Have You Spotted One Yet?
This is a brand new product from Kia. It is a crossover that sits below the popular Kia Sportage and it is designed to tackle the growing compact crossover segment which is dominated in Malaysia by the Honda HR-V and the Mazda CX-3.
Launched late last year for the global market and arriving in India early this year, this Seltos has been a sales success in India. If you have an Android TV box in your home and often watch movies from an Indian satellite, you will see the Indian made Kia Seltos advertisement almost every hour and even see the Seltos being used in local Indian sitcoms and news events.
Looking a little larger than the recently launched in Thailand Toyota Corolla Cross, the masculine, chunky exterior of this compact crossover leads to A pleasant, grown up, premium interior on the inside. It is also teaming with technology. Think this is like the Kia’s of old, think again.
More about the Seltos in the press release below.
KIA Global Press Release: Here Are The Technologies And Features Of The Seltos
The Seltos is a technologically advanced and refined compact SUV equipped with a range of market and world-first features designed to make driving safer and less stressful, while also providing total ease of operation.
The car’s 10.25-inch advanced infotainment system is packed full of technology and gives advanced split-screen functionality. This allows users to control or monitor numerous vehicle features at the same time, and customize the screen to display up to three applications simultaneously. The driver, therefore, can choose to have a single display (such as navigation) or combine different elements on-screen.
Other segment-first features include a Bose eight-speaker premium sound system that fills the car with a rich and immersive sound, taking in-car entertainment to a new level.
The cabin is also fitted with an optional Sound Mood Lighting system, emitting soft light from panels in the doors. This includes a unique 3D-patterned surface on the door panels. The Sound Mood Lighting system pulses in time to the beat of music playing through the audio system, with eight customisable colours and six themes illuminating the cabin.
The Seltos also offers Kia’s innovative UVO CONNECT telematics system. UVO CONNECT is designed to bring driving into the digital era, connecting drivers to the world around and providing useful information – via the in-car touchscreen, and compatible smartphones.
UVO features the Kia Live system, housed within the 10.25-inch TFT LCD widescreen in the center of the dashboard. The system uses its own SIM card to retrieve and update live data during a drive, such as traffic information, weather forecasts and points of interest. The second element of the UVO system is the UVO App, designed for compatibility on Android and Apple smartphones. The app offers users peace of mind with a range of features to provide diagnostic data about their car and the trips they take.
The UVO system is free to users for the first three years, and includes stolen vehicle notification and tracking, safety alerts, auto collision notification and emergency assistance.
Here Are The Safety Features Of The Seltos
Kia’s passive and active safety systems ensure that Kia Seltos occupants remain well protected on every journey.
The Seltos’ body is made up of a blend of steel and aluminium, maximising torsional rigidity while keeping body weight low. With a high proportion of Advanced High-Strength Steel components, the rigid bodyshell reduces road vibrations and enhances occupant safety in the event of a collision.
The Kia Seltos is fitted with six airbags, as well as a suite of electronic vehicle safety systems. These include Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management system as standard, incorporating traction control and electronic stability control.
The car is fitted with an Anti-lock Braking System, a Traction Control System, a Brake-force Assist System and Hill-start Assist Control, as well as front and rear parking sensors, for assistance when parking.
Opinion and Text by Joshua Chin
