Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV 300 Comparison: Which SUV Is Best To Buy?

1. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV 300: An Introduction

Should we buy a Kia Seltos or a Mahindra TUV 300? One is a brand new mid-size SUV that has been dominating the monthly sales chart ever since it’s launched in India. One is an Indian SUV that really makes sense with its affordable price range and its decent utility on tap. Customers sometimes might be confusing what vehicle they should opt for.

To recap, Kia Seltos is essentially one of the greatest automotive stories in the Indian market in 2019. The all-new mid-size SUV marked a successful entry of the South Korean company into India, courtesy of its attractive design, features, engine and gearbox combinations and so forth.

The Mahindra TUV300, in the meantime, is a reasonable success of Mahindra & Mahindra in the Indian market. The TUV300 is actually a visual charmer with a boxy-styling silhouette and an absolute mile-muncher with a set of punchy engines under the bonnet. Each car has its own traits and grouses at the same time. So how the Kia Seltos compares against the Mahindra TUV 300 in the country’s class of SUVs. Let’s find out in our in-depth Kia Seltos vs TUV 300 comparison.

2. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV 300 Dimensions: Which is bigger?

The Kia Seltos is bigger than the Mahindra TUV 300 by a margin, considering the segments that each car slot in. Here’s how the Seltos compares with TUV 300 in terms of dimensions:

The Mahindra TUV300 is a sub-compact SUV while the Seltos stands a segment above. As a result, the Kia Seltos towers over the TUV 300 counterpart when it comes to the sizes by some margins. The massive part that helps Kia Seltos make the TUV300 less daunting is its length.

The Kia Seltos spans the length of 4,315 mm long that is 320 mm longer than Mahindra offering. The Seltos is also slightly wider than the TUV300 by 5 mm at the width of 1,800 mm and it has a longer ground clearance of 190 mm as against the 184 mm ground clearance of the TUV300 counterpart.

Apart from that, the Seltos is essentially shorter in height and in the wheelbase in comparison with the Mahindra’s SUV. Its height is rated at 1,620 mm that is 197 mm shorter than the TUV300’s 1,817 mm height. Measuring the wheelbase of 2,610 mm, the Seltos is inferior to the Mahindra TUV300’s massive wheelbase of 2,680 mm.

3. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300 Design: Which Is Better Looking?

Exterior Comparison

Kia Seltos vs TUV 300, which car is better looking? Kia Seltos created a bang with its handsome design, so now wonders, the Seltos is sharper and more enticing to look at. Nevertheless, Mahindra TUV300 has its own band of fan-followers for its iconic Jeep-inspired boxy styling. So now, let’s IndianAuto delve deeper in the exterior features and design cues of these vehicles for a clearer answer.

Firstly, the South Korean carmaker has left no stone unturned to ensure that the Seltos should be, at launch, at the centre of attention and they make it. The Kia Seltos is a stylish SUV. It appears like a sexy and elegant gentleman that looks comparably different from the rugged and boxy looking silhouette of the go-anywhere TUV300 SUV.

The Seltos boasts of the youth and modernity in its design. Whereas the Mahindra TUV300 is much like a retro Jeep-like car that one can enjoy some bit of fresh air and an iconic tailgate-mounted spare wheel on the roads. Kia car makes use of many head-turning design cues on the outside for a better cosmetic effect.

The key highlights on the front fascia of the Seltos include the signature Tiger Nose grille with knurled-effect chrome inserts, multi-tier full-LED lighting setup with ice cube-shaped LED fog lamps and crown jewel LED projector headlamps, not to mention the heartbeat-shaped daytime running lamps. Having said, these distinctive features lend the Seltos a more distinctive and aggressive face compared to the TUV300 rival.

The TUV300’s restyled front-end has quite a reasonable success. But we think they’re not enough to jazz up things around when the TUV 300 rubs shoulder with the Kia Seltos. The TUV 300 has a squarish face with smoked headlamps and a 5-vents front grille. The squared-off fog lamps housing also looks less attractive than Seltos’s ice cube-shaped units. The front upper grille with 5 chrome vents and rectangular honeycomb mesh lower grille look a bit outdated compared to the remarkable Tiger-nose front grille with 3D effects of the Kia Seltos.

Looking at the Kia Seltos and TUV 300 from the sides, it seems like Mahindra TUV300 again can’t do anything to change the design game with the Kia Seltos. The Seltos even looks better at the side profile with the major highlights being a set of lavishly-designed diamond-cut 17-inch alloy wheels. The strong shoulder line, plastic body cladding, squared-off wheel arches along with the rising window lines make a quite a good mix with the sloping rooflines.

The side profile of Mahindra TUV300, on the other hands, makes the car look more like a battle tank. The slightly slanting B-pillar which seems work in favour of the Mahindra. The blacked-out B and D-pillars manage to add some premium feels to the overall look of the TUV 300. However, we meet the squarish-looking cues like windows or wheel arches, once again, make it a bit boring to look at.

The same squared-off design theme happens to the rear of the TUV 300 such as the squarish tailgate, bumper and number plate. Even the clear-lens tail lamps get a squarish shape at the same time.

The Kia Seltos’s tail is again neatly-designed. The sporty-looking LED taillights have once again helped identify the South Korean SUV from a far distance. The rear bumper with mesh patterns and red-highlighted skidplate brings in a dose of ruggedness.

Interior Comparison

It’s not difficult to realize that two SUVs from two different brands have nothing in common regarding their interiors. If the Seltos’s cabin is very feature-laden and technological-advanced, Mahindra TUV300’s interior is heading towards the usability and practicality instead.

With a peak through the window, we can’t deny that the Seltos’s cabin is plush and user-centric. There’s a massive 10.25-inch Honda BR-V touchscreen infotainment system at the centre of the dashboard, thus making the cabin of the car look futuristic.

There’s plenty of touch buttons and controls on the inside for more convenient usage. The flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering and leather upholstery look and feel upmarket. The well-executed red stitching on the seats, steering, etc. also add a right mix of colour to the Seltos’s interior.

Mahindra TUV300 is good on practicality and spacious. While the build quality is incomparable with that of the Kia Seltos. The cabin layout, in a meanwhile, is designed by Pininfarina and retains an elegant and retro look. The centre display for the infotainment system is placed lower on the dash, under the centre AC vents. It looks premium indeed but can cause a bit of distraction for drivers on the go when he/she has to nod down for a look. Besides, it is not as advanced as the one in the Kia Seltos, to say the least. The TUV300’s cabin is packed with plenty of storage spaces that is one plus point compared to the newcomer Seltos SUV.

4. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300 Features: Which Is Safer and More Convenient?

Safety and Security Features Comparison

In the present days, safety is among the top priority for the Indian customers when making a car purchase. Kia Seltos scores very well in terms of safety as it has achieved a 5-star rating from the ANCAP safety crash tests.

It is not an exacerbation to say that the Kia Seltos is among India’s safest SUVs when talking about the decent safety package it carries. The safety features of Kia Seltos include dual airbags (for driver and passenger), ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounts, vehicle stability management, electronic stability control, hill start assist control among others. These safety features can work in tandem with the car’s UVO connect tech where roadside assistance, SOS notification and vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle tracking along with immobilization can be found on-board.

Mahindra TUV300 is also a feature-rich car when considering the safety package. It comes with driver and co-driver side airbags, ABS with EBD and CBC, ISOFIX Child seat anchor, speed alert, Collapsible steering column, side intrusion beams, digital immobilization, seatbelt reminder, auto-door lock and anti-their warning.

Comfort Features Comparison

Speaking of comfort, it doesn’t need an experienced eye to identify which car is more or less comfortable. Kia Seltos is a well-loaded modern SUV that offers all you’d want in a vehicle and even some more. Kia Seltos is equipped with a power sunroof, power driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, a 400W Bose premium sound system, wireless charging, ambient lighting, air purifier, etc. as parts of its comfort-focused goodies. What’s even more exciting here? Kia’s eSIM-based UVO connectivity tech debuts in the Seltos has been truly the frosting of the cake. The UVO connect packs in 37 different features like geofencing, live location, panic notification as mentioned earlier, along with remote engine start/stop (for automatics).

Mahindra TUV300’s list of creatures-comfort is not too long. However, it brings in a good batch of essentials to cater to the most basic requirements of users in a true-blue SUV. The comfort features of the TUV 300 consists of power and tilt steering, air-con with heater, power windows, keyless entry (except the base variant), centre cup holder, mobile charging port, follow-me-home & lead-me-to-vehicle headlamps (for three higher-spec trims only).

Mahindra TUV300 is a seven-seater SUV. And its forward-facing third-row seating looks unique and at the first glance, one could think that gives the TUV300 an edge over the Seltos. However, there’s almost no thigh support here. It’s hard to get in and out and things are uncomfortably tight if the adults are brought into this scene. There are even no seatbelts for the last row of seats. So for us, these seats are almost useless and the TUV300 is still a five-seater then.

5. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300 Engine Specs: Which Is More Powerful?

This is where the Kia Seltos looks superbly superior to the Mahindra TUV300 thanks to a wide range of engines-gearboxes combinations it has on offer.

Launched in August 2019, Kia Seltos comes with three engines up its sleeve, all of which are already BSVI-compliant at launched. Mahindra TUV300 makes do with a single diesel engine options on the table, which remains in the BS4 guise. While the new BS6 TUV300 is reported to be in the pipeline, we still have no idea when it could really make it to the Indian market.

When comparing the equivalent engines of the Kia Seltos vs TUV 300, we can easily point out the winner. While missing out on a petrol option, the Mahindra TUV300 is available with a 1.5-litre mHawk diesel motor making 100 PS of max power and 240 Nm of peak torque. Kia Seltos’s 1.5-litre CRDi oil burner churns out more power and torque with the figures being 115 PS and 250 Nm unit. Even with a 6-speed manual and an automatic transmission, the Kia Seltos also plays the trump card against the TUV300 which is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission only.

Kia Seltos Test Drive Review - The Highly Lovable 'Badass'

Kia Seltos offers a wide variety of engine-transmission options for customers to choose based on their preferences. We have a 1.5-litre petrol mill tuned for 115 PS and144 Nm as well as a 1.4-litre gasoline burner producing 140 PS and 242 Nm of torque. We have a continuously variable transmission and even a 7-speed DCT on the package. Why do we need more? That’s more than enough for all handling prowess you need on every go.

Putting the diesel engines of the TUV 300 and Kia Seltos only, we’d like to say that the remarkable thing again go for the Seltos. It’s refined and the performance is amazing. The power is quite linear. It even improves on the Creta’s 1.6-litre diesel mill in terms of NVH.

6. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300 Top Speed: Which Is Faster?

Kia Seltos is faster than the Mahindra TUV300 by some great levels. The Seltos's top speed is rated at up to 170 kmph while the top speed of Mahindra TUV300 is at 156 kmph only. Also, Kia Seltos is capable of accelerating from 0 - 100 kmph in sub-10 seconds while that of the TUV 300 is at 13.9 seconds.

7. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300 Mileage: Which Is More Fuel Efficient?

8. Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV 300 Price: Which Is Cheaper?

Certainly, Mahindra TUV300 is cheaper than the Kia Seltos. Check out the price table of the Kia Seltos vs TUV 300 below:

9. Kia Seltos: Other Competitors

Kia Seltos is taking the fight against the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Nissan Kicks, etc. in its segment.

Also, you can check out our comparison on Kia Seltos vs Kia Carnival which is the company’s second product for the Indian space.

10. Mahindra TUV300: Other Competitors

Mahindra TUV300 rivals the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Ford Ecosport and even its own XUV300 sibling.

Also, click to see how Mahindra TUV300 vs Mahindra XUV500 - its bigger brother, compare against each other in the spec sheet.

11. Verdict: Which Model Is Worth Buying between Kia Seltos vs Mahindra TUV300?

Customers say that the Mahindra TUV300 is a value for money vehicle. It’s true. The Mahindra TUV300, albeit having some shortcomings compared with the Seltos, is a more affordable Indian SUV that offers cheaper service costs. Well, the Seltos is a couple of segments above the TUV300 so it’s more expensive than the latter. Kia is also not a long-established brand in India hence the aftersales network is not really strong. But as for a product, the Seltos is more stylish, well-built, more comfortable and better at performance. What’s more, TUV300 aside, the Kia Seltos is on sale with very aggressive price tags. At Rs 9.69 – 13.79 Lakh, the Kia Seltos sits at a sweet spot in the mid-size SUV segment. All in all, based on the different requirements and budgets, you can make a smart choice now.