Kia Seltos Interior
Getting into the the Kia Seltos is pretty easy and the doors also open fairly wide. Once inside, you immediately notice the high quality fit and finish of the interior. The soft touch leather used on the dashboard feels premium, the flat bottom leather wrapped steering is really nice to hold. Even the small bits around feel built to last. While the Tech Line gets black and beige two tone interiors, the GT Line features all black interiors and the red stitching on the seats, steering and gear console add a lovely contrast and a sporty touch.
The instrument cluster comes with a 7-inch MID (top end variant) which shows a number of functions like navigation, wiper modes, headlights etc. The GTX models of the GT Line trim get a cool retractable 8-inch Heads Up display that shows speed and navigation, so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road when driving. The HUD can be adjusted for height and you can also choose the font size.
The infotainment system sits high in the centre of the dashboard in line with the instrument cluster, similar to what is seen in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The range topping variants get a 10.25-inch touch screen while the mid and base variants get an 8-inch touch screen and 2 Din audio system respectively. The system features split screen and is very easy to use. Every function can be controlled by the touch screen. That being said, passengers may not like the on screen volume controls as they didn’t feel easy to use, but the driver has the liberty of the steering mounted volume controls.
As far as equipment is concerned, the Kia Seltos comes with the mother load. The range topping variants of both the Tech Line and GT Line gets features like auto headlamps, powered driver’s seat, wireless phone charger, front and rear parking sensors, ambient mood lighting, a 400 W Bose sound system (lower variants get the Arkamys system). The mood lighting is connected to the music system and can dance to the musical notes of the song being played. The infotainment system also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also a first in the Seltos, is an in-car air purifier with three fragrances; Ocean, Lavender and Forest. The Smart Pure Air system also monitors the quality of air inside the car and shows the Air Quality Index on a display just above the rear AC vents. A standard electric sunroof is also part of the equipment list. It looks small though and a panoramic unit would have been nicer for sure.
It is interesting to note that only the GT Line variants gets six airbags, all disc brakes, 360-degree camera, blind spot monitor and electronic stability control.
In today’s trend of connected cars, the Seltos is right up there with it’s UVO connectivity tech. This comprises of an on board eSim and the technology comes with 37 in built features. You can geo-fence usage of the car and apart from this, other features include car unlock/locking, climate control operation, remote engine start/ stop (automatic only) etc. While it works well, it also depends on the network access so there might be hiccups at times where network coverage is poor.
Front seats are comfy and the leatherette used is of good quality. The higher variants get an electric driver’s seat and ventilated seats as well. The GT Line variants feature the GT logo inscribed on the seats, that adds a nice touch. The rear occupants will be a happy lot as well and there’s not much to complain about. Legroom is pretty good and I found it to be better than the Creta, headroom is reasonably good too but very tall passengers might find their heads banging the roof when going over the odd bump. Under thigh support could have been a bit better too. There’s also enough space for three to sit in comfort thanks to an almost flat floor. There are manually retractable sun visors on the rear windows as well. The backrests of the rear seats can also recline by 6 degrees for extra comfort. There’s enough space for luggage with the Seltos coming with a 433 litre boot. You get additional space by dropping the rear seats in a 60:40 split.
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