Kia Seltos vs Renault Duster: The Compact SUV War!

The Kia Seltos and Renault Duster are two of the hottest contenders in the compact SUV segment, with two distinct personalities. On one hand, the Seltos would impress you with its dominating new design and a feature-rich cabin. On the other hand, the Duster has ignited the enthusiasts’ emotions by making a strong comeback with a more modern look, plenty of features on offer, a variety of powertrains - all while holding on to its rugged dust-ready roots. 

In case you are planning to buy a compact SUV and are considering between these two, here's how both stack up against each other:

Kia Seltos Vs Renault Duster: Dimensions

Both the Kia Seltos and the Renault Duster fall under the compact SUV segment, implying that both SUVs have a very similar size. But to find out which one might be the better one, let's have a detailed look at their dimensions:

The Seltos is longer than the Duster by a significant margin and gets a longer wheelbase. It is wider too. It is safe to say that the Seltos would be the roomier one inside between the two. 

The Duster, on the other hand, is taller and gets a significantly larger boot, making it easier to organise and carry your luggage in a more efficient manner. 

Kia Seltos vs Renault Duster: Features And Safety

The Kia Seltos is offered with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch driver's display. A 5-inch touchscreen panel is sandwiched between the other two displays for climate controls. It also gets ventilated front seats with a 10-way adjustable driver seat with lumbar support and an 8-speaker BOSE audio system.

The Duster gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 10.25-inch driver’s display and a 6-speaker Arkamys sound system.

Out of these two, the Renault Duster gets two stand-alone features: a powered tailgate and a 6-way electronically adjustable seat for both the driver and co-driver with ventilation, making it stand ahead in the comparison. 

Both the SUVs get a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, multi-colour ambient lighting, wireless phone connectivity with the infotainment system (wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), cruise control, wireless phone charger and connected car tech.

Coming to the safety side, both the SUVs are equipped with front, rear and side parking sensors, 6-airbags, 360-degree camera, Level-2 ADAS, electronic parking brake with HHA (Hill Hold Assist) and standard safety features such as ABS with EBD, traction control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System).

Powertrain

The Kia Seltos offers a wider range of powertrain options, targeting different customer interests:

DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission, iMT- Intelligent Manual Transmission, AT- Automatic Transmission

The Renault Duster, on the other hand, is offered in just two turbo-petrol engine options:

MT- Manual Transmission, DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission 

Renault has promised to bring a strong-hybrid engine option for India by the festive season this year, with a 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 1.4 kWh battery pack. However, it does not have a diesel engine option as compared to the Seltos. The Seltos leads with its wide range of fuel options but misses out on hybrid tech. The 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine of the Renault Duster is the most powerful from the list, producing around 163 PS of peak power and 280 Nm of peak torque. 

Price And Positioning

The Renault Duster has a lower starting price, and the top variant is also priced lower than the top variant of the Kia Seltos. 

However, the Kia Seltos has a broader variant lineup with multiple options for the customer to choose from. While the duster remains comparatively more affordable across its range. 

ZigSays…

Both the Seltos and the Renault Duster come in a fully refreshed avatar and cater to two different buyers. The Kia Seltos is a tech-focused SUV with loaded features, multiple powertrain and transmission options to choose from. With more premium interior and overall proportions, the Kia Seltos will satisfy a tech-savvy buyer who is looking for either a diesel or a petrol engine option to go with.

The Duster, on the other hand, is a no-nonsense SUV with a very strong legacy. The SUV boasts a tougher personality and practicality compared to the Kia Seltos. With its powerful engine and a promised hybrid engine option soon, the Duster keeps its spirits high in this highly competitive segment.

Which of these contenders takes your top spot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!