2026 KIA SELTOS

THE SELTOS IS STARTING TO STEP OUT FROM UNDER THE CRETA'S SHADOW

- WORDS ROHIT PARADKAR

It’s impossible to review the new Kia Seltos without first acknowledging the Hyundai Creta. Not because this is yet another sibling comparison, but because the Creta didn’t just become a bestseller — it became a reference point. A gravitational force that commanded entire segments around it.

Sub-4m crossovers take inspiration from the Creta to look more refined. The Sierra, riding on nostalgia, reportedly got 70,000 bookings before test drives even started. It could have succeeded as a bigger car, but chose the Creta’s segment because that’s where the big sales are.

Even brands with a stronger history and global reputation struggle when they cross that invisible Lakshman Rekha called the Creta. The Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, and Citroen C5 Aircross didn’t fail because they were bad cars. They struggled because the Creta made their asking prices uncomfortable to explain.

Kia understood this from day one. Its Indian debut wasn’t brave or romantic — it was ruthlessly intelligent. The original Seltos took familiar underpinnings and angular design of the Creta, turned the styling dial clockwise, loaded it with features and told buyers, “You already like the Creta... here’s more of it.” India responded exactly as Kia expected.

But the 2026 Seltos enters a different market. There’s more competition, higher expectations, and just being the flashier sibling isn’t enough. Now, the Seltos has to prove itself as a car that stands on its own, not just as an alternative to the Creta.

So how did Kia do it? The Seltos gets a new design, a new platform, and plenty of features, while keeping the reliable engines from before. Let’s take a closer look.