KIA Seltos To Debut In South Africa
Following its well-received international debut in Delhi, India earlier this year, Kia South Africa has confirmed that the all-new Kia Seltos will be made available for the local market by the end of this month. The compact SUV features a distinctive design compared to the rest of the Kia model line-up yet retains the details and build quality expected from a Kia vehicle, adding a worthy contender in the massively popular compact SUV segment.
“Seltos is a truly exciting new addition to the KIA line-up in South Africa,” says Gary Scott, CEO, KIA Motors South Africa. “As South Africa’s love affair with SUVs continues to grow, we are very excited that we can now offer another progressive, high quality KIA model in a very competitive segment.”
The Seltos is currently manufactured in two different Kia production facilities. The first facility is located in Korea, while the second facility is in India, where the South African models will be produced. The state-of-the-art facility in India represents a 1-billion USD investment made by Kia and produces around 300,000 vehicles per year. This is very impressive considering that the facilities only opened in January to exclusively produce the Seltos.
South African Seltos vehicles will most likely account for a significant portion of this facility’s output considering the interest already received from the market for the Seltos. According to Kia South Africa, more than 3000 people have signed up to be the first to know about developments surrounding the Seltos. Kia South Africa is also giving away two experiences to lucky customers during the promotional period of the Seltos, with one lucky customer winning a South Korea experience and another winning an experience at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January.
The all-new KIA Seltos will go on sale nationally in the second half of November 2019. More information of specification and pricing will be released closer to the on sale date.
Also worth a look: the Kia Seltos and the Kia Sportage.
FAQ
Q: What does the KIA Seltos cost in South Africa?
The KIA Seltos launched in South Africa with pricing starting from around R399,995 for the base model, making it a competitive option in the compact SUV segment against rivals like the Hyundai Creta and Nissan Magnite.
Q: Is the KIA Seltos worth buying in 2024?
The KIA Seltos remains a solid choice with its distinctive design, proven reliability, and comprehensive warranty coverage, though newer competitors have since entered the market with more advanced tech features.
Q: What engine options are available in the KIA Seltos?
The South African KIA Seltos lineup includes a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 90kW and a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 103kW, both available with manual and automatic transmission options.
Q: How does the KIA Seltos compare to the Hyundai Creta?
The KIA Seltos offers more distinctive styling and slightly better build quality than the Hyundai Creta, but both share similar mechanicals and pricing, with the Seltos typically costing around R20,000 more for equivalent trim levels.
Q: What is the fuel consumption of the KIA Seltos?
The KIA Seltos achieves a claimed fuel consumption of 6.7 litres per 100km for the 1.6-litre engine and 6.2 litres per 100km for the 1.4-litre turbo, making it reasonably efficient for daily commuting and weekend adventures.
Should You Buy It?
The best compact SUV under R450,000 in South Africa is still the KIA Seltos, especially if you can find a well-maintained used example or catch a dealer special. With its distinctive design, solid build quality, and KIA's impressive 5-year/150,000km warranty, the Seltos delivers excellent value for money. While newer rivals like the Haval H2 and updated Nissan Magnite offer more tech features, the Seltos wins on overall refinement and dealer network support. If you're shopping in this segment with a budget around R400,000 to R500,000, the KIA Seltos should definitely be on your shortlist, just make sure to negotiate hard as dealers often have room to move on pricing.
