On July 16, 2019, Kia Motors India officially commenced accepting bookings for its first product – the Seltos. The company has announced that it received 6,046 pre-orders in a single day. Out of the lot, 1,628 bookings were made through the website, which received nearly 2 lakh hits on July 16. The Seltos can either be booked online or by visiting any of the authorised dealerships across the country. The minimum token amount has been set at Rs 25,000 and the SUV is set to launch on August 22, 2019.

It is safe to say that Kia Motors India wants to hit the ground running. And to increase the probabilities for that, it has stacked the Seltos with some intriguing features. The compact SUV will be sold in two trims – Tech Line and GT Line. A variety of engine-transmission options will be available. The range will start with the 1.5-litre petrol engine (115PS/144Nm) and that will be available with a 6-speed MT and a CVT. Diesel fans will have the option of a 1.5-litre mill (115PS/250Nm) and that can be had with either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AT. Lastly, and exclusively available with the GT Line, will be a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine which is good for 140PS/242Nm). This engine can be had with either a 6-speed MT or a 7-speed DCT.

In the list of features, the Kia Seltos will introduce a number of segment-first features including a built-in air purifier, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and UVO connected car tech, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a head-up display and a 7.0-inch display within the instrument cluster. The Seltos will also boast features like ventilated (and cooled) front seats, automatic climate control, six airbags, ambient lighting, an electric sunroof and a 360-degree-view camera.

Expect Kia Motors India to price the Seltos between Rs 12-18 lakh. In the market, the SUV will compete with the Hyundai Creta, which will borrow Seltos’ powertrains in its next-generation form, Renault Captur and the Nissan Kicks. The Seltos will also entice customers who are looking at purchasing the like of Mahindra XUV500, MG Hector and the Tata Harrier.