto Sales, Car Bike News, Electric Car, Electric Vehicles
New Delhi. If you are dreaming of buying your dream car before the festivals, then your happiness may fade. The government of this state has made buying vehicles expensive for the general public. Actually, the Punjab government has increased the tax on two-wheelers and four-wheelers by 1%. This will make the vehicles available to the general public expensive. The new rates of tax on motor vehicles will be applicable on the actual price of the vehicle.
Let us tell you that festivals are going to start in the whole country in a few days. In such a situation, people's enthusiasm to buy vehicles may decrease due to the increase in their prices. People who were thinking of saving in the festive season offer will now have to pay more tax. Let us know how much the price of vehicles can increase.
How expensive will the car be? As per the new rates, tax on four-wheelers costing up to Rs 15 lakh has been increased from 9 per cent to 9.5 per cent, which means you will now have to pay Rs 7,500 more for the vehicle.
The price of cars costing more than Rs 15 lakh but less than Rs 25 lakh will increase by about Rs 25,000. The tax rate on these cars has been increased by one percent to 12 percent. According to the notification of the Transport Department, another category has been added for cars costing more than Rs 25 lakh and it has been taxed at the rate of 13 percent.
How much will the price of two-wheelers increase? According to the notification, the tax for two-wheelers costing up to Rs 1 lakh has been increased by 0.5 percent to 7.5 percent. If the price of the two-wheeler is more than Rs 1 lakh but less than Rs 2 lakh, then the tax rate will be 10 percent. According to the notification, two-wheelers costing more than Rs 2 lakh will now attract 11 percent motor vehicle tax.
Overall, buying a car from Punjab is going to be more expensive than other states. This decision of the government before the festival has come as a shock to thousands of people who were planning to buy a car.
Urban Cruiser Taisor will be the smallest SUV in Toyota’s India line-up.
Toyota’s rebadged version of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx has been anticipated for long, and the company has now officially confirmed its debut on April 3. In August 2023, Toyota trademarked the “Urban Cruiser Taisor’ nameplate in India, which is what we expect the rebadged Fronx will be called. As is the case with the existing shared models between both brands, we expect some cosmetic differences inside out, although it will remain identical under the skin.
New compact car is expected to be named Urban Cruiser Taisor
Will be based on the Maruti Suzuki Fronx
Updates will only be cosmetic in nature
Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor: new exterior and interior
The updates on the rebadged Fronx can be expected to be on lines of the Baleno–Glanza as the Fronx itself is based on the Baleno. One can expect an all-new bumper with revised headlamp clusters, new LED daytime running lamp signatures, new alloys wheels, new tail-lamps along with a revised rear bumper. There will be no sheet metal changes – the differences are only going to be on the soft plastic parts.
On the inside, the dashboard will be identical to the Fronx, but it’s expected to come finished in new colours and trim materials. The seats are also expected to get new upholstery. And while the equipment list on top-spec models will be identical, from the pattern seen on existing shared models, Toyota is likely to offer the rebadged Fronx in fewer trims. Toyota will also offer better standard warranty to bring about some more differentiation.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor: powertrain options
The Fronx has two engines on offer – a 1.0-litre BoosterJet unit that makes 100hp and 147Nm, and a 90hp, 113Nm naturally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol engine, with a 5-speed manual as standard. As for automatics, the turbo-petrol gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic while the petrol gets a 5-speed AMT.
It’s certain that the 1.2-litre petrol engine will be carried over to the Taisor – over 80 percent of Fronx buyers opt for this engine – but it remains to be seen if the Boosterjet is carried over as well (for instance, the Invicto doesn’t carry over the regular petrol engine from the Hycross).
If it does, then it will be the first turbo-petrol motor in Toyota’s line-up that’s primarily dominated by hybrids and diesels. The Fronx is also available with a CNG powertrain option and this should carry over to the Toyota derivative as well.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor: rivals and launch
The Urban Cruiser Taisor will mark Toyota’s return to the sub-4m SUV space after the Brezza-based Urban Cruiser was discontinued in late-2022, albeit in a new coupe-SUV guise. Apart from the Fronx, it will rival other compact SUV such as the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and more. In terms of price, expect a marginal premium over a corresponding Fronx.
Kia Clavis SUV to be positioned between Sonet and Seltos
To be a lifestyle offering, albeit without an AWD option
Clavis petrol to debut by the end of this year, launch early 2025
Kia Clavis design highlights
While the test mule is fully camouflaged, the boxy shape of the SUV is evident. The SUV boasts of a flat roofline with functional roof rails, while the bonnet, nose and the rear-end are also upright and flattish. The diamond-cut alloy wheels seem to have taken inspiration from the facelifted fourth-gen Kia Carnival MPV. The Clavis will be a sub-4-metre SUV, but its upright styling would result in better headroom compared to the Sonet. Bigger windows would also contribute to the cabin feeling airier. Essentially, it will be more lifestyle-oriented that the Sonet which is quite urban.
Kia Clavis powertrain options
As we’ve reported earlier, the Clavis will be offered with both petrol and electric powertrains. Both versions will be based on the same platform and a hybrid powertrain could also be introduced at a later stage. However, all versions will feature a front-wheel drive configuration as standard, with specific details about the powertrains available closer to its debut.
Kia Clavis launch timeline
The petrol-powered Kia Clavis SUV is expected to be unveiled in India by the end of this year, followed by a launch in early 2025. The battery-powered version of the Clavis is expected to arrive about six months later. Considering its market positioning, the Kia Clavis will be slightly pricier than the Sonet, which is currently priced at Rs 7.99 lakh.
Note: If you prefer watching the review in Hindi instead of reading it in English, then you can play the following video:
2023 Kia Seltos Facelift – Safety Features
The facelift of the Seltos primarily involves cosmetic changes and feature upgrades, with no major alterations to the platform, chassis or its build quality. If there are any changes, it’s not possible for anyone to determine whether this Seltos is any safer than the older version, solely through visual inspection or by opening and closing its doors.
As of now, no third-party agency has conducted a crash test on the India-spec new Seltos facelift. Given that there’s no significant change in its structure, we will consider the injury report of the pre-facelift Seltos. According to Global NCAP data, the pre-facelift Seltos crash test offered Adequate protection to the driver’s head, Good for the neck, and Marginal for the chest. These are the three areas where injuries can potentially be fatal. We do not consider Global NCAP’s body shell integrity as, in the end, the only thing that matters is the extent of the injury to the occupant.
If there’s no change in the construction, and the car gets more safety features – which it does – and if the car is subjected to the same test, then it’s understandable that the driver injury should not exceed that of the old Seltos.
Since there’s no weak or poor rating for the driver’s head, neck, or chest in the Seltos crash test, based on Global NCAP’s data, you can consider the Seltos from a safety perspective.
Regarding safety technology, in addition to the standard safety features, the Seltos gets the following safety features as standard:
2x front side thorax curtain airbags
2x curtain airbags
All 3-point seatbelts
Rear disc brakes
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Hill start assist (HSA)
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Automatic door lock/unlock
You can now see all the safety-related features of all variants in the following table:
2023 SELTOS | VARIANT-WISE SAFETY TECH
HTE
Std. safety features
2x front side thorax airbags
Emergency stop signal
Remote central locking*
Rear disc brakes
2x curtain airbags
Day/night inside mirror*
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Halogen projector headlamps
Hill start assist (HSA)
Impact-sensing auto door unlock
Speed-sensing auto door locks
5x 3-point seatbelts with reminder
Tyre pressure monitoring system
HTK
Rear parking camera w/ live feed
Projector fog lamps
Front parking sensors
HTK Plus
Rear washer wiper
Rear defogger
2023 SELTOS | VARIANT-WISE SAFETY TECH
HTX & HTX Plus
LED headlamps
LED projector fog lamps
LED tail lamps
ISOFIX
Traction control w/ modes (Automatic Only)
Auto-dimming inside mirror
GTX Plus & X Line
Blind-spot monitoring in instrument cluster
360-degree parking camera
Electronic parking brake with auto hold
Auto wipers
ADAS Features
Blind spot monitoring, warning and avoidance assist
Auto high beam
Rear cross traffic warning and collision avoidance
Adaptive cruise control with stop and-go
Forward collision warning and avoidance assist
Safe exit warning
It is worth noting that the Seltos GTX Plus and X Line variants now come equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technology. During this initial drive, we tested the Seltos front collision avoidance, rear cross traffic avoidance assist and safe exit warning ADAS features and they worked satisfactorily. Now, let’s talk about the 2023 Seltos facelift exterior.
New Kia Seltos 2023 Turbo X Line – Exterior Review
Before we discuss the exterior, I believe we should talk in detail about the new key with buttons on the side — it feels nice to hold.
We drove the X Line version of the Seltos, which comes in a matte grey colour. If we compare the changes to the pre-facelift Seltos, its front grille is now larger and gets a new design for the front bumper. The honeycomb pattern of the grille is different and the new DRLs extend through the grille. Speaking of lightwork, it now includes sweeping turn indicators, front and back, and it adds a nice styling touch to the exteriors.
Moving to the front bumper, it now has extra cladding, giving it a more muscular design. Like before, it houses the LED fog lamps. As we mentioned at the beginning, the Seltos now comes with ADAS. It has a radar in the front bumper with the front camera behind the windshield.
The Seltos facelift gets alloy wheels measuring 18 inches in the top variant and with a new design. This is the most prominent visual change on the side. It’s worth pointing out that the Seltos now has glossy black trim in many places, but there’s no red or any other coloured detailing in any variant. Earlier, the GTX variant had red accents on the exterior and interior to highlight its sporty nature.
In terms of the rear design, it has significant changes. The new Seltos now has a new set of tail lamps that are sleeker and almost interconnected. The design of its rear bumper is also new, and like before, it still has thick cladding. This version also gets functional dual exhausts, and the overall rear look is simple and appealing, yet sporty.
I personally feel that the exterior design of the pre-facelift Seltos is still appealing. But with the new colour options and other design upgrades, the Seltos 2023 has a fresh approach to the exterior design compared to the predecessor. It is an obvious improvement over the already pleasing exterior of the Seltos. Now, let’s look at its interior.
2023 Kia Seltos – Interior Review
In addition to beige-black, brown-black and all-black interior themes, the Seltos X-Line variant brings a greyish green-black interior. This colour combination feels premium and it also gets a leather finish on the dashboard and upholstery with some contrast red stitching.
The interiors instantly appear tastefully done. Along with this, the roof liner is black around the large panoramic glass sunroof. The sunroof curtain is so thick that light doesn’t pass through it. For my height of 5-feet 8-inch, there’s ample headroom in front as well as rear seats.
Now, coming to another prominent change in the cabin – the dual-screen curved housing. It integrates two 10.25-inch screens, making the dashboard layout look neat and modern at the same time. The touch feedback of its infotainment system is satisfactory, and there are a lot of features available here.
For instance, the settings for the instrument cluster include a Dynamic theme that displays information with a landscape background. Other than that, there aren’t many design-related changes, but Kia have reduced some inserts from the dashboard, which also makes the dashboard design appear cleaner.
There’s a layout-related change in the air-con control panel. Just above the glovebox on the dashboard, there’s an ambient light strip, which should enhance the cabin’s ambiance during night drives. Lastly, to accommodate the electronic parking brake, its centre console has a new design.
However, the rest of the cabin and design remain more or less the same, including the rear seat space, which is suitable for 2 adults and a child. 3 adults is a squeeze but completely doable for short trips. We have no complaints as such, because the new interior theme and dashboard layout make the Seltos interior feel richer compared to before. Now we’ll talk about the performance of the new 2023 Seltos turbo petrol engine.
Kia Seltos Facelift Turbo Petrol-Automatic – Engine Performance And Drive Review
The Seltos comes with 3 engine options: a 1.5L normal petrol engine, a 1.5L turbo diesel engine and a 1.5L turbo petrol engine. The only new addition among these is the turbo-petrol engine which replaces the olde 1.35L turbo petrol engine. This engine makes 160PS of power and 253Nm of torque. You can have it with either a 6-speed auto-clutch manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The X Line variant, which we drove, is only available with the automatic.
It’s the most powerful engine in the Seltos line-up, and Kia claim a time of 8.9 seconds with the dual-clutch automatic transmission and 10.1 seconds with the auto-clutch manual transmission. In our brief test in Sport mode, it easily achieved 0-100kmph in around 9.5 seconds. Under ideal test conditions, we’re sure it can achieve Kia’s 8.9 seconds of claimed acceleration time. We think any mass market car accelerating to 100kmph in less than 10 seconds is pretty quick by any standards.
That said, when you drive it calmly, it doesn’t immediately feel energetic and instead it feels like it’s a heavy car. But rev it a little and you will realise how strong this engine’s mid-range is — and when you take it beyond the 2000rpm mark, it feels brisk and picks up speed rather quickly. We mainly drove it on the highway where it was cruising comfortably at 100kmph while revving around 1800rpm in the seventh gear.
So, it felt at ease doing triple digit speeds while staying in the peak torque zone for quick overtakes if necessary. Most of the time, you won’t feel the need to manually downshift, but if you want that control over gear shifts, you can do so with its gear lever or paddle shifters.
Kia Seltos Turbo Petrol First Drive Review
What we also learnt about the engine on this short drive is that its noise is audible in the cabin. It is not bothersome, but it filters through at both slow as well as higher speeds. The vibrations or harshness is not much — so like we said before — it is not bothersome. Now, talking about its ride, Kia have increased the damping force of the front suspension setup compared to the old Seltos. Thus, the front might feel a little stiff now while the damping force of the rear has been reduced — so it should feel a little softer.
From an experience standpoint, it’s difficult to say how much this has affected its ride, but what we can say with some degree of confidence is that it still feels a bit firm and handles a bit better than before. You can also feel the road surface in the car and we think this may lead to rattling noises with frequent rough road usage. We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the Seltos we drove rode on 18-inch wheels. With a lower side wall to cushion the ride, compared to the older GTX Plus variant, it felt a bit firm.
On the other hand, it is because of this suspension setup only, that the car also feels planted, which is confidence inspiring for the driver. It also nicely complements the 160PS power output of this new turbo petrol engine. We found its handling and braking satisfactory for the performance on offer. With this new engine, the Seltos also has an auto engine start/stop tech, and so it has become more fuel efficient.
On this short drive, we couldn’t test its fuel efficiency, but the official mileage figures claim to offer 17.70kmpl with the turbo petrol-ACMT and 17.90kmpl with the turbo petrol-automatic. We will test the real-world mileage figures once we get to review it for a longer time. With the normal petrol engine, Kia suggest an ARAI-tested mileage figure of 17.0kmpl and 17.70kmpl with the manual and automatic transmission options, respectively.
To sum up the drive, we think that this 160PS engine completes the Seltos as a package — so you get a car that looks upmarket on the outside and inside. It also performs and rides like a more expensive car. Now, let’s look at its prices and sum up this review.
2023 Kia Seltos Facelift – Verdict And Buying Recommendation
The prices for the new Seltos start from Rs. 10.89 lakh. With the normal petrol engine, HTX is its top variant, which costs Rs. 16.59 lakh with the CVT automatic transmission. The variants available with the turbo petrol engine are HTK Plus, HTX Plus, GTX Plus and X Line. The top variant is available only with automatic transmission and costs Rs. 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Seltos was already a car with mass appeal and when we had the older version of the Seltos with us for a long-term review, we were satisfied with the car. It felt like it even matched the cabin experience of more expensive cars. With this update, the cabin experience of the Seltos has improved further and it feels even more polished now with the new colour schemes. The new screens, the larger sunroof, new cabin features, ADAS and a powerful turbo-petrol engine makes it a car that is difficult to nitpick, especially in the higher variants.
More importantly, rather, most importantly, its higher variants also carry an attractive price, prices are also attractive — so we think at this moment — THIS IS THE C-SEGMENT SUV to buy if you want that premium experience with a manageable, compact dimensions.
Here’s a look at the ex-showroom prices for the 2023 Kia Seltos facelift:
