Production-spec Kia Seltos X-Line Breaks Cover: A Positive First Impression?

The Kia Seltos X-Line concept impressed us with its butch design at the Auto Expo 2020. And now, Kia has unveiled the production-spec Seltos X-Line, based on the top-spec GTX Plus, right in time for its festive season launch in September 2021. Does the production model create as strong a first impression as the concept did? 

Well, not really. The production-spec X-Line is a dolled-up GTX Plus. All the butch design elements like the rugged front and rear bumpers have been replaced by the standard model’s unit. We feel Kia should have retained it as it would have made this special edition stand out from the sea of standard Seltos on the road.

But look at the bright side, and the Seltos X-Line scores some brownie points. The Matte Graphite shade (a first for a car from the factory in India) suits the Seltos well and all the blacked-out touches (instead of silver and chrome) on the grille and bumpers adds a dash of stealthiness. Even the dual-tone 18-inch alloy rims that are a size larger from the GTX Plus get a dash of Matte grey to gel along the body shade, while a touch of orange on the bumpers and wheels adds a dash of contrast. 

Inside, save for the Indigo-coloured upholstery on the door pads and leatherette seats with the honeycomb pattern, the Seltos X-Line doesn’t get any distinct changes over the top-spec GTX Plus. There are no new feature additions over the standard model as well. 

So the Seltos X-Line comes with the same 10.25-inch infotainment system with connected car tech, a single-pane sunroof, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, a Bose sound system, and ventilated front seats. Passenger safety is taken care of by six airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera with blind spot monitor, and electronic stability control. 

Kia could have taken this opportunity to offer a panoramic sunroof, or probably a digital driver’s display to keep things distinct from the standard model. But we are nit picking here and the standard suite of features should be fine for most of the customers. 

No changes are made to the mechanicals. So, the Seltos X-Line, based on the GTX Plus, will be offered only with the 140PS 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and the 115PS 1.5-litre diesel engine. Both the engines will be offered with their respective automatic transmissions: a 7-speed DCT for the turbo-petrol and 6-speed AT for the diesel. If you want a manual Seltos X-Line, good luck as there isn’t one. 

Kia could command an additional Rs 50,000 premium over the Seltos GTX Plus automatic that’s priced from Rs 17.44 lakh (ex-showroom). Does it make sense to spend the premium? 

These updates don’t scream value for money if you look at the Seltos X-Line from a design perspective as it’s similar to the standard model. But if you want a unique Seltos that stands out from the crowd with its Matte Grey Shade (like the Harrier Dark Edition), the Seltos X-Line starts to make sense.