Kia Seltos: A Stylish Compact SUV for the Youth

Overview of the Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos is the newest SUV to join the Korean brand’s line-up. In an attempt to capture the hearts of compact SUV buyers worldwide, it’s packed with a fair bit of kit. Competing with the Honda HR-V and Nissan Kicks, the Seltos slots in between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage in the brand’s line-up and targets tech-savvy youth.

Launch Event

Introduced at the Park Hyatt Resort on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the event was attended by numerous journalists and company representatives from across the region, including many female social media influencers from Saudi Arabia. Different by all means, this strategic move positions the funky Seltos as a popular SUV choice among the youth when it hits showroom floors in early 2020.

Design and Features

Exterior Design

Mr. James (Kyung Hyeon) Kim, President of Kia Motors Middle East and Africa Headquarters, stated: “The Seltos fills a gap in our portfolio and offers Kia’s traditional strengths in design, quality, and technology. The car has been designed to fulfill the needs of youthful, tech-savvy customers in the Middle East, featuring a striking design inside and out, along with a range of cutting-edge technology and safety equipment.”

Produced for the Middle East market in Kia’s Andhra Pradesh production facility in Anantapur, India, the Seltos boasts distinctive exterior design details, including:

• Long hood
• Strong character line on the front bumper
• Sharp lines pressed into the bodywork
• Signature ‘tiger nose grille’ with a new diamond-pattern surface

Color Options

The Seltos lures the youth in with its funkiness, available in up to eight exterior paint finishes, including:

• Clear White
• Glacier White Pearl
• Steel Silver
• Gravity Gray
• Aurora Black Pearl
• Intelligency Blue
• Punchy Orange
• Intense Red

Additionally, it allows for a two-tone combination with the roof finished in Aurora Black Pearl, Clear White, or Punchy Orange for a sharp contrast.

Interior Quality

The interior of the Seltos is designed with high-quality materials, featuring:

• Plenty of soft-touch materials
• Single-tone black or two-tone beige and black cloth upholstery
• Modern geometric patterns stitched into the upholstery

The optional GT-Line model adds an air of sportiness with black upholstery contrasted by red stitching on the seats, steering wheel, and gearstick, as well as a sporty D-shaped steering wheel and metallic pedals.

Engine Options and Technology

As for engine options, the Kia Seltos is available with two petrol engines, depending on the market:

1. 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine producing 121 horsepower and 151 Nm of torque.
2. 1.4-liter turbocharged powerplant generating 138 horsepower and 242 Nm of torque.

Transmissions include a 6-speed automatic for the 1.6-liter engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the 1.4-liter turbo.

Infotainment and Features

The highlight of the features is the 10.25-inch ultra-high-definition infotainment screen that easily outshines its competitors. With seamless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, it meets the smartphone integration needs of the model’s target market. Additionally, the optional Sound Mood Lighting emits ambient light via 3D-patterned panels, pulsing in time to the beat of music playing through the audio system, with eight customizable colors and six themes.

Pricing

Prices in the UAE are expected to start from AED 68,000 upon launch in early next year.

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