Kia Seltos: the new one is good, but the range spans ₹10.6 lakh

Why this car is suddenly selling

The Seltos moved 11,716 units in August 2026 against 4,687 in the same month a year earlier — a 150% increase, the strongest growth of any car in the top twenty. That is what a full generation change does when the outgoing car was getting old.

Kia has rebuilt it on a strengthened K3 platform with a longer wheelbase, added six airbags and stability control as standard, and given it a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor in the cluster. The safety story is no longer a reason to pick a rival.

Three engines, and who each one is for

The Smartstream G1.5 T-GDi turbo petrol is the headline: 117.5 kW — about 160 PS — at 5,500 rpm, and 253 Nm held from 1,500 to 3,500 rpm. In a segment where 140 PS is common, that is a meaningful margin, and the torque band is wide enough that it never feels like it is waiting for boost.

The naturally aspirated G1.5 makes 84.4 kW, around 115 PS, at 6,300 rpm with 144 Nm at 4,500 rpm. It is the sensible, cheaper engine and it is fine — but 144 Nm arriving that high up means it works hard with a full car.

The 1.5 CRDi VGT diesel makes 85 kW, about 116 PS, with 250 Nm from 1,500 to 2,750 rpm. If you do long highway distances, this is still the engine that makes the most sense, and it is increasingly rare for a manufacturer to keep offering one in this class.

Twelve trims, and where to get off

HTE at ₹10,99,900 is the entry car. HTE (O) adds ₹1,42,000 for the equipment that should arguably have been there. HTK and HTK (O) are the fleet and family middle, at ₹13,41,900 and ₹14,51,900.

HTX at ₹15,91,900 is where we would stop. It brings the leatherette wheel, wireless charging and ventilated front seats on the automatic. HTX (A) at ₹17,01,900 adds ADAS Level 2 with 21 features and the 360-degree camera — worth it if driver assistance matters to you, and skippable if it does not.

Then the range gets strange. GTX and X-Line are both ₹18,71,900. GTX (A) and X-Line (A) are both ₹19,81,900. GTX (O) and X-Line (O) are both ₹21,56,900. These are not different levels of car — they are different costumes at identical prices, and only the (O) trims carry the full ADAS Level 2+ with 28 features.

At ₹21.57 lakh you are paying more than a fully loaded Creta and approaching genuinely larger SUVs. That is the number to sit with before you let a showroom walk you up the ladder.

The safety kit, and where it actually sits

Six airbags, electronic stability control and the reinforced platform are standard, which is the right baseline and worth saying plainly.

The driver-assistance story is more layered. ADAS Level 2 with 21 autonomous features appears at HTX (A). The full Level 2+ package with 28 features — the one Kia leads its advertising with — only arrives on the GTX (O) and X-Line (O) at ₹21,56,900.

Kia's own BNCAP fact sheet records the tested vehicle as the HTE (O) and GTX with the 1.5 CRDi and six-speed automatic, at a crash test weight of 1,771 kg. If a star rating is part of your decision, read which variants the rating covers rather than assuming it blankets the range.

What we would tell a friend

If you want the Seltos for what it does rather than how it looks, buy the HTX at ₹15,91,900 and put the difference somewhere useful.

If driver assistance genuinely matters to you, HTX (A) at ₹17,01,900 is the honest step and gets you 21 of the 28 features.

If a showroom is steering you toward GTX (O) or X-Line (O) at ₹21,56,900, ask them to lay out exactly what those ₹5.65 lakh over HTX buy, feature by feature. Then price a Creta and a Grand Vitara at the same number before you decide. That is the conversation worth having, and it is the one the badge on the boot is designed to stop you from starting.