Kia India has announced that it has sold over 4 lakh connected car units in the nation, marking a new sales record. Though limited to the brand’s top-of-the-line models, Kia cars with connected car technology currently make up 44 per cent of the company’s domestic sales in India. For the uninitiated, three locally built cars—the Seltos, Sonet, and the Carens—are currently being sold by the firm in India; all three include connected car technologies in certain variants.
Speaking on this latest milestone, Myung-sik Sohn, Chief Sales and Business Officer, Kia India, stated, “We have differentiated our brand in the market for its design and technology superiority. In today’s hyper-connected world, customers want their cars to be seamlessly integrated with their lifestyle, driving a surge in demand for technology-enabled cars. We will continue to introduce more and more connected car features to offer a safer, more connected, and enjoyable driving experience to our new-age customers.”
Kia Seltos Captures the Major Share
It is interesting to note that the Seltos accounts for the largest portion of Kia’s connected vehicle sales—65 per cent—of all models sold. According to the firm, customers have continuously preferred Seltos models with Connected Car features, which account for 57 per cent of all Seltos sales. Furthermore, the Carens, which follows the Seltos, witnessed a comparable pattern, with 31 per cent of its customers opting for connected car models.
Even though there are presently only 7 Sonet models with telematics, these models account for a sizeable 21 per cent of the Sonet sales overall. Hinglish voice commands, remote window control, remote engine start, remote AC start/stop, and valet mode are a few of Kia’s most well-liked connected car technologies.
Kia Seltos: Specs and Features
Three engine options are available for the Kia Seltos’ 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine, and new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. The naturally aspirated petrol (NA) engine develops 113bhp/144Nm and may be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. On the other hand, the diesel engine can be coupled to a 6-speed manual, 6-speed iMT, or 6-speed automatic transmission. Lastly, the Kia Seltos’s new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine generates 253Nm of peak torque and 158bhp of maximum power. Either a six-speed iMT or a seven-speed DCT is connected to this mill.
A tiger-nose grille, sculpted bonnet, wrap-around LED taillamps, LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, 18-inch wheels, and other design elements are all part of the Seltos facelift. The car’s interior features include two 10.25-inch screens, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, ventillated front seats, and a Bose music system. The SUV has six airbags as standard, an ESC, a 360-degree camera, a hill hold assist, and other safety features. It also has Level-2 ADAS features including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and more.
The SUV’s pricing ranges from Rs 10.89 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom. It competes with the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, the Hyundai Creta, the Honda Elevate, the Volkswagen Taigun, the Skoda Kushaq, the MG Astor, and the Citroen C3 Aircross.
