Kia Announces The Name ‘Seltos’ For Its Upcoming SUV In India — Global Unveil Later This Month

Kia Motors has announced the name of its first mid-size SUV for the Indian market, as the 'Seltos'. The new Kia Seltos will be the first product from the Korean brand in the Indian market.

The new mid-size SUV has been spied testing on multiple occasions with Kia also showcasing their official design sketches of both the exterior and interior of the Seltos. Kia has also announced that the Seltos will have its global premiere in India on the 20th June.

The Kia Seltos is based on the SP2i Concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. According to Kia, the Seltos SUV will bring in a new level of sophistication and attention to detail in the mid-size SUV segment of the Indian market.

The name Seltos is based on the legend of 'Celtos', the son of Hercules. The 'S' in the adaptive name stands for speed, sportiness and strength. The Kia Seltos is said to combine the practicality of a mid-size SUV with the capabilities of a traditional SUV.

Manohar Bhat, Head - Marketing & Sales, Kia Motors India, stated:

"Seltos is all set to redefine the mid-SUV car segment with its eye-catching looks, exclusive segment first features and athletic design. We have spent a lot of time in perfecting our car to suit the taste of the Indian customers and I am glad that this originally India intended car is so perfect that it compelled us to make Seltos available globally."

"The car looks absolutely stunning and very closely matches the SP concept we showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. I am confident that Kia Seltos would be an outright favorite when it hits the roads in the next few months."

Kia recently showcased the official design sketches of the upcoming Seltos SUV. As seen from the official exterior design sketches, the Kia Seltos will come with a sharp, distinctive and bold design. It will feature a sleek headlamp with the LED projector headlamps, a single LED strip will run along the top of the headlamp cluster and over the front signature grille as well.

Kia also released the official sketches of the interiors of the Seltos. The interior design sketches reveal the single large display, with split screens for the instrument cluster and the infotainment unit. The design sketches also showcase an all-black interior with silver accents, further accentuating the premiumness of the Kia Seltos.

In terms of mechanicals, the Kia Seltos is said to be offered with two engine options; both in the form of BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre units. Exact power figures of the engines are yet to be revealed. Both engines will come mated to a standard six-speed manual gearbox, with the optional automatic transmissions also on offer.

Thoughts On The Kia Seltos SUV

The Kia Seltos SUV will be the first product from the brand in the Indian market. With a launch expected in September 2019, the Kia Seltos might come priced in the Rs 16 - 20 lakh range, ex-showroom. Once launched, the Kia Seltos will take on rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, Nissan Kicks and the Mahindra XUV500.