Kia celebrates 5th anniversary under AC Motors
Hosts Seltos drive to Batangas
IN what may have been the biggest media drive the brand has hosted in its five years under Ayala Corp., Kia Philippines recently held a day-long drive to Lipa, Batangas, to showcase the new Kia Seltos. No less than AC Motors President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala was present at the venue to welcome the media participants.
The young Zobel believes that Kia’s recently launched subcompact SUV is an excellent example of the internal-combustion engine (ICE) offerings of the Kia brand, which has a wide selection of vehicles for every type of consumer. He added that it is an important component of the Kia portfolio, which is scheduled to grow by four more vehicles within the year.
Stylishly compact SUV
Launched in December 2023, the new Kia Seltos received numerous upgrades from the previous iteration. Among the more noticeable features are its more prominent grille design, new bumpers, and upgraded headlights and turn signals. The top-of-the-line SX variant now has LED headlamps, fog lamps, daytime running lights, and signature taillamps that span the entire width of the vehicle. It also comes with 17-inch wheels and two-tone alloy wheels finished in semi-gloss black.
Measuring 4,385-mm long, 1,800-mm wide, and 1,635-mm tall, the new Seltos can easily fit five adults, but realistically, four regular-sized adults would be the most comfortable fit. Its exterior size makes it easy to maneuver, even in the tightest streets of the metro. On the highway, it holds its own, but due to its size, can sometimes be susceptible to crosswinds on the open roads. With all the seats in use, it has decent cargo space for its segment. However, the space can easily accommodate bigger items with the rear seats folded down. Getting in and out of the Seltos is easy with the floor and ceiling being just the right height.
Inside, the seats are comfortable, and the legroom is ample even for taller rear passengers. The dashboard looks and feels solid, and easy to navigate, even for those not familiar with the brand. The interior and fixtures are a combination of black with touches of silver, while the upper lining is a light beige-gray that gives the cabin its roomy feel. All variants of the Seltos feature a unified panoramic housing design that holds the instrument display and head unit. The top trim gets two 10.25-inch screens embedded in the panel, while the LX and EX get smaller, but still very workable, displays.
Standard across all variants are Bluetooth Handsfree connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; touchscreen head units; USB Type A and Type C (at the back) ports for convenient device charging; push-start ignition; a rear camera; and driver and front passenger airbags. Starting from the mid-trim, the Seltos gets a Smart Entry key and power fold side mirrors.
Exclusive to the top-tier SX are safety and driver-assist features such as smart cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, forward collision avoidance assist, high beam assist, and parking distance warning, and additional side airbags. Upping the ante a bit more are creature comforts that include leather seats, power-adjust driver seats, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, front seat cooling, electronic parking brakes, a panoramic sunroof, wireless mobile phone charging, and unique sound-sensing mood lighting.
Under the hood
Two powertrains are available for the new Seltos. An economical 1.5-liter Smartstream in-line 4-cylinder double overhead camshaft engine powers the LX and EX trims (115 PS of power 144 Nm of torque), while the SX gets a more powerful, all-new, 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline direct injection engine that delivers a power output of 140 PS and 242 Nm of torque. The naturally aspirated engine is paired with an intelligent variable transmission, while the turbo variant gets a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The SX variant we drove was quite zippy and agile, and despite not being able to play with the selectable driving modes available exclusively for the trim, we were able to maneuver through the rush-hour traffic that we hit on the way back to Manila with ease.
Pricing and availability
Unlike other nameplates that can rival a bag of Skittles with their color options, the units available to our market come in a muted color scheme: gray and white for the LX and EX trims, and exclusive to the SX trim are the still muted but eye-catching nonetheless, Pluton Blue and Snow White Pearl with black roof.
The new Kia Seltos is attractively priced at P 1,.98 million for the base 1.5 LX trim, P1.288 million for the mid-trim 1.5 EX, and P 1.699 million for the fully loaded 1.4 Turbo SX. All units come with a 5-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty as well as 24/7 roadside assistance and are available at all Kia dealerships nationwide.