SOPHISTICATED AND SPORTY: THE ALL-NEW KIA SELTOS KENYA COMPACT SUV
- Seltos brings sophistication and assertiveness to the compact SUV market
- Stylish, contemporary interior characterized by high-quality materials
- Powered by an efficient petrol engine
- Among the most high-tech cars in class with an abundance of in-car features
- On sale in Kenya by the end of June.
The new Kia Seltos brings sophistication, class-leading space, and cutting-edge technology and safety features to the global compact SUV segment. Following its unveiling earlier this year, the new Seltos goes on sale in Kenya by the end of June.
The Seltos is characterized by design details that lend it an air of understated sportiness. Smaller than its Sportage mid-sized sibling, the Seltos packs a lot into its compact footprint, with more space for passengers and luggage than any rival B-segment SUV. The new model also offers a highly-efficient 1.6-liter petrol engine.
Global sales of compact SUVs are forecast to expand from 6.5 million vehicles in 2018 to more than 8.2 million by the end of 2022, and the Middle East represents an important growth market in this sector.
“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 Kenya, with a striking design inside and out, and a range of cutting-edge technology and safety equipment.”
The Seltos provide outstanding value for money thanks to a range of technology features that maximize connectivity and safety. Its class-leading interior space seats five people in comfort, and it also offers a contemporary design that differentiates it from other B-segment SUVs.
Exterior design
A sporty and sophisticated compact SUV
The Seltos stands apart from its rivals thanks to a sophisticated, sporty design and the space and capabilities of a larger SUV.
With its bold and dynamic profile, the Seltos brings with it a series of distinctive exterior design details, such as its long hood, a strong, character line on the front bumper, and sharp lines pressed into the bodywork. It also sports a wide ‘tiger-nose grille’, making the car instantly recognizable as a Kia, but with a new diamond-pattern surface. Its robust shoulder line and glasshouse shape, which tapers towards the rear of the car, lend the car an air of understated sportiness. The rear bumper with a metallic muffler effect accentuates the dynamic appearance.
4,315 mm in length, the Seltos has front and rear overhangs of just 865 mm and 840 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,610 mm – longer than many of its rivals. With the wheels pushed into the corners of the 1,800 mm-wide body, the 1,620 mm overall height means the Seltos has a sportier bearing than many other compact SUVs. While the Seltos is only subtly larger on the outside than other B-segment SUVs, its long wheelbase and fine proportions result in significantly more space in the cabin and trunk than any other rival (see ‘Practicality and packaging’).
The Seltos boasts a drag coefficient of just 0.35 Cd, carving through the air more efficiently than many other cars in the compact SUV segment. The aerodynamics are aided by a subtle tailgate spoiler, as well as measures to enhance under-body airflows, such as an optimized lower bumper lip, wheel deflectors, and smooth under-floor panels.
The Kia Seltos sits on a 16-inch steel alloy which complements the dimensions of the car, giving it a powerful stance. The wheels are shod with high-grip 205/65 R16 or 215/60 R17 tires. The Seltos have a ground clearance of 190 mm.
A colorful character, the Seltos is available in a choice of up to eight distinctive exterior paint finishes Clear White, Glacier White Pearl, Steel Silver, Gravity Gray, Aurora Black Pearl, Punchy Orange, Imperial Blue and Intense Red.
Interior design
A forward-looking interior characterized by futuristic and high-quality materials
The eye-catching interior of the Seltos is designed with high-quality materials and futuristic in-car technology. Developed to meet the needs of youthful, tech-savvy buyers, the refined and advanced cabin is characterized by broad, sweeping shapes and highly technical details.
The focal point is a sweeping instrument panel with an asymmetric layout, creating a cockpit-style environment for the driver, and open welcoming space for passengers. At the center of the dashboard is an infotainment system (see ‘Technologies and features’), one of several features that maximize convenience, connectivity, and ease of use. Standing proud of the instrument panel, the infotainment system is positioned in such a way as to maximize ease of use and visibility for drivers. Beneath, physical dials control the car’s heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning, providing a highly-ergonomic and tactile way to control the cabin environment.
The ergonomics of the cabin allow the driver to sit comfortably with a commanding view, helping to maintain focus on the road ahead and naturally reduce fatigue.
The cabin is trimmed in a choice of single-tone black or two-tone beige and black cloth, with modern, geometric patterns stitched into the upholstery. The dashboard can be finished with a metallic finish.
Practicality and packaging
Class-leading cabin and trunk space with a focus on passenger comfort
The Seltos features the largest cabin and trunk of any B-segment SUV currently on sale, aided by the car’s subtly larger exterior dimensions and long wheelbase. This also contributes to the passenger cabin offering more legroom than rivals; a high, straight roofline, and greater headroom.
The front of the cabin provides up to 1,050 mm legroom, 1,409 mm shoulder space, and 1,015 mm headroom. Cupholders in the doors and center console, as well as a storage tray at the base of the dashboard, provide plenty of spaces in which to store items when driving. The center console also provides another storage option, with an armrest cushion that can be moved 60 mm forwards or backward, ensuring front seat occupants of any height always have somewhere to rest their elbows.
The rear of the Seltos’s cabin is the most accommodating in the class, with up to 973 mm legroom, 980 mm headroom, and 1,395 mm shoulder space for up to three passengers. Furthermore, the center console features vents in the rear for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Comfort is also assured with a rear bench seatback that can recline from 26 to 32 degrees, a larger span than is found in other cars in the class, ensuring rear passengers can find their most comfortable seating position.
The trunk provides 433 liters of space (VDA), offering greater luggage capacity than competing models.
Performance and driving
The sporty, stylish exterior is matched with strong on-road performance, engaging dynamics, and a comfortable ride for occupants.
The Seltos is available with 1.6-liter MPI (multi-point injection) petrol engine with six-speed automatic transmission, and produces 123 ps and 151 Nm torque, enabling 0-to-100 kph acceleration in 12.2 seconds.
The Seltos is fitted as standard with MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear axle. The suspension and steering are tuned to provide a comfortable and confidence-inspiring high-speed drive.
A further feature to maximize driving confidence, the Seltos is equipped with 300 mm disc brakes on the front axle and either 262 mm discs or 228 mm drum brakes on the rear axle (depending on powertrain and drivetrain specification). In all instances, the brakes provide ample stopping power at all speeds.
Technologies and features
Market and world-first features in its segment
The Seltos is a technologically advanced and refined compact SUV equipped with a range of market and world-first features. These aren’t just designed to make driving safer and less stressful, but also more enjoyable.
At the heart of the dashboard, and providing total ease of operation, is the car’s infotainment system. The Seltos is available with Kia’s new a radio with an 8-inch display, 2 portes USB, and Bluetooth® with voice recognition. This allows users to control or monitor numerous vehicle features at the same time and customize the screen to display up to three separate applications simultaneously. The driver, therefore, can choose to have a single display (such as navigation) or combine different elements on-screen. The system provides Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard.
The convention 3.5” LCD + Rheostat cluster is designed to deliver key driving information as clearly as possible. With a high-definition display, the digital cluster replaces the conventional speedometer and tachometer dials found in the brand’s other passenger cars. Its single, seamless display incorporates pin-sharp digital dials for vehicle and engine speeds and subtly changes the information and graphics presented depending on different drive modes.
A multi-function display between the digital dials communicates turn-by-turn navigation instructions, audio information, phone calls, contacts, in-depth trip information, as well as vehicle diagnostics alerts. It replaces the physical dials available with different specifications.
Additional features that maximize the cabin’s utility and comfort include and manual climate control.
Safety
Full range of advanced active safety systems is available
Kia’s passive and active safety systems ensure that Seltos occupants remain well protected on every journey. With the safety of occupants, a number-one priority for the brand in all of its cars, Kia is targeting the most rigorous safety standards in every market in which the Seltos will be sold.
The Seltos’ body is made up of a blend of steel and aluminum, maximizing torsional rigidity while keeping body weight low. With a high proportion of Advanced High-Strength Steel components, the rigid bodyshell reduces road vibrations and enhances occupant safety in the event of a collision.
The Seltos is fitted with front airbags (driver and passenger), as well as a suite of electronic vehicle safety systems. These include an Anti-lock Braking System, Immobilizer, Child Lock, rear parking sensors, and rear view camera. A Rear-View Monitor is also available, aiding drivers when completing low-speed maneuvers.