Kia confirms Seltos name plate for its upcoming compact SUV, based on the Hyundai Creta

Kia India will name the SP2i code-named SUV as the Seltos. This is the first official confirmation of this badge for the Indian market. The Seltos was recently spied abroad, shooting for a TVC. In were in these spyshots that the Seltos badge became known to the world. With the South Korean automaker confirming the Seltos name for the Indian market, all speculations must rest now. The SUV’s name is inspired by Greek mythology, and the legend of ‘Celtos’ the son of Hercules. Kia has replaced C with S to signify speed, sportiness and strength. The SUV will be officially unveiled on 20th June in India.

The SUV will be based on the Hyundai Creta but will be produced at a different factory. Though Kia and Hyundai are sister brands, they run independent operations around the world, and the same will be the case in India as well. Kia is expected to position itself as a slightly more premium brand than Hyundai in the Indian market. By that logic, the Seltos compact SUV – though based on the Creta – is likely to be costlier than it. Also, it’s expected to offer a slew of new, premium features, to cement its position as the more premium of the two SUVs.

It’s likely to rival the likes of the Tata Harrier and Mahindra XUV500. In terms of outright size though, it’ll be much smaller than the Harrier and XUV500. The Kia Seltos will also pack much smaller petrol and turbo diesel engines: both 1.5 liter units. The same engines are likely to replace the Hyundai Creta’s 1.6 liter petrol and diesel units once the Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms kick in.

As for features, a range of segment leading bits will be on offer. An electric parking brake, electric sunroof, ambient lighting, 10.2 inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, hill hold assist, quiet mode with driver-talk mode for the Bluetooth interface, ventilated seats, driving modes, steering assist modes, adaptive cruise control, ambient lighting, idle-stop function and paddle shifters will be the other features on offer with the SUV. There’s talk about an all wheel drive option as well. A front wheel drive layout is confirmed though. The Kia will get 6 speed manual and automatic gearbox options. The SUV will also be ready to receive hybrid and electric powertrains in future.

Manohar Bhat, Head – Marketing and Sales, Kia Motors India, said,

Seltos is all set to redefine the mid-SUV car segment with its eye-catching looks, exclusive segment first features and athletic design. We have spent a lot of time in perfecting our car to suit the taste of the Indian customers and I am glad that this originally India intended car is so perfect that it compelled us to make Seltos available globally. The car looks absolutely stunning and very closely matches the SP concept we showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. I am confident that Kia Seltos would be an outright favorite when it hits the roads in the next few months.

Featured image courtesy AutoBlog