Kia Motor India has showcased the new EV9 SUV concept and the new gen Carnival (KA4) at the ongoing 16th edition of Indian Auto Expo. The company is also preparing the Seltos facelift, which was speculated to be unveiled at the 2023 Auto Expo; that didn’t happen. However, the 2023 Kia Seltos facelift is already on sale in select international markets including South Korea and the United States.
The new SUV comes with design changes and upgraded cabin along with a new turbo petrol engine. While the exact launch timeline is yet to be revealed, we expect the new Kia Seltos facelift could be launched in the second quarter of 2023 – most probably around April.
2023 Kia Seltos Design & Interior
The new Seltos shares the styling changes with the global model. It comes with a larger tiger nose front grille with full projection LED headlamps, a Star Map signature lighting across the grille, newly styled bumper, and vertically shaped fog lights integrated with daytime running lamps. The rear comes with restyled LED tail-lights and updated bumper. It also comes with LED sequential turn indicators similar to those found in Audi.
Inside the cabin, the 2023 Kia Seltos remains largely identical to the existing model. It features a panoramic screen display that combines the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch center display. The infotainment unit is compatible with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay along with navigation and voice commands. It comes with a new digital instrument console, an electronic parking brake, automatic air conditioning with rear AC vents and others. The SUV also comes with a panoramic sunroof, which is missing in the current model.
ADAS Tech
The biggest change is the addition of radar-based driver assistance systems. The 2023 Kia Seltos offers ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, forward collision-avoidance system, automatic emergency braking, blind spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross traffic collision-avoidance assist, safe exit warning, lane following assist, high beam assist and driver attention warning.
Engine Options
The India-spec 2023 Kia Seltos will be equipped with a new 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which replaces the exiting 1.4L turbo petrol engine. The 1.4L turbo may not comply with the upcoming real driving emission norms, which will come into effect from April 2023. The new 1.5L turbo petrol engine is capable of producing 158bhp of power and 260Nm of torque. Both 6-speed manual and 7-speed DCT gearbox options will be on offer. Other engine options will include a 115bhp, 1.5L naturally-aspirated petrol and a 115bhp, 1.5L diesel engine.
