Kia Seltos was first launched in India on 22nd August 2019
CHENNAI: Kia India, one of the fastest growing car manufacturers in the country, is celebrating the completion of three years of its maiden product, Seltos this week. The Kia Seltos turned 3 on 22nd July 2022. Three years on, Seltos has proven itself as a disruptor and has redefined how the mid-SUV segment is perceived in the country. Just before turning 3, Seltos crossed the 3 lakh sales milestone, becoming the fastest SUV to achieve the feat in the country.
Kia Seltos has been a landmark product for the company since the very beginning. Within the first two months, Seltos had established itself as the highest selling SUV in its segment, helping Kia enter the list of top 5 carmakers in the country with just one product – Seltos. The Seltos’ popularity gained ground and it crossed 1 lakh sales milestone in August 2020, i.e. just one year after it was launched in India. The product’s successful run has allowed Kia to retain its position amongst the top 5 carmakers in the country for three years running.
Looking at the rising popularity of the product and in line with its commitment of fulfilling the unmet needs of customers, Kia India launched the refreshed versions of the Seltos every year and regularly updated it with innovative features. Very recently, in August 2022, Seltos became the first vehicle in its segment to offer six airbags as standard, becoming only the second car in the mass market, after Kia Carens, to offer this important safety feature. Kia Seltos was also the first car in its segment to debut the iMT technology, earlier launched only with a petrol engine option, shortly followed by a diesel engine. In September 2021, Kia India introduced the top trim ‘X Line’ on the Seltos, with first made-in-India ‘Xclusive Matt Graphite’ exteriors and first-in-segment 18” Crystal cut Matte Graphite Alloy Wheels, which further enhanced the premium quotient of this product.
Hardeep Singh Brar, Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing, Kia India said, “I have always said this – Seltos is, and will always be a special product for Kia India. With Seltos, we created a benchmark and redefined the expectations of customers in this segment. Seltos was a demonstration of our commitment to India and a showcase of our capabilities. It created high standards in design, technology and refinement and helped us gain a share of heart of Indian consumers. I can proudly say that the Seltos made a dream debut and has ensured our dream run continues against all odds.”
Kia India recently crossed the 5-lakh sales milestone in the country, with Seltos contributing to close to 60% to the overall sales. While 58% of the Seltos sales come from its top variants, the automatic options of the vehicle contribute to around 25%. The revolutionary iMT technology became an instant hit amongst buyers, with 1 out of every 10 Seltos buyers opting for it in 2022. In July 2022, Kia India achieved the milestone of crossing 1 lakh exports of the Seltos to more than 91 countries from its Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh.
