Kia Motors has sold 6,200 units of the Seltos compact SUV in August 2019, breaking a record in the process. The Seltos’ big sales number means that it makes Kia Motors India’s best debutant automaker. No other automaker in India has managed to clock 6,200-unit sales in the very first month of the vehicle launch. The Seltos was launched last week, at an attractive starting price tag of Rs. 9.69 lakhs. This means that the Seltos has undercut the bestselling Hyundai Creta, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the SUV actually overtakes the Creta in the very first month of its launch. Notably, the Creta is already facing pressure from stable mate Hyundai Venue, and the likes of the Tata Harrier and MG Hector. It’ll be quite interesting to see sales numbers of the Creta in August 2019.
Meanwhile, demand for the Kia Seltos has been huge, and the automaker has already amassed over 25,000 bookings. This means that the Kia Motors factory in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, will have a busy time in the coming months. To keep waiting periods at manageable levels, Kia Motors will soon start a second shift at its factory, thereby doubling production. The Seltos sold in India is available with a massive variant range, to suit a wide range of budgets.
Even the mechanicals offered on the SUV is segment leading not just in terms of sheer numbers but also in terms of the sheer variety. The Seltos gets 3 engine options: 2 in petrol and 1 in diesel, and all these engines comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms. As for gearboxes, there are four options on offer, and every engine gets a different automatic gearbox.
The range starter is the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine with 115 Bhp-144 Nm, and this motor is offered with 6 speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes. The sportier petrol engine is a 1.4 liter-4-cylinder turbocharged unit with 142 Bhp-242 Nm. The turbo petrol engine gets 6 speed manual and 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearboxes. The diesel engine is a 1.5 liter-4-cylinder unit with 115 Bhp-250 Nm.
The diesel gets 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic gearbox options. All engines drive the front wheels of the SUV. As for features, the Seltos is quite loaded there as well. Electric seats with ventilation, an electric sunroof, a large touchscreen infotainment unit with connected car features, Android Auto, Apple Carplay, leather seats, a heads-up display and a 360-degree parking camera are key highlights in the SUV.