2026 Kia Seltos Vs Maruti Victoris: Which One Has The Upper Hand? Let’s Find Out…

Kia has unveiled the second generation of its popular SUV, the Seltos, with a new, sharper design, fresh interior, new features, and improved cabin space. With all of these upgrades, the Seltos is ready to take on the mid-size SUV segment, but most importantly, challenge the newest offering from the country’s top-selling brand, to mark its spot as the best seller once again. 

The Maruti Victoris is the latest product from the brand in the mid-size SUV segment, and Maruti has played it strong this time; there’s no spot missed where the Victoris does not impress. But is it all enough to win against the new Seltos, which has always been loved by all? Let’s find that out!  

Seltos Vs Victoris: Dimensions And Stance

The new Seltos and the Victoris have a very different approach in their styling and stance, which caters to different types of crowds. The Seltos’s design is more boxy and upright with a dominating stance that will be loved by enthusiasts who want a rugged & sporty look. It gets a redesigned front and rear profile with squarer bumpers, body claddings, new ice-cube LED headlights, connected taillights, flush door handles, and 18-inch alloy wheels, giving the car a commanding approach.

The Maruti Victoris, however, carries a more pleasing and elegant design language that appeals to the younger generations and buyers who wish to buy a sophisticated family car. The front of the car has a polished appearance and has LED projector headlights, which are connected by a chrome strip. The overall profile is enhanced with classy styling and sharp lines, body claddings, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a sleek connected LED taillight that gives it a modern and confident stance.

Here is a detailed comparison of their size:

The new Kia Seltos has grown in size, thanks to the new platform, and it is clearly evident. In all dimensions, the Seltos is bigger with a respectable margin, which means more space on the inside. The Victoris is marginally taller, but that should hardly make any difference. 

Seltos Vs Victoris Features And Safety Onboard: The Showdown

Heading towards the interior, both cars are heavily loaded with all the modern features that you can think of. Their cabins are neatly laid out with premium materials and the use of physical buttons, eliminating excessive touch panels. The Seltos’s dashboard layout is the more sporty one and gets up to four cabin themes.

The Victoris’ dashboard, on the other hand, has a more elegant appeal and gets a dual-tone black and white colour-themed cabin. 

What the Seltos gets extra is a dual 12.3-inch screen setup comprising a touchscreen infotainment and another one for the driver’s display. Another key highlight inside the cabin is a 10-way electrically adjustable driver seat with lumbar support and dual-zone climate control.

The Victoris uses a smaller 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch digital driver's display. Victoris comes with a powered tailgate with a kick-to-open feature, which the Seltos misses out on. The Victoris also gets optional AWD, and those variants come with a differential lock button and drive and terrain modes.

Keeping the differences aside, a lot of features in both cars are common. These include a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, electrically powered and ventilated front seats, wireless phone connectivity with the infotainment system, connected car tech, and rear window sunshades. 

When it comes to safety, both cars come equipped with a Level-2 ADAS suite, a 360-degree camera with front and rear sensors, 6 airbags, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, all-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill-hold assist, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. 

Seltos Vs Victoris Powertrain Options: Performance Or Efficiency?

The Kia Seltos can be had with three engine options; these include a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. These engines are available with manual, clutchless manual, torque converter automatic, CVT, and DCT transmission options. Here are the detailed specifications: 

Seltos Engine Options	1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol	1.5-litre turbo-petrol	1.5-litre diesel
Power (PS)	115 PS	160 PS	116 PS
Torque (Nm)	144 Nm	253 Nm	250 Nm
Transmission	6-speed manual/iVT	6-speed iMT/7-speed DCT	6-speed manual/6-speed AT
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD	FWD

While the Seltos offers three different engine options, the Victoris, on the other hand, is available in CNG, mild-hybrid, and strong hybrid powertrains. These engines are further available with manual and automatic transmission options. Here are the detailed specifications:

The Seltos is available with a broader portfolio of engine options, ranging from an efficient diesel to a performance-driven turbo petrol engine. The Victoris, however, makes less power and torque in all of its three configurations, but where it really outshines the Seltos is the overall mileage. The engines on the Victoris are known for their mileage figures, plus with a hybrid version on offer, it is bound to impress buyers with a lot of urban running. Another strong factor on the Victoris is the availability of an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. This is not a very strong 4x4 setup, but it can surely get you out of tough situations while touring. 

Price And Positioning: Premium Vs Value

Kia will reveal prices for the new Seltos on January 2, 2026. But going by the prices of the outgoing Seltos, we expect the prices to start from Rs 11.2 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base (HTE) variant with the naturally aspirated engine and a manual transmission. The top-end (X-Line) Diesel AT is speculated to be priced upwards of Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom).

Prices for the Victoris, however, start at Rs 10.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for its base (LXi) variant with the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine paired with a manual transmission, and range till Rs 19.98 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end (ZXi Plus(O)) variant with the hybrid powertrain. 

Model	Price (ex-showroom)
Kia Seltos	Rs 11.2 - 22 lakh (EXPECTED)
Hyundai Creta	Rs 10.49 - 19.98 lakh

At the moment, it is difficult to pick the cheaper option of the two, but one thing’s clear: the pricing will be aggressive. This will leave customers with a tough choice to pick between two equally appealing options. 

ZigSays… 

Both the cars are impressive in their own aspects, but they cater to completely different groups of audience. The Seltos continues to attract buyers with its sharp design, premium feel with a touch of sportiness and the option to choose from multiple engines. Meanwhile, the Victoris appeals to a crowd who want a sophisticated family SUV that is relatively cheap to maintain, has a low running cost, and offers all the features they desire. 

They’re on two different paths, and for the customers, it’s a tough choice to make: choose the Seltos for its strong performance and premiumness, or the dependable Victoris for affordability, low running costs, and strong after-sales support. 

Which one of these two mid-size SUVs do you like more? Let us know in the comments below!