The compact SUV segment has been the most-sought after segment by brands and customers alike. As a result, there is a lot of competition in the segment. There are several names that come to mind, but the first few trailblazers that come to mind are the Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Creta, and the Suzuki Vitara Brezza. They came into the Indian market in 2013, 2015, and 2016 respectively, that’s 7, 5, and 4 years ago (correct to the time this was written).

Through the years, these cars have been able to win people’s hearts, and garner a few titles and accolades under their belt. Not to mention, there have been other great cars that came into the mix and managed to put up a decent fight in the segment. Long story short, the compact SUV segment has been around for a long time and in that duration, a lot of popular cars have made claim for the ultimate crown.

Kia came in late to the party. In 2018 Kia announced their entry into India with a compact SUV concept named SP2i made specifically for the Indian market. Then, in 2019, Kia unveiled the Seltos SUV as their contender for… you guessed it… the coveted crown of the Compact SUV segment. However, Kia had their work cut out for them. Here, we look into how the Kia Seltos fares in the segment with this late entry, and to put the cherry on the cake, we had the keys to the fully decked out GT Line.

It is definitely a looker!

In terms of exterior looks, the Kia Seltos has a very busy but unique front design. The chrome-finished signature tiger-nose grille is flanked by a stylish pair of headlamps that are integrated with LED day-time-running lights. They’ve called it the ‘crown jewel’ LED headlamp cluster (it has chrome inserts and consists of LED projectors, LED indicators, and LED DRL strips on the top).

The horizontally stacked fog-lamps also look handsome and add character to the front fascia. In the GT Line, you get red accents that bring about a nice sporty look and a front diffuser in the bumper finished in brushed silver with red accents. Oh, and you get a red badge on the grille that says, GT Line!

The profile displays its noticeable SUV stance that is marginally longer and wider than its rival: Hyundai Creta. And as we all know, longer and wider is usually preferred. The ground clearance stands at 190mm, the same as you’ll find in the Creta. We love the 17” crystal-cut alloys with red brake calipers.

At the back, the well-appointed LED headlamps add to the muscular stance of the Kia Seltos. There’s a chrome slat joining the tail lamps and the sculpted bumper. Once again, the faux bash plates round off the Seltos’ exterior looks.

There’s a lot going on on the inside.

Remember, this is the top of the line GTX+ we are driving here, and it is filled to the brim with features and creature comforts. It is a spacious affair inside the Kia Seltos, even for taller occupants. There is plenty of legroom and headroom for all passengers; we feel that 5 occupants would be a comfortable fit. You get premium leather(ette) upholstery and comfortable seats with good lumbar support.

Like the interiors, the dashboard receives a black and beige color treatment. While there is a lot of hard plastic being used, it is high-quality plastic with fine finishing. The front seats are plush. They are electrically adjustable and get a cooling function. The dash also has a 10.25-inch touchscreen head unit through which you can access your media, telephone, and cameras. Speaking of cameras, the GT line gets a superb 360-degree camera view via cameras discreetly hidden in places like the grille and under the ORVM. Parking has never been easier.

In terms of other features, you get things like auto headlamps, auto wipers, climate control, a head-up display, and wireless mobile charging. We had a few favorites of our own. We loved the electrically operated sunroof, it lets the beautiful sunlight flood into the cabin on your drives. Then you have the MID display on the instrument console that switches to a ‘blind view monitor’ when you turn on the indicators. We found this extremely useful, especially when parking in tight spaces. You also get a cabin air purifier with a perfume dispenser, which is placed below the center armrest. This is a first-in-segment feature and can be activated through the ICE head-unit. The air quality index is displayed on the head-unit as well as a small screen behind the center armrest.

Rear passengers will have plenty of space. They also get rear AC vents on all variants, a USB charging port, a center armrest with two cup holders, and the GT Line gets pull up shades to shield you from the harsh sun.

Cool, It’s got all the bells and whistles. But, how is it to drive?

Powertrain options for the Kia Seltos include a 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre petrol motor is available with a six-speed manual transmission and a CVT unit. The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor is offered only with a seven-speed DCT unit. The 1.5-litre diesel motor can be had with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission.

We were driving the 1.5L diesel automatic. Driving the GT Line was amazing fun. The 1.5-litre turbodiesel generates 113.4 BHP of power and 250 Nm of torque. However, it feels like you are getting more performance than the numbers suggest. The gearbox is slick and shifts smoothly. While we would have loved paddle shifters with the Seltos, the transmission did not really let us miss it too much. At times, we did notice the engine noise from the diesel mill and it felt like the engine was revving more than it should. Nevertheless, we will attribute that to our overzealous right foot that was willing to test out the GT badge.

You get 3 driving modes, eco, normal, and sport. We tested the eco mode only because we had to. It isn’t bad, but you will not be winning any races in this mode. As you might have expected, we spent most of our time driving in the sport mode. We could significantly feel the accelerator become more responsive and the steering wheel firm up. Since we are on the topic of steering wheels, the 3-spoke, flat bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel with red stitching that the GT line gets deserves a special mention.

However, in sports mode, the Kia Seltos seemed to be holding gears for longer than required. So, surprisingly, we had the most decent time driving in normal mode. Normal driving mode is great for city traffic and is plenty to get you around to run errands. But, when you need power, it has enough to suffice your needs. In addition to the drive modes, you also get a terrain mode selector that alters the engine and ESP mapping between Sand, Mud and Snow modes.

The Kia Seltos moves off the line with plenty of oomph and it carries this vigor throughout the rev ranges. It handles the corners with confidence and the steady power is always on tap to get you moving out of the bend. And since all variants get disc brakes on all four wheels, the braking is also exceptionally good.

In terms of safety, the Seltos’ top variants come with 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, and a slew of other features to ensure you have the very best systems at work to keep you safe.

Our say.

The Kia Seltos is a brilliantly designed car, and long story short, we love it. It really brings new life into the compact SUV segment and it definitely has what it takes to bring the heat to the reigning rulers of the segment. It gets many things right: it drives well, it is built well, and comes with a plethora of features. The fully decked out GT Line we were driving really spoiled us, it’s got a lot of creature comforts some of which are even hard to find in luxury cars. For us, that clearly adds value. Even in lower variants, the Kia Seltos has a lot to offer.

Nevertheless, it has to be noted that the Kia Seltos now has a new rivalry already: the new Hyundai Creta. It will be fun to see how these two battle it out. But for now, the Kia Seltos GT Line put a really wide smile on our face, and we are happy at that.