Kia South Africa this week introduces the new Seltos to the South African market with an updated exterior design, a significantly upgraded interior, and a pair of upgraded powertrains.

The introduction also sees the Seltos range being revised and repositioned in the competitive crossover segment of the market, where its established quality and reliability is enhanced by an even greater value proposition.

Originally launched in South Africa in November 2019, Seltos was the first product to roll off the production line at Kia’s state-of-the-art new production facility in Anantapur, India. The range of petrol-powered models was augmented with several turbodiesel options in the second half of 2020.

This is the model’s first major enhancement since launch.

Exterior

One of the most noticeable changes to the new Kia Seltos are to its exterior design, representing a striking evolution of the original design that immediately found favour with buyers for its sporty blend of sophistication and SUV practicality.

At 4 365mm long, 1 800mm wide and 1 620mm high, the Seltos not only looks much bigger than its closest competitors thanks to its long hood, the strong character line on the front bumper, and the sharp lines pressed into the bodywork but is easily one of the largest and most practical compact SUVs available in South Africa.

The new Seltos range also benefits from a set of redesigned alloy wheels, with the range now offering two 16-inch options as well as a new 18-inch design that replaces the outgoing 17-inch wheel reserved for the range-topping GT-Line model.

As part of its refresh, a variety of colours are also available, with a striking new colour option – Pewter Olive – joining perennial favourites like Glacier White Pearl, Sparkling Silver metallic, Aurora Black Pearl, Gravity Grey metallic, Imperial Blue metallic and Intense Red.

Customers can also opt for the two available two-tone options, which combines either Glacier White Pearl or Intense Red with a black roof.

New engines and transmissions

The new Kia Seltos range retains the 1.5-litre CRDi engine and introduces two new petrol-powered powertrain options to the range, along with a new transmission option.

The new Seltos CRDI is powered by Kia’s much-lauded 1 493cc UII common-rail direct injection engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger. The engine delivers 85kW of power at 4 000r/min, and 250Nm of torque between 1 500 and 2 750r/min.

Acceleration to 100km/h is completed in 12 seconds, with a maximum speed of 175km/h. The engine is only available with a 6-speed automatic transmission. CO2 emissions in the combined cycle are 145 g/km.

The 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine that has done duty in the Seltos since launch in 2019 is replaced with a second-generation version of Kia’s Gamma 1.5-litre normally aspirated engine.

The 1 497cc engine develops 84kW of power at 6 300r/min and 144Nm of torque at 4 500r/min. Acceleration to 100km/h is completed in 12.3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 170km/h. The new engine is available paired with a 6-speed manual transmission as well as a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) to derive maximum fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

Customers who prefer a sportier drive will be delighted with the 1.4-litre turbocharged GDi engine in the GT-Line model being upgraded to a new Kappa 1.5-litre T-GDi unit. The 1 482cc turbocharged engine develops 118kW of power at 6 000r/min and 253Nm of torque between 1 500- and 3 500r/min.

Acceleration to 100km/h is completed in 8.9 seconds, with a maximum speed of 195km/h. The new engine is only available paired with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT).

Pricing and warranty

All Picanto models ship as standard with Kia’s industry-leading Unlimited Kilometre/5-year warranty, inclusive of Roadside Assistance. In addition, a pre-paid 5-year/90 000km service plan is included to give customers peace of mind and predictability when it comes to vehicle maintenance. A variety of upgrade options from service plan to maintenance plans are available.

• Kia Seltos 1.5 LX Manual: R467 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 LX CVT: R492 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi LX Auto: R521 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 EX CVT: R532 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX Auto: R561 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 EX Plus CVT: R570 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX Plus Auto: R599 995
• Kia Seltos 1.5 T-GDi GT-Line DCT: R626 995