Craze for cars

First introduced as Kia’s big India breakthrough on August 22, 2019, the Seltos quickly became the brand’s “category-maker” in the midsize SUV space—an SUV that won buyers by mixing sharp styling, a premium cabin feel, and an engine lineup that could be tailored to calm city commuting or fast highway runs. By 2025, it’s still built around the same winning idea: give customers choice. The current Seltos offers three 1.5-litre powertrains—an efficient naturally aspirated petrol, a punchy turbo-petrol, and a torque-rich diesel—paired with multiple gearboxes depending on the variant. The 1.5 NA petrol makes 115 PS and 144 Nm, the 1.5 diesel puts out 116 PS and 250 Nm, and the 1.5 turbo-petrol delivers a strong 160 PS and 253 Nm, with transmissions spanning manual, CVT/IVT-style automatic, torque-converter automatic, and DCT options across the range.

What keeps the Seltos so easy to live with is that it’s sized “just right” for Indian roads while still feeling like a proper SUV. The 2025 model measures 4,365 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width, and 1,645 mm in height with a 2,610 mm wheelbase, and it backs that up with everyday practicality—433 litres of boot space, 190 mm ground clearance, and a 50-litre fuel tank. Safety and convenience have also been a consistent part of the pitch: Kia’s own brochure highlights 6 airbags, ESC, hill assist, and tech like a 360° camera with Blind View Monitor as part of the Seltos package (variant-dependent for some features).

Now the real escalation begins: Kia has officially moved into the second-generation Seltos era in India, with production started at the Anantapur facility and the SUV built on the newer K3 platform—a full step forward in design, cabin layout, and feature intensity . The new Seltos is locked for an India launch on January 2, 2026, with bookings opened at ₹25,000, and deliveries expected to begin by mid-January. Reports around the reveal describe a noticeably larger footprint—about 4,460 mm long and 1,830 mm wide with a 2,690 mm wheelbase—pushing the stance and interior space further upmarket.

Inside, the next-gen Seltos leans hard into the “premium-tech SUV” identity: media reports highlight a massive 30-inch “Trinity Panoramic Display”, Bose audio, ventilated seats, and an even bigger safety push with Level-2 ADAS said to include 21 autonomous safety features. Importantly, it isn’t abandoning what made it popular—coverage around the India debut says it will continue with petrol, turbo-petrol, and diesel options, keeping the Seltos formula intact while raising the design and technology bar for the segment.