New Kia Seltos price compared with key rivals – Introduction

Kia has officially disclosed prices for the all-new Seltos, ranging between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 19.99 lakh. The new Seltos still contends in the fiercely competitive midsize SUV segment, where the Hyundai Creta currently rules the sales charts. Aside from the new Seltos, the midsize SUV space has seen two strong entrants in recent months: the Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Tata Sierra.

The new Seltos is available with three engine options: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, and a 1.5-litre diesel. Both the Creta and Sierra have similar engine line-ups, while the Victoris is offered with 1.5-litre NA petrol, hybrid, and CNG powertrains. Let’s dive into how the new Seltos compares to the Creta, Sierra, and Victoris on the pricing front, split by engine type.

New Kia Seltos 1.5-litre NA petrol price vs key rivals

Seltos starting price undercuts that of Sierra by Rs 50,000 

Though the base pricing of the new Seltos is Rs 16,000-49,000 more than those of the Victoris and Creta, it’s still quite compelling since the Kia SUV is based on a new platform dubbed ‘K3’, which enables larger dimensions (95mm longer and 30mm wider) and tech and safety upgrades.

Compared to the Sierra, which has the highest starting price here, the new Seltos is Rs 50,000 cheaper at the base level. Interestingly, the new Seltos prices are near-identical to the launch pricing of the outgoing Seltos’ 2023 facelift (Rs 10.9 lakh-20 lakh), further emphasising its excellent value for money.

When it comes to the top-spec NA petrol variants, the Sierra flips the script by snagging the affordability crown, coming in at Rs 1.5 lakh cheaper than the new Seltos. In fact, the new Seltos is the most expensive on this front, with the top-spec NA petrol Creta undercutting the Kia SUV by Rs 81,000 and the Victoris being Rs 27,000 more affordable.

Like its predecessor (and the Creta), the new Seltos’ 115hp NA petrol engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic. Victoris buyers can choose between a 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic, while the Sierra offers a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT.

New Kia Seltos 1.5-litre turbo petrol price vs key rivals

New Seltos is the cheapest 4-cyl turbo-petrol SUV at the moment

The new Seltos is the most affordable 4-cylinder turbo-petrol SUV you can currently buy, since the 160hp engine’s starting price undercuts those of the Creta and Sierra by up to a hefty Rs 6.6 lakh. For the top-spec turbo-petrol variants, the new Seltos is Rs 9,000 more expensive than the Creta and Rs 1 lakh cheaper than the Sierra.

This is helped by the new Seltos offering 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT options with its turbo-petrol engine, whereas the Creta turbo-petrol is available solely with a 7-speed DCT and the Sierra a 6-speed automatic.

New Kia Seltos 1.5-litre diesel price vs key rivals

Seltos diesel slots between Creta and Sierra diesel variants

Coming to diesel pricing, the Creta is the most affordable at the base level, with the new Seltos following closely with a Rs 34,000 delta. The Sierra diesel, meanwhile, is Rs 40,000 more expensive than the base diesel variant of the Seltos. Given that the Seltos is newer than the Creta, buyers may be compelled to pay extra for the Kia SUV without having to stretch their budgets too much for the Sierra.

For top-spec diesel variants, the Creta is once again cheaper than the new Seltos, albeit by a slimmer margin of Rs 27,000. Meanwhile, the gap between the top-spec diesel Seltos and Sierra widens to Rs 1.3 lakh. The new Seltos’ 116hp diesel engine can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic. Both the Creta and Sierra offer the same gearbox options with their respective diesel engines.

All prices are ex-showroom, India.