EXCLUSIVE - Almost Equal Demand for Petrol and Diesel Kia Seltos

by Kshitij Rawat | 08/06/2020
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Kia Seltos was launched last year in August, and quickly became one of the most popular vehicles in India.

With the new BSVI emission regulations in place, diesel-powered vehicles have become significantly more expensive than their petrol-powered counterparts. In fact, the diesel variant of a car model can be up to Rs. 2 lakh more expensive, sometimes more, than the petrol-version at the same trim level. Still, even with such a huge price disparity, the popularity of diesel vehicle, especially in the SUV segments, is quite decent. If we talk about the Kia Seltos, which has been hugely popular ever since its launch, there's an almost equal demand for petrol and diesel engine variants.

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According to our sources, the breakdown in terms of percentage would be 49 per cent sales for the petrol models and 51 per cent sales for the diesel one. This goes on to show that many people are still willing to pay the hefty price difference for diesel SUVs. Also, while diesel is the relatively cheaper fuel, diesel cars require heavier maintenance, which means they have a higher maintenance cost. Moreover, the price gap between petrol and diesel has been fast diminishing. This levels the advantage diesel cars have over petrol ones.

EXCLUSIVE - Almost Equal Demand for Petrol and Diesel Kia Seltos

Our source also revealed that the highest sales were brought in by the HTX, HTX+, GTX, GTX+ trims, which are the top-of-the-line trim levels. This is another indication that Seltos buyers are willing to shell out good money for their vehicle. Recently, Kia added some new features specifically on these trims, including emergency stop signal, smart-key remote engine start (automatic variants only), and additional UVO smart car features. The HTX and GTX trims now also get an electronic sunroof, which was previously only available on HTX+ and GTX+ trims. Also, the latter two now get a dual-tone exterior paint option, which enhances the aesthetic of the car.

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Kia Seltos is available with three engine options. The first one is a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel unit, capable of generating 115 PS. The second one is a 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated petrol motor, which also produces 115 PS. The third option is a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol mill, which has 140 PS on tap. A 6-speed manual gearbox is available as standard with all these powerplant options, while the automatic gearbox differs in each. The 1.5L diesel gets a 6-speed torque-converter, the 1.5L petrol gets a CVT, and the 1.4L petrol gets a 7-speed DCT.

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