New Kia Seltos Facelift Diesel Automatic Review: A Long-Distance Cruiser

The Seltos diesel automatic costs under Rs 20 lakh ex-showroom and while it is not as fun as the turbo petrol or even the iMT version, the diesel automatic makes sense as a long-distance cruiser.

The automatic diesel is positioned at the top-end of the Seltos range which means you get it with all the features

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

The Seltos is the best-selling Kia and it is also their best model yet but the SUV was heavily updated this year with a new turbo petrol powertrain. That said, the version which gets a bit of interest is the diesel automatic- a rare species in the compact SUV space. Most carmakers have left diesel but Kia does sell the Seltos with one and it does good numbers. Hence, the facelift was a chance to test the diesel automatic combo. It is arguably the Seltos to get if you do long journeys or have a long commute which requires a diesel.

Photo: Somnath Chatterjee

The engine in question is a 1.5l unit with 115bhp and 250Nm while the gearbox in question is a 6-speed torque converter auto with paddle shifters. The diesel clatter is toned down and at low speeds, the Seltos diesel is quite refined and smooth. Only when pushed hard does the engine get audible with the typical diesel clatter. Lag is well contained and it does not drive like a 'typical diesel'. At low speeds, it is quite responsive and easy to use with a linear power delivery.

Photo: Somnath Chatterjee

Out on the highway, the Seltos diesel automatic cruises effortlessly at high speeds but keen drivers will note that the automatic gearbox version is slightly slow in terms of downshifting and power delivery is tapered here. That said, for a comfortable cruiser, the Seltos diesel automatic works best. What is also impressive is the efficiency since you will be able to get 14-15 kmpl in the city and in the highway, it gets better — something the turbo petrol will not obviously match.

Photo: Somnath Chatterjee

The automatic diesel is positioned at the top-end of the Seltos range which means you get it with all the features and we have to say, at the moment, it is the most feature-packed SUV in its class. The Seltos diesel automatic costs under Rs 20 lakh ex-showroom and while it is not as fun as the turbo petrol or even the iMT version, the diesel automatic makes sense as a long-distance cruiser.

Diesel these days is losing favour but for those who drive a lot and want an automatic, the Seltos diesel automatic is one of the last ones to get this configuration while the new look plus feature-packed cabin is also a plus point.