Cause for celebration: Kia’s all-new Seltos

Many would agree that 2019 was a difficult year, and if getting through it with everything intact wasn’t hard enough, January 2020 came with the ultimate test of survival. But recently, as nearly three dozen of us motoring journalists assembled in Pasig City for an early breakfast for Kia’s first drive for the year, the mood was noticeably light and pleasant. I guess Kia president Manny Aligada’s good vibes were “infectious”—it was after all Kia Philippines’ first year anniversary under Ayala-owned AC Motors, and with it came the badge of a 124 percent sales growth from 2019. It’s due they say, in no small part to their recent releases that include the Kia Soluto, the Stinger, and just from last November, the Seltos.

In his welcome remarks, Aligada beamed about the Kia Seltos, their brand spanking new “baby” SUV/Crossover that we’d be driving all the way to Baler in Aurora Province, and back. Everyone agrees that it’s strikingly handsome, but this time when nearly all automotive brands have learned the merits of good design, we’ve learned too, to not judge a car by its exterior. The Kia prez then proceeded to rattle off some of the Seltos’ impressive sales stats from the region, and it piqued the curiosity of our large group. In its home market of Korea it had 3,000+ bookings on its first week, which mostly racked up the 6,109 Kia units sold in just a month after its debut. In India, 14,000 units were sold in its first two months. And in late August to early October last year, 50,000 bookings were made for it, setting a new vehicle record there… so what is it about this Kia that’s compelling people to lap it up?

Sub-compact, full-contact

I focused not on the specs and features during the technical presentation that followed just before we rolled out. Instead, I counted on the nearly 300 kilometers of road we’d be traversing from Manila to Baler, which included a detour for lunch in Nueva Ecija, for the answers. We took off, filtered, and short-sprinted our way out of Manila traffic as quick as we could. By the time it was my turn to get behind the wheel in our three-person team, we were halfway through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. I was glad my first crack at the Kia Seltos was on long stretches of highways that eventually led to narrow small-town streets, then to a long sequence of dirt trails and twisty roads that brought us to our lunch venue in Nueva Ecija.

It was a smooth and natural progression, from the moment I adjusted my seating, the mirrors, my music playlist, my throttle modulation and braking, then eventually to slicing my way through overtaking maneuvers and basically slinking through the series of tight curves. I realized—it was like the Seltos was breaking me in… and it didn’t take long though, for me to drive it with the kind of confidence that you can only get from familiarity. Sure I listened to the spec-talk, and briefly recalled the horsepower and Nm ratings in relation to its displacement (147 and 179 respectively, from an in-line 4, 2.0-liter Dual-CVVT gasoline engine), tried to feel if there was actually a positive difference in the shifting brought on by its Intelligent Variable Transmission, and… pffft. I said to myself, fudge it—I’ll just drive! Chuck the numbers and marketing terms out the window, and make it a sensory evaluation rather than one that’s based on purely logical, numerical analysis.

After the longest shift I had in the Kia Seltos (top-of-the-line SX variant), I concluded that it goes fast smoothly, allows me to slow it down and stop it quite predictably; I know it’ll comply with precision to my slightest steering input, and that I wouldn’t mind driving it for an extra few hours over the one from the leading brand in the same class. I mean, what a revelation—what if you take note of how the vehicle makes you feel after you drive it thoroughly and lengthily, and then be given its technical specifications and full features list afterwards? Well it made sense with this immersive driving experience.

Kudos, Seltos

Admittedly, I came to identify the features of the Kia Seltos that made driving it feel like being in an expanded sweet spot, halfway through my drive. You can switch between Standard, Eco and Sport driving modes and actually feel the subtle differences in its performance and demeanor. Its Intelligent Variable Transmission really does shift indiscernibly smooth between gears, and the extensive adjustability of the driver’s seat and the steering wheel (tilt+telescopic) lets you dial-in your perfect driving position. Its 8-inch multi-information display is a breeze to use, with Apple Play and Android Auto as standard. And I can’t stress enough the benefit of a great sounding factory sound system (six-speakers on the SX). These, with exceptional handling and ample power, make really long drives a whole lot bearable- and even enjoyable! My only real niggle about the Seltos is its engine noise that’s a bit excessive when you drive it spiritedly. Other than that, it’s a well thought-out, well-engineered balance of commendable performance and handling, and comfort-centric features that as a complete package, give credence to their official hashtag #DesignedForYou.

So, if Kia keeps this trend of producing deal-makers like the Seltos, they’ll have a lot more to celebrate down the line.