Last week, what was known as the Kia SP Concept, was spotted undisguised in the US, while it was out on public road for an ad shoot. Seen with a white body colour and black roof, the car was wearing the name Seltos. This did confirm that the Kia SP was going to be called Seltos, in some markets. But will it also be called Seltos in India? Well, today Kia India has confirmed that it will be called Seltos in India as well.
The name Seltos has been derived from Greek mythology – Celtus, who was the son of Hercules, the Roman hero and god, famous for his strength. Speaking about the replacement of C by the letter S in Celtus, Kia says, “Representing the brave and assertive spirit of Celtus, the ‘S’ in the car’s adapted name implies speed, sportiness and strength.”
Mr. 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.”
Kia Seltos remains strikingly similar in design to the SP Signature concept with a conventional shoulder line, tiger nose grille, 18” dual tone alloy wheels fitted with Kumbo tyres and larger ORVMs. The Kia Seltos also gets LED headlamps connected by an LED light bar over the grille, LED fog lamps and a contrasting roofline. It receives pull type door handles, a chrome strip on the A Pillar and a chrome bar connecting the tail lamps.
Interior design elements have not been fully detailed but would include well appointed interiors in a black and brown color scheme. The dashboard will sport a 10.25” touchscreen while the instrument panel will sport two analog displays with digital screen offering all relevant information to the driver. Wireless charging with in-car WiFi, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and navigation along with a 360 degree camera will be among its segment first features.
Kia Seltos will get powered by BS VI compliant petrol and diesel engines both of which will get mated to manual and automatic gearboxes. Details about the engine and powertrain options are not yet revealed, and are expected to be announced on 20th June 2019. It might get all new 1.5 liter diesel and 1.5 liter petrol engine options.
Once launched, Kia Seltos will have to face serious competition from many fronts upon launch in India. It will have to contend with the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass. Pricing has not been announced as on date but the Kia Seltos could be priced between Rs.10-16 lakhs in India.
Kia Celtos has entered trial production in India, from the company plant spread over 536 acres in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The plant has installed capacity of 3 lakh units per annum and will create employment to 10,000 direct and indirect workers in the region.
