Kia Seltos gains diesel engine option

Kia has added a potent new engine to its Seltos crossover range  – a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.

Since launching locally earlier this year, the Seltos has given Kia a strong presence in the mid-sized crossover market. Its tidy styling and typically comprehensive Korean equipment levels offer a compelling package at the price.

But one thing has been lacking in the Seltos model range: a diesel engine. South African crossover customers value the long-distance driving economy of a modern turbodiesel.

Therefore, most of the Seltos rivals offer this engine configuration, and Kia has now gone on-trend with the powertrain technology curve.

The Seltos turbodiesel engine displaces 1.5-litres and uses a turbocharger to boost performance.

Engine outputs for this compact four-cylinder diesel rate at 86kW and 250Nm, which are sufficient to ensure brisk acceleration. Kia claims that the Seltos will run 0-100kph in 11.5 seconds.

Fuel consumption is one of the strongest attributes of any turbodiesel engine and for the Seltos CRDi, Kia is claiming its new engine will allow an average consumption of 5.6l/100km.
Beyond the great blend of economy and performance, the Seltos offers reasonable specifications across two trim levels: EX and EX+.

The Seltos CRDi EX is available in both six-speed manual and automatic gearbox configurations. It features an 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone mirroring.

There are also USB charging ports for rear-seat passengers and if you are keen on peace-of-mind whilst gravel traveling, the Seltos EX diesels, all come equipped with a full-sized spare wheel.

Kia is also marketing an EX+ version of its Seltos CRDi. This variant adds leather upholstery and auto-folding side mirrors.

All Seltos derivatives feature six airbags, although electronic stability control is not present on the EX grade cars.

Kia Seltos diesel price

Pricing for the new Kia Seltos diesel range starts at R410 995, for a manual EX, increasing to R428 995 for the automatic version.

The Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX+ automatic prices at R446 995.