Kia Seltos Waiting Period & Alternatives to Consider
Kia cars are widely accepted by Indian car buyers. With its line-up that includes cars like Sonet, Seltos, Carnival and Carnival, Kia is enjoying success in almost all segments. In fact, if you want to buy a new Kia Carens, you will have to wait 20 months before you can see it in your garage. The Kia Seltos is another car that has been well received by the Indian market. For those who don’t want a three-row Kia Carens, the Kia Seltos offers a more complete package. The car looks big and spacious from the outside and has an impressive road presence in comparison to other mid-sized SUVs in its segment.
If you want a new off-the-shelf Kia Seltos for yourself, there are seven trims to choose from. The base variant of Kia Seltos starts at Rs. 10.49 lakh and goes up to Rs. 16.99 lakhs. You can choose either the 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.5-litre diesel, or 1.4-litre turbo petrol with five different gearbox options including six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, seven-speed DCT, a Huh. IVT, or an IMT which is a manual gearbox with an automatic clutch. Launched in August 2019, the Kia Seltos has been in demand for more than three years. Currently, the waiting period for the new Kia Seltos is up to seven months depending on the variant and the dealership nearest you. If you do not intend to spend your hard earned money on cabs that these days charge exorbitant rates for the next seven months, then here are some alternatives you can consider instead of the new Kia Seltos .
MG Astor
A relatively new entry in the ever-growing mid-size SUV segment, the MG Astor is the younger brother of the much famed MG Hector. The MG Astor is here to take on the segment leader – the Hyundai Creta – and the recently launched Mahindra Scorpio-N. Customers can choose between the 1.5-litre petrol engine or the 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol motor. The power and torque output of both the engines is in line with the competition with a few numbers here and there. There are three gearboxes to choose from – a five-speed manual, a six-speed automatic and a CVT. Unlike the Creta and Scorpio-N, there is no diesel engine to choose from.
The MG Astor Style EX – the base variant of the Astor with manual transmission and 1.5-litre engine – starts at Rs. 10.32 lakhs. This MG Astor Style EX is available for Rs. 17,000 cheaper than the base version of the Kia Seltos. The top-spec Sharp (O) variant – with the turbo engine and six-speed transmission – attracts a price tag of Rs. 18.23 lakhs. It is Rs. 1.24 lakh more than the most premium trim of Kia Seltos, but you can expect it to be a more feature-rich option than the most expensive Kia Seltos. This trim of MG Astor comes with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) which can alert the driver of the vehicles ahead, accelerate or brake the car apart from controlling the steering to assist the driver. Both cars can happily accommodate five adults without breaking a sweat. Being a new player in the market and keeping up with the trend of being MG, the interiors of the Astor will be fresher and more attractive as compared to the Seltos.
Talking about the size of the MG Astor, it is almost as big as the Hyundai Creta except by a centimeter or two. From the outside, the MG Astor looks big and it’s hard to miss a busy intersection. It is longer than the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, and Volkswagen Taigun, and yet, has the shortest wheelbase of all. This makes it a little easier to drive in tight spaces and on city streets, where traffic jams are as common as rain in the month of August. Other cars in the segment share their technology and parts with others – the Creta and Seltos, the Kushak and the Taigun, but the MG Astor is a lone wolf in this battle of the giants.
The waiting period for MG Astor in most of the markets is around two to three months depending on the variant that suits your pocket and needs. That means waiting four to five months less before you can end up spending a little fortune during peak hours to get to your office on a weekday.
- Engine: 1.5-litre petrol, 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol
- Transmission: 5-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, CVT
- Mileage: NA
- Airbags: 2 airbags standard. Up to 6 airbags on the top end variant
- Fuel Type: Petrol
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Body Type: SUV
Skoda Kushaq
After its first attempt to woo the Indian customers, Skoda is back with a new strategy. Skoda has started its second innings in the Indian market with the Kushak and is relying heavily on its success to turn its fortunes. To make things click with the Indian market, Volkswagen developed a platform specifically for the Indian market. This was done to keep costs under control with the added flexibility to use the same platform in most of their future cars. This platform does not provide any less fun to the Skoda Kushak, and the car offers the same fun that is known without charging a premium for Skoda cars.
Realizing that pricing is the most important aspect in the Indian market, Skoda has priced the Kushak quite aggressively. The base trim of the Skoda Kushak starts at Rs. 11.29 lakh and hovers at Rs. 19.49 lakh for the top variant. This means that the base variant will cost Rs. 80,000 more than the Kia Seltos, and the top-end variant at Rs. 2.5 Lakh more expensive than Kia Seltos. If the extra expense for a Kushak is worth it, it totally depends on how much fun and excitement you want to get out of your car. There are two engine options to choose from – a 1-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre petrol engine. You get to choose between a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic gearbox or a seven-speed DSG depending on how much human intervention you want while driving.
From the outside the Skoda Kushaq looks nice and big. Its wheelbase is longer than that of the MG Astor, Kia Seltos, and Hyundai Creta, which gives it a more planted drive on highways and city roads. On the sides, it can remind you.
Volkswagen Taigun because they share similar doors, mirrors, roof rails, antennae and body cladding. The distinctive Skoda grille at the front gives it an unmistakable look and the rear end too is clean and freshly different from the competition. Apart from everything else, the GNCAP safety rating of 5 stars means that the Skoda Kushak is one of the safest cars you will find in the market right now.
Depending on the trim and where you live, you could be bringing your Skoda Kushak home in about two months. This is 5 months less waiting time as compared to Kia Seltos. If driving a car that offers more fun to the driver besides providing utmost comfort to the passengers, then the Skoda Kushak is a very serious choice for you.
- Engine: 1-litre petrol, 1.5-litre petrol
- Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, 7-speed DSG
- Mileage: 17.88kmpl (1-litre manual), 15.78kmpl (1-litre automatic), 17.95kmpl (1.5-litre manual), 17.71kmpl (1.5-litre DSG)
- Airbags: 2 airbags standard. Up to 6 airbags on the top end variant
- Fuel Type: Petrol
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Body Type: SUV
Volkswagen Taigun
Like Skoda, its parent company – Volkswagen – is also starting its second innings in the Indian market under the new India 2.0 programme. Due to the increasing demand for SUVs in the Indian market, Volkswagen decided to focus on the mid-sized SUV market. The Volkswagen Taigun is here and it has started paying dividends to the German giant. The Volkswagen compact SUV is exactly the same car as the Skoda Kushak; Even donating the same dimensions. Not an inch here and there except wearing different clothes and showing different badges. The characters differ to resonate with the brand they belong to, but it’s the same technology under the hood.
Similar to the koda Kushak, Volkswagen priced the Taigun to give tough competition to the leaders. The base version of the Volkswagen Taigun starts at Rs. 11.56 lakhs and goes up to Rs. 18.71 lakh for the most expensive 1.5-litre variant with a seven-speed DSG. The entry level Taigun is Rs. 1.07 lakhs more expensive than its Seltos counterpart, and the top-end is Rs. 1.72 lakh costlier than the most expensive trim of Kia Seltos. This may be a deterrent for some customers but given that the Taigun has some of the best elements of German engineering, it is well worth it. Drivetrain options remain the same as the Skoda Kushak – a 1-litre petrol engine, or a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The gearbox – a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic gearbox, or a seven-speed DSG also remains the same.
From the sides, the Volkswagen Taigun will remind you of the Skoda Kushaq but it is the front and rear that will remove all doubts. The front grille gives the Taigun a more menacing, yet subtle, look. The rear end with its redesigned tail lamp is unique and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Offering a good combination of German engineering and affordability, the Taigun looks bigger and premium than the word ‘GO’. The fact that the base model comes with electronic stability control, dual front airbags and tire pressure deflation warnings makes it a good value for money. Like the Skoda Kushak, the Volkswagen Taigun also has an NCAP safety rating of 5 which adds to the already impressive list of things in the midsize SUV segment.
If the words mentioned above got you excited about the Volkswagen Taigun, there’s some good news for you. Volkswagen Taigun has one of the shortest waiting periods in the market. Depending on the variant you prefer and the efficiency of your nearest dealership, you can drive your own Volkswagen Taigun in as little as 20 days, which lasts up to 45 days. The fact that the car is as capable as the Skoda Kushak says a lot about its viability as an alternative to the Kia Seltos.
- Engine: 1-litre petrol, 1.5-litre petrol
- Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic
- Mileage: 19.2kmpl (1-litre manual), 17.2kmpl (1-litre automatic), 18.4kmpl (1-litre manual), 17.8kmpl (1.5-litre DSG)
- Airbags: 2 airbags standard. Up to 6 airbags on the top end variant
- Fuel Type: Petrol
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Body Type: SUV
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