Kia Seltos’ waiting period gets longer; up to 4 months for top-end variants

Kia Seltos took the Indian market by storm when it was first launched. It dethroned the Hyundai Creta and the MG Hector. Both of which have been best selling SUVs in the segment. Kia also launched the Anniversary Edition of the Seltos. It came with cosmetic upgrades such as a tusk shaped skid plate, tangerine accents on the rear bumper, side sill with tangerine accents, Black 17-inch alloy wheels and Black leather upholstery for a sportier appeal. It also offered dual-tone colours and a smart key with a remote engine starter button.

It is important for a manufacturer to timely deliver their vehicle or otherwise the hype or interest around it might die soon. There was a time when the Seltos’s waiting period was just 15 days. This was before pandemic happened. However, the time of shorter waiting period is gone as the lockdown eases down and the demand for the SUV increases. The current waiting periods for the Seltos is upto 4 months for the diesel variants. This type of waiting period is quite a lot for a SUV that has already been on sale for quite some time. To be fair, for all of the variants of Seltos you would have to wait quite a bit.

Currently, the shortest waiting period is for the GTX trim for which you would have to wait for 3-4 weeks. Then is the GTX Plus with the 7-speed Dual Clutch Automatic transmission for which you would have to wait 10-11 weeks which translates to around 2.5 months. For the GTX Plus and all the variants of the 1.5-litre petrol engine, the waiting period is 14-15 weeks which translates to 3 to 3.5 months. Then we come to all the variants of the 1.5-litre diesel engine for which the waiting period is 15-16 weeks. This interprets to around 3.5 months to 4 months. That is quite a long waiting period. Kia has not yet given any official statement regarding the reason behind such a long waiting period.

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Currently, Kia has three cars in its line-up. All of them belongs to a different segment and all of them are doing quite well in the Indian market. There is the Carnival, which is an MPV and it was a weird choice from Kia to launch in India after launching a successful Seltos. Surprisingly the Carnival is selling well because it is spacious, has a premium cabin and offers a lot of luxurious features and seating. There is a facelift of Carnival launched in the international market, which should make its way to the Indian market soon.

Then there is the Seltos which is offered in three engine options. There are the 1.5-petrol and 1.5-diesel engine. The petrol engine produces 115 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 144 Nm. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or the IVT automatic gearbox. The diesel engine also produces 115 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Finally, there is the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 140 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 242 Nm. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed Dual-Clutch Automatic gearbox. Kia Seltos starts from Rs. 9.89 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 17. 34 lakhs ex-showroom.

The latest addition to Kia’s line-up is the Sonet which is a compact-SUV. It is also offered with three engine options. There is a 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 83 PS of max power and 115 Nm of peak torque. It is offered only with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Seltos derived 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 100 PS of max power and 240 Nm of peak torque when you get it with the 6-speed manual gearbox. If you were to step-up to the 6-speed automatic gearbox with the diesel engine, the power outputs are bumped up to 115 PS and peak torque is increased to 250 Nm. The 1.0-litre turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engine produces 120 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 172 Nm. It is offered with a 6-speed intelligent Manual Transmission gearbox(clutchless manual) or a 7-speed Dual-Clutch automatic gearbox. Kia Sonet starts from Rs. 6.71 lakhs ex-showroom and the top-end variant costs Rs. 12.99 lakhs ex-showroom.

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