by Returning to take on the recently introduced Creta facelift Seltos diesel MT.The manual gearbox-equipped Seltos diesel has been introduced by Kia India. This 6-speed manual model, which starts at Rs 12 lakh (ex-showroom), is a new addition to the recently updated Seltos lineup. The Seltos now comes with a manual, iMT, torque convertor automatic, CVT automatic (IVT), and DCT automatic gearbox options, depending on the engine chosen, thanks to the new diesel-manual option.
Seltos diesel manual makes a comeback
Last year, Kia India gradually discontinued the Seltos diesel-manual from the Indian market in an effort to promote more SUVs with iMT gearboxes. Sales of the iMT models, however, have generally lagged behind those of the models with manual gearboxes. In addition, Kia’s main rival, the recently updated Creta, has a diesel manual version, which forces Kia to bring back the manual in order to draw in customers. The diesel-iMT option is no longer available for the updated Creta.
The 1.5-liter, 116-horsepower engine powering the Seltos diesel-MT the same engine found in a number of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, including the Creta. The Seltos diesel-MT has the same features as its automatic counterparts in terms of equipment levels. A heads-up display, two 10.25-inch screens, an ADAS package, six airbags, 360-degree cameras, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and an eight-speaker Bose music system are some of the vehicle’s standout features.
Kia Seltos: Colours
Eight mono-tone and two duel-tone colours are available for the Seltos, including Glacier White Pearl with Aurora Black Pearl and Intense Red with Aurora Black Pearl. Other colours available for the Seltos are Sparkling Silver, Clear White, Glacier White, Imperial Blue, Gravity Grey, and Pewter Oliver. On the other hand, a unique Matte Graphite shade adorned with the jaw-dropping Seltos X-Line.
Price
There are five different variants of the Seltos diesel-MT: HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, and HTX+. The top-spec trim costs Rs 18.28 lakh (ex-showroom), which is a little less than the top-spec Creta diesel-MT, which costs Rs 18.74 lakh. For the GT Line and X-Line versions of the Seltos, Kia has not added this powertrain option.
The company has also declared that since the facelifted Seltos’ July 2017 release, more than 65,000 units have been sold. Orders for the Seltos diesel-MT can now be placed; delivery is expected to start early next month.
