Attack of the Clones

Car companies have been rushing to fill the newly created entry level premium SUV segment with their latest offerings. The entrant in this battle is the much awaited Kia Seltos SUV, which is set to become the 6th attempt in this already crowded segment.

At first glance, the Seltos looks quite appealing, with its honeycomb mesh grill, sharp LEDs and a wrap around LED tail lamp design. Unfortunately, these things also make it look like a clone of the Tata Harrier, which features the exact same elements, only with a bit more butch look and feel. The interiors don’t match though, which is a bit sad, since the Seltos could use a better design layout.

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Thankfully, while the design is a bit mundane, the feature list isn’t, as the SUV copies most of the features that have made the MG Hector such a popular option.

It starts with a landscape-oriented 10.25-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The touchscreen lets you control an e-sim based connected car system, which pairs with a smartphone app to unlock segment leading features such as remotely starting/stopping the engine, adjusting the climate control, locking/unlocking the vehicle, tracking the vehicle in real time, a 360-degree surround view camera as well as AI-based voice commands. The only thing that’s unique to the Seltos is a Sound Mood Lighting system that syncs with the 8-speaker audio system from Bose.

However, the one thing that we are looking forward to in regards to this car, is the various engine and transmission combinations that are available to the customers. You get not one, not two, but three different engines to choose from – a 115hp 1.5-litre petrol, a 140hp 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, and a 115hp 1.5-litre diesel. Each engine can be configured with either a 6-speed manual gearbox, or with an automatic. Even the automatics have different options, as the 1.5 petrol gets a CVT, the 1.4 turbo-petrol gets a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the diesel features a 6-speed torque convertor. This will leave the customers spoiled for choice, especially if the price range is as competitive as we are guessing it to be. Let us see if it is enough to push Kia into the hearts of Indian car owners.

Same in Range

Mahindra XUV 500

XUV was one of the first cars in this segment, even though it isn’t considered a premium offering. However, it certainly deserves its fair share of attention, since it has good build quality, off-road capabilities and overall reliability that is associated with the brand.

Hyundai Creta

Until recently, the Creta was easily the most popular offering in the segment, despite the fact that it clearly wasn’t built to do anything remotely SUV like. However, thanks to the strong focus on the interiors and creature comforts, it has created a strong demand for itself in the urban market.

From the August 2019 issue of FHM India.