After what felt like a decade-and-a-half, but was actually less than two years, Kia Motors India has taken the wraps off the production version of its first product – the Seltos. Debuting for the first time globally, the Seltos is essentially a compact SUV which looks refreshing, packs a ton of kit and will be offered with a range of BSVI (Bharat Stage VI) ready petrol- and diesel-fed powertrains.

Size-wise, it’ll fit in the mix with the competition – the Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks and the Renault Captur. However, when it comes to the package, the Kia Seltos will probably outshine them all. Since we’ve already touched upon the powertrains, let’s start there. Customers will have a choice of three engines, three automatic transmissions and a manual gearbox.

More specifically, a 1.4-litre, turbo-petrol engine will be coupled to a 7-speed, dual-clutch AT (available only with the GT Line); a 1.5-litre, turbo-diesel will be available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed AT (torque converter); and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine will be available with either a CVT (or IVT from Kia’s books) or a 6-speed manual. Huff! We’ve checked – no other car in the segment offer so much choice. The Seltos will also have three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sports. The real kicker – all powertrains will be BSVI (Bharat Stage VI) ready. Unfortunately, Kia hasn’t revealed the detailed specifications as of now.

Don’t frown now! Here’s something that’ll cheer you up – Seltos’ vast list of features. On the outside, it’ll feature LED-powered headlamps, fog lamps, taillamps and DRLs, 17-inch alloy wheels, protective cladding all around, front and rear parking sensors, an electric sunroof and a 360-degree camera. Inside, there will be a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system which, apart from supporting voice commands, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, will also be the control-centre for Kia’s UVO connected car features. Other features include a built-in air purifier, automatic climate control, USB charging sockets for rear passengers, a head-up display, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a 7.0-inch display within the instrument cluster and ventilated (and cooled) front seats.

Coming back to the UVO tech, it is similar to Hyundai’s BlueLink. Kia says that it will offer a total of 37 features, bucketed in five categories – Navigation, Safety & Security, Remote Control, Vehicle Management and Convenience. The Seltos’ safety net will also include electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill-start assist, ABS with EBD, blind-spot view monitor and six airbags.

Kia Motors will offer the Seltos in eight single tone colours and five dual-tone finishes. The former category comprises of Intense Red, Punchy Orange, Clear White, Glacier White Pearl, Steel Silver, Gravity Grey, Aurora Pearl and Intelligency Blue. By the time it launches, which will happen later this year, Kia Motors India will have 265 touchpoints spread across 160 cities. By 2020 and 2021, the company aims to increase the number of touchpoints to 300 and 360, respectively.

We are sure you’ll agree that the Kia Seltos is shaping up to be an expensive product for the segment it caters. In fact, it should fall between Rs 12-18 lakh price bracket. But, none of its rivals is currently BSVI-compliant. When they get upgraded to meet the stricter emission norms, their prices will also shoot up considerably. What also works in Seltos’ favour is that it brings a lot of segment firsts to the party.