The Kia Seltos is a subcompactcrossover SUV built by Kia Motors. Its name is derived from "Celtos", the son of Hercules in Greek mythology. According to Kia, the Seltos is aimed directly at millennials and "youthful, tech-savvy buyers" looking for a vehicle that stands out from the crowd. There are three versions of Seltos, one which is the larger car built in South Korea destined for developed markets, and two others are the Indian-made Seltos and the closely related Chinese version badged as the Kia KX3. The SP2i and SP2c models are the low cost versions of Seltos to penetrate most emerging markets and is related with the second generation Hyundai ix25/Creta.
Overview
The Kia Seltos started as two concept car called the SP Concept which was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in February 2018, and the SP Signature showcased at the 2019 Seoul Motor Show in March 2019. Both concept cars had a very close resemblance with the current mass production versions. The SP Concept previewed the SP2i Seltos built in India, while the SP Signature later spawned the South Korean-made SP Seltos. The Seltos was launched in South Korea on 18 July 2019, India on 22 August 2019 and in the Philippines on 6 November 2019, with a release in various global markets except Europe by the end of the year. The Seltos was also launched in Indonesia on January 20, 2020. It will not be sold in Europe, Turkey and Israel due to the release of the Stonic and Xceed as the alternative. The Seltos was launched in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in early 2020.
SP models
South Korea
The SP Seltos debuted in South Korea in 18 July 2019. Positioned above the Stonic, it is offered with two engine options, the 1.6-litre Gamma turbo petrol engine which runs on maximum of and of torque with a claimed fuel efficiency of, and the other is a 1.6-litre U-Linediesel engine is equipped with maximum of and of torque with a claimed fuel economy of. Both engines are equipped with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. It is also available with an all-wheel drive option. Several driving assist functions including forward collision-avoidance assist, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning and high beam assist is available as standard for all trims.
North America
Unlike the Seltos destined for the global market, the Seltos for the U.S. and Canada sports a distinct front end that promises better approaching angle for light off-roading. This Seltos model is not sold in Mexico, as the SP2i Seltos is instead offered in the country. The North American Kia Seltos has two engine options. The first is a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter with and of torque. This engine is standard on the LX, S and EX and is accompanied by Kia's Intelligent Variable Transmission, or IVT. The second option is a 1.6-liter turbo engine that produces and of torque. It is standard on the Seltos SX and optional on the S, and comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available for the Seltos and has similar mechanical components as the larger Telluride. Trim levels for the 2021 Seltos are LX, S, S Turbo, EX, and SX Turbo.
Australia
The Australian bound Seltos launched in October 2019 as Kia's entrant into the market's ever-growing small SUV category. There are five grades which consist of S, Sport, Sport+, Sport+ AWD, and GT-Line. Engine choice for lower end variants consist of the 'Nu' 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to a CVT, while higher end AWD models are powered by the 'Gamma' 1.6-litre T-GDi engine with a 7-speed DCT. A total of 2,048 Seltos models were registered in 2019 since its launch in October.
Engines
SP2i models
India
The Seltos is the first product of Kia Motor India following its entry in the country. The crossover was unveiled in New Delhi, India on June 20, 2019. By the time of its launch on August 22, 2019, Kia had received 50,000+ bookings for Seltos. Later the Seltos emerged as the best-selling SUV in the country by delivering 12,854 units in October 2019. As of 1 April 2020, the Seltos sales crossed the 80,000 mark in India. Three engines were offered in India, two being petrol engines and one diesel engine. The petrol engines are the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine that makes paired with 6-speed manual transmission or IVT, and a 1.4-liter Kappa turbo engine that produces paired with 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed DCT. The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre U-Line unit that produces paired with 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed torque converter automatic. The Seltos is offered in two sub-models, Tech Line and GT Line. The SP2i Seltos is shorter by 60 mm in length and 20 mm in wheelbase. Visually, the front hood is also made distinct as it ends directly before the grill, whereas the global Seltos ends before the Kia logo thus creating a gap line that interrupts the front end design. The bonnet region is also shorter and the rear bumper sticks out less. Together with the Chinese version badged as the Kia KX3, the Indian version of Seltos has a different interior dashboard layout with a high-mounted head unit that is also designed to look like it is fused with the speedometer.
Export markets
The Indian-version Seltos is exported to several regions which mostly are emerging markets including South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Latin America, Middle East and other South Asian markets.
Engines
Kia KX3 (SP2c model)
In September 2019, the Seltos was unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show as the second generation Kia KX3. Coded internally as SP2c, the car debuted in the Chinese market in December 2019.
