The Seltos facelift will hit the showrooms most likely before the Creta facelift that is also due this year.
Less than three years after its launch, the Kia Seltos is being given a facelift. The updated midsize SUV will likely go on sale sometime in the middle of 2022, and the big talking point this time will be the addition of a panoramic sunroof.
- Seltos facelift to launch by mid-2022
- Will get panoramic sunroof
- Styling tweaks and more features are expected
Kia Seltos facelift: panoramic sunroof on top-most variants
Why is a big glass roof so significant? When the Kia Seltos was launched in August 2019, a sunroof was already a must-have feature in the segment, and the Korean midsize SUV did get one – a single-pane unit. However, just two months prior, in June 2019, the MG Hector had launched with a panoramic sunroof that stretched all the way over to the rear of the cabin, and this was a hit with customers. The MG – though it did overlap with the Seltos’ segment – was at least a larger car, but in 2020, the new Hyundai Creta, arch rival and built on the same platform as the Kia, debuted with a panoramic sunroof too. And in 2021, MG’s smaller midsize SUV, the Astor, got one as well. Suddenly, the Seltos was behind the curve, more so when you realise the feature was offered in the Chinese market.
Expect this panoramic sunroof to feature on the top-most variants of the Seltos, while mid-range variants could continue with the single-pane sunroof. Apart from this, the refreshed Seltos will get styling updates with a new-look nose, new alloy wheels, mild tweaks to the rear end and new colours and textures for the interior. Some reports also suggest that some amount of sensor-based ADAS tech could be offered on top variants, much like with new rival the Astor, but it remains to be seen whether this will be the case.
Another interesting point to note is that Kia’s upcoming seven-seat MPV (or RV as the brand classifies it), the Carens, will be launched without a panoramic sunroof in any of its variants, getting only a single-pane sunroof on top models and bucking the new trend. This is in contrast to its indirect rival from Hyundai, the Alcazar seven-seat SUV, which does offer it. There is, however, a very practical reason for this, and that is the inclusion of roof-mounted AC vents to cool the rearmost rows of seats, which simply didn’t allow for a long glass roof to fit as well. Kia prioritised adequate cooling over a popular feature for its spacious people mover.
Kia Seltos facelift: mechanical changes unlikely
Under the hood, the Kia Seltos facelift is expected to remain mechanically unchanged. It will continue with the same three engine options – a 115hp naturally aspirated 1.5 petrol, a 140hp turbocharged 1.4 petrol and a 115hp, 1.5 turbo diesel, each engine getting manual and automatic gearbox options.
Built at Kia’s plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, the Seltos was the brand’s first model for India, and it’s also exported to some right-hand-drive markets. It’s been a huge success since its launch in 2019, and still commands a pretty long waiting period. Since then, however, the market has gotten hotter, with launches of the second-gen Hyundai Creta, the Skoda Kushaq, the Volkswagen Taigun and the MG Astor. What’s more, new twin midsize SUVs are expected from Maruti and Toyota this Diwali, so this updated Seltos will have its work cut out for it.
Do you think the Seltos facelift will let it edge past the Creta on sales? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also see:
Kia Carens: Close look
Kia Carens image gallery