The Kia Seltos is the first offering from the South Korean automaker for the Indian auto market. Even before its launch, the vehicle has aroused great curiosity and excitement among Indian SUV enthusiasts. Equipped with a wide range of segment-leading features, the Seltos has become a formidable competitor against other SUVs including even the segment dominator, Hyundai Creta and the low variants of the MG Hector.
Belonging to a somewhat different segment, sub-4-metre compact SUV, the Mahindra XUV300 is the earlier comer to India in comparison with the Kia Seltos. Also being packed with many first-in-the-segment features, the Mahindra XUV300 has become a hit in India and attracted many Indian car buyers.
So, how do these two compact SUVs fare against each other in the Indian auto market? Read this detailed Kia Seltos vs Mahindra XUV300 comparison to discover.
Not surprisingly, the Kia Seltos surpasses the Mahindra XUV300 in almost all dimensions since the former is a full-size SUV and the latter is a sub-4-metre compact SUV.
Dimensions | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Length |
4,315 mm |
3,995 mm |
Width |
1,800 mm |
1,821 mm |
Height |
1,645 mm |
1,627 mm |
Ground Clearance |
190 mm |
180 mm |
Wheelbase |
2,610 mm |
2,600 mm |
To enjoy the tax benefits offered to sub-4-metre cars, the overall length of the Mahindra XUV300 has been chopped from 4,195 mm on its donor vehicle (the SsanYoung Tivoli) to 3,995 mm. The only dimension in which the XUV300 dwarfs the Seltos is width, which ensures a spacious cabin for the compact SUV. Both of the SUVs can comfortably accommodate up to five people.
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Both of the cars have a unique exterior design. While Kia has tried its best to make its SUV as impressive as possible, Mahindra has also left no stone unturned to help its offering have its own identity from the donor vehicle.
The Kia Seltos front end features a thick and heavy bumper with silver, a wide chrome ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, a multi-tier full-LED lighting system with LED foglights, crown jewel LED projector headlamps and heartbeat DRLs in the front. On the side profile, the SUV comes with square wheel arches with plastic cladding and a bold shoulder line. The car runs on well-designed 17-inch diamond-cut alloy rims. The window line extends towards the end, creating an interesting contrast with the dropping roofline. In the rear, a thick chrome bar is flanked by heartbeat LED taillights. The rear bumper features a dual-exhaust garnish mounted with several sharp lines. All of these make the rear look rugged and heavy.
On the other hand, the XUV300 front is more aggressive but neater than the Tivoli. The thin grille comes with some chrome elements. Some of the other outstanding exterior features in the front include angular headlights and LED DRLs. On the side profile, the SUV runs on diamond-cut alloy wheels but it would be better if the wheel size is larger. In the rear, the large hips and the high-mounted taillights with LED elements make the car look robust and premium.
The Kia Seltos feels upmarket inside the cabin with good colour combinations and high-quality materials. The clever use of leather and plastic in the cabin helps the car interior appear premium and also keeps its price aggressive as well. The Seltos is a highly practical SUV with the rear seat row managing to comfortably accommodate three people. Nevertheless, the middle passenger might sometimes feel a little bit unpleasant, due to the lack of cushioning. The Kia Seltos also provides an amber boot space of 433 litres, 8 litres and 33 litres more than the Tata Harrier and the Hyundai Creta, respectively.
In the meanwhile, the XUV300 also feels premium with a dual-tone interior paint scheme. The leather seats utilize a lighter colour, which gives a feeling from a car belonging to a higher segment. However, a lighter colour also means that the seats can get dirty easily. The driver seat is height-adjustable and the steering is tilt-adjustable, which helps the driver find the most suitable seating position. Nevertheless, the footwells are too cramped to house a dead pedal, which will cause stress on your legs during long journeys. Like the Seltos, the second seat row of the XUV300 can also comfortably house three passengers with supportive seat cushioning, sufficient headroom and knee room. The boot space of the XUV300 has suffered, measuring only 259 litres, due to the overlength being chopped by 200mm in comparison with the Tivoli.
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The Kia Seltos is equipped with a wide range of top-notch features. Taking the central place of the dashboard is a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit which supports UVO connectivity suite, an advanced connected car tech which can supports up to 37 features. Other outstanding interior features of the Seltos include a Smart 8.9-inch Head-up display, a Bose 8-speaker unit, a 360-degree camera, electrically-adjusted seats, electric sunroof and a smart air purifier, etc.
The Mahindra XUV300, despite being equipped with several segment-leading features such as heated ORVM and dual-zone automatic climate control, seems to be pale in comparison with its counterpart in terms of comfort features. The compact SUV comes with leather-wrapped steering and gear knobs, height-adjustable driver seat, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, electric sunroof, etc.
The Kia Seltos’s UVO connectivity technology offers AI-enabled voice assistance, safety alerts, stolen vehicle tracking, immobilization, etc. Other safety features of the SUV include up to six airbags on the top-spec variant, ABS, ESC, front and rear parking sensors, vehicle stability management, hill holder, etc. Noteworthily, the Kia Seltos employs high-strength steel and adhesive material in its building, which helps decrease the collision impacts.
The Mahindra XUV300 is the first compact SUV in India to offer seven airbags on the top-spec variant, all four disc brakes and front parking sensors. Other outstanding features of the XUV300 include ABS with EBD, traction control and hill holder, etc.
The Kia Seltos petrol, with a 1.5-litre gasoline burner and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol motor, far exceeds the Mahindra XUV300’s 1.2-litre petrol unit in terms of the power.
Specs | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Engine Type |
Petrol, Turbo Petrol |
Petrol |
Displacement |
1.5 litres, 1.4 litres |
1.2 litres |
No. of cylinders |
4 |
4 |
Power |
113.4 BHP, 138 BHP |
110 BHP |
Torque |
114 Nm, 242 Nm |
200 Nm |
Drive Type |
2WD |
FWD |
Gearbox |
6-speed CVT/DCT, 6-speed MT/7-speed DCT |
6-speed MT |
Moreover, the Kia Seltos is the clear winner, thanks to its wider diversity in engine and transmission options.
The case is totally reverse when it comes to the diesel version since the oil burner on the XUV300 is more powerful than that of the Seltos despite the same displacement of the two motors.
Specs | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Engine Type |
Diesel |
Diesel |
Displacement |
1.5 litres |
1.5 litres |
No. of cylinders |
4 |
4 |
Power |
113.4 BHP |
115 BHP |
Torque |
250 Nm, |
300 Nm |
Drive Type |
2WD |
FWD |
Gearbox |
6-speed torque converter |
6-speed MT/AMT |
The transmission options of the former are also more diverse than the latter with both manual and automatic units. Nevertheless, the Seltos gains a clear advantage over its counterpart since its diesel motor is BSVI-compliant while the XUV300 is only BSIV-compliant.
The Kia Seltos is faster than the Mahindra XUV300 in both petrol and diesel versions.
Specs | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Top Speed |
170 kmph |
160 kmph |
0 - 100 kmph |
11 - 13 seconds |
11.5 seconds |
The Seltos can reach 100 kmph from a standstill in 11 to 13 seconds, depending on the variants while the XUV300 takes 11.5 seconds to do the same thing.
Fuel mileage is one of the top priorities when people choose their cars since a car with decent fuel mileage can help the owner save more money in the long run.
Specs | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Fuel Types |
Petrol, Diesel |
Petrol, Diesel |
Fuel Tank Capacity |
50 litres |
42 litres |
ARAI-Certified Fuel Mileage |
Petrol: 16.5 kmpl (MT)/16.8 kmpl (CVT) Turbo Petrol: 16.1 kmpl (MT)/16.5kmpl (DCT) Diesel: 21 kmpl (MT)/18kmpl (torque converter) |
17 kmpl, 20 kmpl |
The Mahindra XUV300 Petrol is more fuel-efficient than the Kia Seltos Petrol. On the other hand, as regards the diesel versions, the XUV300 MT is less fuel-efficient than its counterpart but the Seltos automatic do not do as well as XUV300 in this aspect.
The Kia Seltos is priced at a higher range than the Mahindra XUV300.
Prices | Kia Seltos | Mahindra XUV300 |
Ex-showroom Prices |
INR 9.89 lakh - INR 17.34 lakh |
INR 8.3 lakh - INR 12.68 lakh |
On-road Price (Delhi) |
INR 11.09 lakh - INR 20.4 lakh |
INR 9.44 lakh - INR 12.97 lakh |
Considering the more premium features and the diversity of engine and transmission options available on the Seltos compared with the XUV300, this higher price range is easy to understand.
Apart from the Mahindra XUV300, the Kia Seltos also rivals the Ford EcoSport, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Mahindra XUV500, Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier in the Indian auto market.
Other Competitors | Compare with Kia Seltos |
Ford EcoSport |
|
Kia Carnival |
|
Hyundai Creta |
|
Nissan Kicks |
|
SP Concept |
|
Mahindra XUV500 |
|
Jeep Compass |
|
Tata Harrier |
You can also discover a list of Kia Seltos comparisons on IndianAuto.
Besides the Kia Seltos, the Mahindra XUV300 also competes against the Maruti S-Cross in India.
Other Competitors | Compare with Mahindra XUV300 |
Maruti S-Cross |
To get access to a list of Mahindra XUV300 comparisons, pay a visit to IndianAuto.
Above is a detailed Kia Seltos vs Mahindra XUV300 comparison. In general, they are both big hits for the Indian auto market from the two auto manufacturers. While the Kia Seltos is more suitable for those who prefer a modern full-size SUV with advanced features and do not mind spending a few more lakhs on their new cars, the Mahindra XUV300 is an ideal option for people who are on a more limited budget, prefer an SUV with a compact size and do not mind the less diverse engine and transmission options.
For more car comparisons in India, please pay a visit to IndianAuto.