The Kia Seltos compact SUV has just received a booster safety shot. All variants of the Seltos now get 6 airbags as standard, along with rear disc brakes. The Seltos is the only compact SUV in its segment to offer 6 airbags and rear disc brakes across all trims. The additional features come at a cost. Prices of Seltos variants with the additional features have gone up by about Rs.30,000. The Kia Seltos range now starts at Rs. 10.49 lakh, ex-showroom.

The additional features – specifically the airbags – come at a time when the Indian government has mandated that all cars sold here must be offered with 6 airbags as standard from the 1st of October, 2022. The Seltos is one of the first mass-market cars to comply with this requirement. In the coming months, expect more cars to offer 6 airbags as standard ahead of the deadline set by the government.

While the additional airbags will definitely improve passenger safety in the event of a crash, a strong body shell is something that’s equally important. The Seltos tested by Global NCAP has received a 3 star rating, which is bordering poor. The bodyshell of the made-in-India Kia Seltos was found to be unstable, or in other word unable to withstand further loading.

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We hope that Kia Motors makes the bodyshell of the Seltos stronger as that would greatly enhance passenger safety. Coming to the disc brakes on the rear wheels, this is an active safety feature that will reduce stopping distance, and could potentially prevent a crash from happening. Full credit to Kia for making this feature standard across trims.

Apart from these additional safety features, the Kia Seltos sold here remains mechanically unchanged. There are three engines on offer: a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder naturally aspirated (NA) petrol with 113 Bhp-144 Nm, a 1.4 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged petrol with 138 Bhp-242 Nm and a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged diesel with 115 Bhp-250 Nm. The 1.5 liter NA petrol engine is offered with 6 speed manual, clutchless manual (IMT) and CVT automatic gearbox options.  The turbo petrol motor gets 7 speed twin clutch automatic and 6 speed manual gearbox options while the diesel motor gets 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic gearbox options.

The Seltos is produced at Kia Motors’ Anantapur factory in Andhra Pradesh, and the SUV was the first model launched by the South Korean automaker in India. A massive hit right from launch, the Seltos has registered over 2.5 lakh units in sales in about 30 months. A facelifted version of the Seltos is in the works, and road testing in India has already commenced.

Globally, the Kia Seltos Facelift has already been revealed, and the facelifted model is likely to be launched in India later this year. Apart from stylistic changes at the front and rear, the facelifted Seltos will get new features such as a panoramic sunroof, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and a curved infotainment display like the one seen on the Kia EV6 electric car.

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