Kia made quite an impact in the Indian car industry when they first stepped in here with the Seltos. The main striking point of Seltos is the way it looks. It won’t be wrong if we say that it is the sportiest than the rest of the competition. Besides the appearance, Kia also loaded the cabin to the gills with features that were never seen in its segment before. To give you an idea, it borrows quite a few features from its elder sibling, Kia Telluride, which is the World Car Of The Year for 2020. And that is quite something because the Telluride is much premium offering than the Seltos. It even packs some serious performance as it uses a 3.8 –litre V6 GDi engine under the hood.
When it comes to technology, the Seltos borrows quite a few gadgets from the Telluride, including a 10.25-inch high-resolution display unit that presents data for navigation, audio, driving rearview monitor and parking guidance. The customizable screen can be split into two views at once. It also offers UVO link Telematics with smartphone remote engine start. The UVO advanced connect feature covers 5 categories – Navigation, Safety, Security, Vehicle Management, Remote Control and Convenience. The futuristic UVO connect system also gets Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered voice recognition service to provide a safer and smarter connected car experience. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a part of the connectivity options.
Also read: Kia Soul EV And Telluride SUV Win 2020 World Car Awards
Kia has focused on the comfort and convenience of the occupants too as Seltos get ergonomically designed Ventilated front seats, just like Telluride. They also have a wireless Smartphone Charger which allows you to charge a compatible mobile phone wirelessly. Just like the Telluride, the Seltos also gets an electric sunroof which adds a sense of freedom and modernity to your drive with an airy cabin.
Despite the Telluride being a much premium offering than the Seltos, the latter borrows quite a few safety features from the former like the Blind View Monitor (BVM) which presents the driver with a live video of the car’s blind spot inside the instrument cluster from the mirror-mounted camera, when the turn signal is activated. It is also loaded with a Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) which offers the convenience and an added measure of preventative safety by constantly monitoring tire inflation pressures in all four tires. A warning light appears in the instrument cluster should any tire pressures drop below a specified range.
Both, the Telluride and Seltos get Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) which offers an added measure of security when moving from a stop on a steep hill by preventing the vehicle from rolling backwards. It is pretty amusing that the Kia Seltos borrows so many features from the more expensive Telluride despite costing much less in comparison. Acknowledging the above-mentioned facts, one shouldn’t be surprised at the huge success of the Kia Seltos in our country.