The highly anticipated new Kia SUV was unveiled on Wednesday (June 19) at an event in one of India’s most important cities, Delhi. Teased over the past month as a global car for tech-savvy buyers, the Seltos has essentially been built with a particular country in mind.
Although Kia says the SUV will sell in global markets, the new nameplate will be the South Korean’s main weapon in taking over a large swathe of the Indian market, expected to soon match the boom of that of China.
And to give the Seltos the best change at succeeding in its task, Kia will build the car in the country, at the Andhra Pradesh facility. It will also support its launch on the market “with the highest number of dealerships ever seen from a new car entrant.”
For the other markets, the Seltos will be assembled at the home factory in Gwangju, South Korea.
Despite being repeatedly described as a car for the millennial generation thanks to the high-tech solutions fitted onto it, the Seltos brings no new technology into the mix. The worth-mentioning amenities are the usual touchscreen, in this case sized 10.25 inches, an 8-inch head-up display and the carmaker’s UVO CONNECT telematics system.
No revolutionary powertrains are fitted on the Seltos either. The carmaker gifted the SUV with the third generation of its engines, but only three will be available: 1.6-liter T-GDI turbocharged gasoline (177 ps), 2.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline (149 hp), and 1.6-liter diesel (136 hp).
The engines can be paired with three different transmissions, namely a seven-speed dual clutch, a six-speed automatic or a continuously variable transmission, each capable of supporting three driving modes: Normal, Eco and Sport.
Kia says the Seltos will become available on global markets starting the second half of 2019, but it does not say what markets other than Korea and India the car will sell in.
More details on the new Kia Seltos can be found in the document attached below.
And to give the Seltos the best change at succeeding in its task, Kia will build the car in the country, at the Andhra Pradesh facility. It will also support its launch on the market “with the highest number of dealerships ever seen from a new car entrant.”
For the other markets, the Seltos will be assembled at the home factory in Gwangju, South Korea.
Despite being repeatedly described as a car for the millennial generation thanks to the high-tech solutions fitted onto it, the Seltos brings no new technology into the mix. The worth-mentioning amenities are the usual touchscreen, in this case sized 10.25 inches, an 8-inch head-up display and the carmaker’s UVO CONNECT telematics system.
No revolutionary powertrains are fitted on the Seltos either. The carmaker gifted the SUV with the third generation of its engines, but only three will be available: 1.6-liter T-GDI turbocharged gasoline (177 ps), 2.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline (149 hp), and 1.6-liter diesel (136 hp).
The engines can be paired with three different transmissions, namely a seven-speed dual clutch, a six-speed automatic or a continuously variable transmission, each capable of supporting three driving modes: Normal, Eco and Sport.
Kia says the Seltos will become available on global markets starting the second half of 2019, but it does not say what markets other than Korea and India the car will sell in.
More details on the new Kia Seltos can be found in the document attached below.