As promised, Kia has introduced a diesel-powered Seltos to market in South Africa! See specifications and pricing below…

When Kia launched the Seltos compact family car locally late in 2019, iit was only available with a pair of petrol engines, but Kia did promise to introduce a diesel engine to the Seltos range and now, 8 months since the initial Seltos launch, that promise has now come to fruition.

“South Africa was the first export market for the Seltos, and its combination of sharp design, generous space and solid build quality has proved great sales success,” comments Gary Scott, CEO, KIA Motors South Africa. “We are confident that the new turbodiesel variants will continue to surprise and delight customers.”

The new diesel Seltos is powered by a 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine that produces 86 kW and 250 Nm of torque and is offered in conjunction with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Furthermore, this new diesel derivative will be offered in 2 trim levels including EX and the higher-spec EX+.

However, the EX grade can be had in both manual and automatic guise while the EX+ grade is offered in automatic guise only.

Standard Features

The diesel-poweredSeltos is offered in EX or EX+ guise, with the latter only offered with an automatic transmission.

In terms of standard features, the Seltos diesel in EX guise offers air-conditioning, automatic headlight control, electrically adjustable side mirrors with integrated indicators, cloth upholstery, steering wheel-mounted controls, electric windows and cruise control. An 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system is fitted and incorporates a radio with RDS, linked to 6 speakers. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone mirroring is part of the package as well as Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition and USB ports for front and rear passengers. A full-sized spare wheel is standard.

In addition to the features offered on the EX grade, the EX+ grade adds leather upholstery, electrically-folding side mirrors and a armrest in the centre console with an integrated storage bin.

On the safety front, all Seltos derivatives are equipped with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist. Isofix child seat mounts are also standard. More than this, rear park distance control along with a rear reverse camera is a useful addition to the standard features list as is central locking and immobiliser. EX+ derivatives are further equipped with hill-start assist and electronic stability control.

It’s worth noting that we were mostly impressed by both the petrol-powered Seltos derivatives and we look forward to putting this diesel Seltos to the test soon. Be sure to check out our reviews on the Seltos for some valuable insights.

Kia Seltos 1.4T-GDI GT Line (2020) Review

Kia Seltos 1.6 EX+ Auto (2019) Review

Kia Seltos – Price in South Africa

KIA Seltos 1.6 EX Manual – R380 995

KIA Seltos 1.6 EX Automatic – R398 995

KIA Seltos 1.5 CRDI EX Manual – R410 995

KIA Seltos 1.5 CRDI EX Automatic – R428 995

KIA Seltos 1.6 EX+ Automatic – R416 995

KIA Seltos 1.5 CRDI EX+ Automatic – R446 995

KIA Seltos 1.4 T-GDi GT-Line – R471 995

The Kia Seltos is sold with a 5-year/unlimited km warranty, 5-year/90 000 km service plan and roadside assistance.

Buy a Kia Seltos on Cars.co.za

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