Nicer. Cleaner. Simply Put, Better

The new Kia Seltos may have a similar silhouette and some fancy new lighting, but it has vastly evolved inside and beneath the surface. We take a closer look

- Jim Gorde

'THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME,' said someone, somewhere, some time ago, but it fits and it doesn't with something like the new Seltos. This is the common-rail turbo-diesel version with an automatic transmission and it now features SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) for advanced emission control, making it suitable for the BS6-II regulations. That's right. Gone is the Lean NOx Trap (LNT) and in comes a full-on SCR with a dedicated AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank making it one of the cleanest cars on sale in India.

The Kia Seltos has always been a smart and well-equipped car, so to say that this 2024 model is nicer, better, and cleaner, of course, is really saying something. It's the little things that make a big difference. The tiger-nose grille is new and this GTX+ trim gets 18-inch wheels with 215/55 rubber and there's a huge dual-pane sunroof plus sequential LED turn-indicators that complement the bold light clusters, front and rear, well. However, the updated emission control for the powertrain and the long list of changes are what this car is really about.

Under the bonnet, there aren't too many visible changes. The 1,493-cc four-cylinder diesel engine with a variable-geometry turbo continues doing duty, making 116 hp and with a thick spread of torque, 250 Nm, peaking at just 1,500 rpm and staying strong until 2,750 rpm, with the six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission driving the front wheels. There are the usual drive mode suspects-Eco, Normal, Sport-but with the added terrain modes as well. One rotary dial, two buttons. The interface, oh, yes.