The Gearbox That Could Change How You Feel About the Seltos Forever
Nobody talks about gearboxes at dinner parties. Nobody brags to their colleagues about transmission technology. And yet — here’s the uncomfortable truth — the gearbox in your car will affect your daily mood, your fuel bills, and your long-term happiness with your purchase more than almost any other single component.
I’ve watched buyers spend weeks agonising over colour choices and sunroof options, only to pick the wrong transmission and spend the next five years quietly hating every traffic jam they sit in. Don’t be that buyer.
The Kia Seltos has been one of India’s most consistently successful SUVs since it first arrived in 2019. It looks sharp, it’s feature-loaded, and it carries the Kia badge with a kind of confidence that few Korean cars managed before it. But in 2024, Kia made a change that didn’t make many headlines — they introduced the IVT, or Intelligent Variable Transmission, as the new automatic option for the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine.
And that single change? It might be the most important update the Seltos has received in years.
I spent two weeks with the Kia Seltos IVT — in city traffic, on highways, in the hills, and in the kind of stop-and-go Bengaluru gridlock that would test the patience of a Buddhist monk. Here’s my complete, unfiltered Kia Seltos IVT review — and why I’m calling it the Smooth Operator.
Quick Overview: What Is the Kia Seltos IVT and Why Does It Matter?
Let’s get the basics right before we go deeper.
The Kia Seltos is a compact SUV that sits in India’s most fiercely contested segment — the mid-size SUV space that also includes the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder, and Volkswagen Taigun, among others. It’s a segment where every manufacturer is fighting for every percentage point of market share, and where a single feature — or a single flaw — can make or break a buying decision.
The IVT is Kia’s name for their CVT — Continuously Variable Transmission. Now, before you make a face, hear me out. CVTs have had a rough reputation in India, and honestly, some of that reputation is deserved. Early CVTs were rubbery, uninvolving, and felt disconnected from the engine. But technology has moved on considerably, and Kia’s IVT is a generation ahead of what most people associate with CVT-type transmissions.
The IVT is paired specifically with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine in the Seltos — not the turbo petrol, not the diesel. This is the engine that the majority of mainstream Seltos buyers in India actually choose, which makes this review relevant to a very large audience.
This combination — 1.5 NA petrol plus IVT — replaces the older torque converter automatic that the Seltos previously offered with this engine. And the question I set out to answer in this road test is simple: is the new setup better? Is it smooth enough for real Indian conditions? And most importantly — should you choose it over the manual or the turbo-DCT alternative?
Let’s find out.
Exterior Design: A Face That Still Turns Heads in 2024
The current-generation Seltos, which arrived in 2023, brought with it a significant visual refresh, and it’s aged extremely well. This isn’t a car that’s trying too hard or chasing trends for the sake of it. The design language is confident, mature, and genuinely distinctive in a segment full of me-too styling.
The front end is dominated by Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grille, but on the updated Seltos it’s been made wider and more aggressive. The Star Map LED daytime running lights are the car’s most recognisable design element — a sweeping pattern of LEDs that runs across the front and rear, giving the Seltos a futuristic, almost concept-car face in the dark. In traffic at night, those DRLs make the Seltos immediately identifiable from a distance.
The bonnet has subtle raised lines that give it a muscular quality without feeling excessive. The overall front fascia manages the difficult balance of looking premium while also looking appropriately sporty for a compact SUV.
Move to the side profile, and the Seltos presents a clean, well-proportioned shape. The roofline is relatively upright — good news for rear headroom — and the shoulder line has enough visual interest to prevent the side from looking flat or boring. The 18-inch alloy wheels on the top variants fill the arches well and add to the planted, substantial look.
The rear is cohesive and clean. The connected LED taillamps mirror the Star Map theme from the front, tying the design together neatly. The rear bumper has a subtle skid plate element that reinforces the SUV character without being theatrical about it.
Colour options are genuinely good. The Seltos is available in a wide palette including Glacier White Pearl, Imperial Blue, Pewter Olive, Aurora Black Pearl, and the striking Intense Red. My test car was in Imperial Blue, which is a deep, slightly metallic shade that looks different in different lighting conditions — almost purple in bright sun, a deep midnight blue under artificial light. It’s one of the best colour options in the segment.
One thing I appreciate about the Seltos design — it doesn’t feel like it was designed by committee. There’s a visual point of view here, and it’s consistently executed from front to rear. In a segment where many cars look competent but anonymous, the Seltos looks like it was designed by people who actually cared about the result.
Interior Design and Comfort: Premium Ambitions, Mostly Delivered
Open the door of the Kia Seltos IVT and the first thing that hits you is how the interior feels more expensive than the price tag suggests. Kia has historically been very good at this — punching above their weight on perceived interior quality — and the current Seltos continues that tradition.
The dashboard layout is clean and logically organised. The dual 10.25-inch screens — one for the instrument cluster, one for infotainment — are integrated into a single seamless panel that runs across the upper dashboard. It looks dramatic, it looks modern, and it genuinely impresses passengers who climb in for the first time.
The materials quality is a mixed story. The upper dashboard and door panels use soft-touch materials that feel genuinely premium to the touch. Lower sections of the door and the centre console area use harder plastics that reveal the car’s price point if you go looking. This is entirely normal and acceptable for this segment — I mention it not as a criticism but as an honest observation for buyers who expect German-car material quality throughout.
The front seats deserve special praise. They’re wide, well-bolstered, and offer good under-thigh support — something that many Indian car seats get wrong. On a long drive, this matters enormously. After 4-5 hours behind the wheel of the Seltos, I didn’t feel the need to stop and stretch my back, which is more than I can say for several competitors I’ve tested recently.
The rear seat is spacious by compact SUV standards. Three adults can sit across in reasonable comfort, though the middle passenger will notice the raised floor tunnel. Legroom is generous for a car of this footprint, and the near-upright roofline means rear headroom is genuinely good — tall passengers won’t feel claustrophobic.
The panoramic sunroof is a highlight. It’s one of the largest in the segment, flooding the cabin with light and making the interior feel airy and open even when the windows are up. On pleasant evenings, driving with the sunroof open adds a genuine sense of occasion to an otherwise ordinary commute.
Boot space is rated at 433 litres — a solid figure for the segment, though not class-leading. It’s enough for a family of four’s luggage on a weekend trip, comfortably.
Here’s something worth noting for buyers who care about long-term interiors — the Seltos cabin handles Indian conditions well. The air conditioning is powerful enough to cool the cabin quickly even in peak summer heat, the ventilated front seats (available on top trims) are genuinely effective, and the cabin insulation is good enough to keep road noise at acceptable levels.
Engine Specifications and Performance: The 1.5 NA Petrol Explained
The engine at the heart of this Kia Seltos IVT review is the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder petrol unit. This makes 115 PS of maximum power and 144 Nm of peak torque. Paired with the IVT, drive goes to the front wheels.
Let me be upfront about something. These numbers — 115 PS and 144 Nm — are not particularly exciting on paper. This is not a quick car. It won’t win traffic light sprints, and if someone in a turbo-petrol Seltos pulls up beside you, there will be no contest.
But here’s where the Kia Seltos IVT review gets genuinely interesting — because this combination is not trying to be fast. It’s trying to be smooth. And at that goal, it succeeds in a way that the older torque converter automatic simply didn’t.
The IVT’s fundamental advantage in daily driving is the complete absence of gear hunting. Traditional automatics — whether torque converters or DCTs — are constantly deciding which gear to be in, and in stop-and-go traffic, they can feel restless and indecisive. The IVT has no such problem. It simply adjusts the ratio infinitely and seamlessly, keeping the engine in its most efficient and relaxed operating zone at all times.
The result? In city traffic, the Seltos IVT moves with a liquid smoothness that is genuinely addictive. Crawling forward in a jam, inching up to a traffic signal, rolling through a crowded market road — all of these scenarios that normally make driving feel like a chore become almost meditative in the Seltos IVT. The car just flows.
Kia has also done something smart with the IVT calibration — they’ve programmed it to simulate gear steps under hard acceleration. So when you floor the throttle, instead of that classic CVT phenomenon of the engine revs shooting to the ceiling while the car slowly catches up (what engineers call “rubber-band effect”), the IVT holds simulated ratios and builds speed in a more natural, conventional way. It’s not perfect — enthusiast drivers will still notice it’s not a real gearbox — but it’s a significant improvement over older CVT implementations.
The 0-100 kmph sprint takes approximately 11.5 seconds — honest numbers for a family-oriented, efficiency-focused compact SUV. In real-world city driving, the car feels adequately quick for the conditions. Overtaking at highway speeds requires some planning — you need to think a couple of seconds ahead and use the paddle shifters or drop into Sport mode for confident overtakes. But it’s never dangerous or frustrating, just different from a turbo-petrol’s on-demand urgency.
This is where things get interesting for Indian buyers specifically. On Indian highways, where speeds are mostly 80-100 kmph and overtaking is done at gradual pace rather than aggressive bursts, the 1.5 IVT handles itself well. It’s on steep mountain roads and in high-altitude conditions where the naturally aspirated engine shows its limitations — turbo cars have a definitive advantage in such scenarios.
Drive modes — Eco, Normal, and Sport — are offered and do make a meaningful difference. Eco softens the throttle and prioritises efficiency. Normal is the sweet spot for daily use. Sport sharpens the throttle response and holds higher revs, making the car feel noticeably more eager. For a naturally aspirated engine without a massive power reserve, Sport mode is worth using whenever you need that extra confidence on a fast-moving highway.
The paddle shifters behind the steering wheel allow manual ratio selection — useful for engine braking on descents and for more involving driving when the mood strikes. They’re responsive and add a layer of driver engagement that a plain CVT without paddles wouldn’t have.
Fuel Efficiency: Where the IVT Really Earns Its Keep
If performance is where the IVT makes acceptable compromises, fuel efficiency is where it genuinely shines — and this is the number that matters most to the majority of Indian buyers.
Kia claims an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 18.0 kmpl for the Seltos IVT. In my real-world testing across a mix of city and highway driving, I recorded the following:
- Pure city driving (Bengaluru stop-and-go): 14.8 kmpl
- Mixed city and highway: 16.5 kmpl
- Highway driving at 90-100 kmph: 17.8 kmpl
These are genuinely impressive numbers for an automatic SUV in this segment. For comparison, the turbo-DCT Seltos returns approximately 13-15 kmpl in real-world conditions, and many competitor automatics in this segment struggle to cross 14 kmpl in city conditions.
Over 15,000 kilometres in a year — a reasonable annual mileage for an Indian owner — the fuel saving of the IVT over a turbo-petrol automatic could amount to Rs. 15,000-20,000 at current petrol prices. Over three years of ownership, that’s a meaningful amount of money. The IVT gives you a genuinely stress-free ownership proposition from an efficiency standpoint.
The 50-litre fuel tank gives a real-world highway range of approximately 850-880 kilometres on a full tank. For long road trips — Delhi to Jaipur, Mumbai to Goa, Bengaluru to Ooty — you’re looking at very few fuel stops, which adds genuine convenience to the touring experience.
Features and Technology: Loaded for Battle
The Kia Seltos has always used its features list as a key weapon against competition, and the IVT variants continue that tradition. Depending on the variant you choose, the Seltos IVT offers:
- Dual 10.25-inch screens (cluster and infotainment)
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Kia Connect with over 60 connected car features
- Bose premium audio system with 8 speakers
- Panoramic sunroof
- Ventilated and heated front seats
- 360-degree surround view monitor
- Head-Up Display
- Ambient lighting with multiple colour options
- Air purifier with AQI display
- Blind View Monitor (camera feed in instrument cluster when indicating)
- Drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport
- Paddle shifters
The Blind View Monitor deserves a specific mention because it’s genuinely useful in real Indian traffic. When you indicate to change lanes, a camera feed of your blind spot appears in the digital instrument cluster. In the chaos of Indian highway driving — where vehicles appear from nowhere and lane discipline is a suggestion rather than a rule — this feature has genuine safety value.
The Bose audio system is impressive. It’s not the absolute finest sound system I’ve heard in a car, but for this price point and segment, it’s class-leading. Clear highs, decent bass, and a wide soundstage make long drives genuinely enjoyable.
The Kia Connect app integration is comprehensive. You can remotely start the engine, pre-cool the cabin, check fuel levels, track the vehicle, and receive service reminders — all from your smartphone. In India’s increasingly connected car ecosystem, this level of integration is becoming expected rather than exceptional, but Kia’s implementation is among the more reliable ones I’ve used.
Safety Features: Taking It Seriously
Safety has become a genuine differentiator in this segment, and the Seltos takes it seriously.
The current Seltos received a 5-star Global NCAP safety rating, which is the strongest possible endorsement of its structural integrity. This isn’t a car that’s been engineered to look safe — it’s been engineered to actually be safe.
Standard safety features across variants include:
- 6 airbags
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
- Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
- Hill Start Assist Control
- Downhill Brake Control
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
- Rear parking sensors and camera
On higher variants, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) include:
- Forward Collision Warning
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Lane Keep Assist
- Lane Departure Warning
- Driver Attention Warning
- Blind Spot Collision Warning
- Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning
- Leading Vehicle Departure Alert
Having ADAS on a compact SUV at this price point was almost unthinkable three years ago. The Seltos helped normalise it in this segment, and the implementation — while not as refined as what you’d find on a European luxury car — works reliably in real-world Indian conditions.
One honest note — the ADAS features in Indian conditions occasionally trigger false warnings, particularly the Lane Departure Warning on roads with faded lane markings. This is a known characteristic of camera-based ADAS systems on Indian roads and is not unique to the Seltos. Most experienced owners learn to live with it or adjust the sensitivity settings.
Price and Variants: What Does the Seltos IVT Cost?
The Kia Seltos IVT is available across multiple variants. Here’s the current pricing structure:
| Variant | Transmission | Ex-Showroom Price (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| HTE IVT | IVT (CVT) | Rs. 13.79 lakh |
| HTK IVT | IVT (CVT) | Rs. 15.69 lakh |
| HTK+ IVT | IVT (CVT) | Rs. 17.60 lakh |
| HTX IVT | IVT (CVT) | Rs. 18.65 lakh |
| HTX+ IVT | IVT (CVT) | Rs. 19.70 lakh |
Note: Prices are approximate ex-showroom figures and vary by city. On-road pricing will be higher after factoring in registration, insurance, and accessories.
The sweet spot in the range, in my opinion, is the HTX IVT. It gets the full features package including the panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, and the ADAS suite, while the HTX+ adds a few additional premium touches for about a lakh more. For most buyers, the HTX represents the best value-to-feature ratio in the lineup.
Ride Quality and Real-World Driving Experience: The Smooth Operator Earns Its Name
I’ve been calling the Seltos IVT a Smooth Operator throughout this review, and this section is where that title gets fully justified — or challenged.
The Seltos rides on a suspension setup that uses MacPherson struts at the front and a coupled torsion beam axle at the rear. On paper, a torsion beam rear sounds like a compromise. In reality, Kia’s calibration of this setup is so well-judged for Indian conditions that it rarely feels like one.
Let me paint you a picture of a typical Monday morning in Bengaluru. You’re on Outer Ring Road. There’s a stretch of broken tarmac just before the Marathahalli flyover that looks like it was designed by someone who actively dislikes car owners. Speed breakers of varying heights, pothole clusters, and the occasional aggressive patch repair that creates its own set of bumps.
The Seltos IVT handled all of this with a composure that genuinely surprised me. The suspension absorbs sharp-edged bumps without transmitting them rudely into the cabin. Tall speed breakers are handled with a single, controlled movement — no secondary bounce, no unsettled feeling after the impact. The car settles immediately and moves on.
This is the hallmark of a well-tuned suspension: not that it makes bad roads feel like good roads, but that it reduces bad roads from being an event to merely being a fact of life. The Seltos does exactly that.
On the highway, the ride quality shifts character slightly. The car feels more planted and settled at higher speeds, with very little of the floaty, nervous quality that some light-feeling SUVs develop above 100 kmph. Wind noise is well-controlled — not completely eliminated, but subdued enough that a normal conversation at highway speeds requires no raised voices.
Road noise at 100-110 kmph is acceptable. Some tyre roar comes through, particularly on coarse-chip highway surfaces, but it sits at a level that the Bose audio system at moderate volume completely masks. It’s not an issue in practice.
Steering feel in the Seltos IVT is light and accurate in the city — exactly what you want when you’re manoeuvring through tight parking lots and navigating narrow lanes. On the highway, it weights up adequately, though it never provides the kind of tactile communication that a driving enthusiast craves. This is a comfort-oriented family SUV, and the steering reflects those priorities honestly.
The turning circle is tight enough for confident U-turns on standard Indian roads, and the 360-degree camera makes parking in tight urban spaces far less stressful than the car’s physical dimensions might suggest.
Here’s a driving insight that most reviews won’t tell you — the IVT’s smoothness has a specific benefit in hilly terrain that goes beyond just comfort. On winding ghat roads, where you’re constantly modulating speed through corners, the IVT’s seamless ratio changes mean you’re never caught in the wrong “gear” mid-corner. The car simply adjusts and maintains the speed you’ve set. It’s not exciting, but it’s deeply reassuring, and on narrow mountain roads with drops on one side, reassuring is exactly what you want.
The one genuine dynamic weakness I found was in aggressive overtaking scenarios on two-lane highways. When you need to pass a slow truck quickly — pulling out, accelerating hard, and ducking back in within a limited window — the 1.5 NA IVT’s modest power reserves require early commitment. You cannot leave an overtake to the last moment and expect the car to bail you out with a surge of power. Plan ahead, use Sport mode, and the car manages. But this is an area where the turbo-petrol variants have a clear, meaningful advantage.
Competitor Comparison: How Does the Seltos IVT Stack Up?
The compact SUV segment in India is the most competitive in the entire automotive market. Every manufacturer has a horse in this race, and several of them are very good horses. Here’s how the Seltos IVT compares to its most relevant rivals.
| Feature | Kia Seltos IVT | Hyundai Creta AT | Maruti Grand Vitara AT | Honda Elevate CVT | Toyota Hyryder AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L NA Petrol | 1.5L NA Petrol | 1.5L NA Petrol | 1.5L NA Petrol | 1.5L NA Petrol |
| Power | 115 PS | 115 PS | 103 PS | 121 PS | 103 PS |
| Transmission | IVT (CVT) | IVT (CVT) | 6AT | CVT | 6AT |
| Real-World Mileage | 15-18 kmpl | 14-17 kmpl | 14-16 kmpl | 15-17 kmpl | 14-16 kmpl |
| NCAP Rating | 5 Star (Global) | 5 Star (Global) | 5 Star (Bharat) | 5 Star (Global) | Not tested |
| Infotainment | Dual 10.25-inch | Dual 10.25-inch | 9-inch | 8-inch | 8-inch |
| ADAS | Yes (higher trims) | Yes (higher trims) | No | No | No |
| Starting Price (AT) | Rs. 13.79 lakh | Rs. 14.16 lakh | Rs. 14.99 lakh | Rs. 15.49 lakh | Rs. 15.12 lakh |
| Panoramic Sunroof | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Audio | Bose 8-speaker | Bose 8-speaker | Arkamys | Honda | JBL |
Now let me add the context and colour that the table can’t provide.
The Hyundai Creta is the Seltos’s closest sibling — they share the same platform, the same engine, and even the same IVT gearbox. The differences between them are primarily about styling, feature emphasis, and brand positioning. The Creta tends to appeal to slightly more conservative buyers, while the Seltos attracts those who want a more distinctive, sporty aesthetic. If you’re choosing between these two, it genuinely comes down to design preference and brand loyalty — mechanically, they’re near-identical in this combination.
The Maruti Grand Vitara with its 6-speed torque converter automatic is an interesting alternative. The 6AT is a more conventional gearbox, and some drivers — particularly those with strong emotional associations with traditional automatics — will prefer its character. The Grand Vitara also offers a strong hybrid variant that returns exceptional efficiency. However, the Seltos pulls ahead on features, interior quality, and ADAS availability.
The Honda Elevate is a competent, well-built alternative with Honda’s reputation for long-term reliability backing it up. Its CVT is smooth, its ride quality is good, and the cabin quality is excellent. Where the Elevate loses ground is in features — particularly the smaller infotainment screen and the absence of ADAS — and in overall design drama. The Elevate looks sensible. The Seltos looks special.
The Toyota Hyryder is worth mentioning primarily because of Toyota’s strong brand trust in India and its hybrid variant’s exceptional efficiency. For buyers who prioritise long-term reliability above all else and who do very high mileages, the Hyryder strong hybrid is a compelling alternative to any conventional automatic in this segment.
Pros and Cons: The Honest Assessment
After two weeks and several hundred kilometres with the Kia Seltos IVT, here is my unfiltered list.
Pros:
- IVT gearbox is genuinely smooth and transforms the daily driving experience in city conditions
- Outstanding real-world fuel efficiency — best-in-class for an automatic in this segment
- Dual 10.25-inch screen setup is class-leading in terms of technology and visual impact
- 5-star Global NCAP safety rating provides genuine peace of mind
- ADAS features on higher variants are comprehensive for this price point
- Ride quality is exceptionally well-calibrated for Indian road conditions
- Bose premium audio system delivers impressive sound quality
- Wide, practical rear cabin with good headroom and legroom
- Kia’s build quality and fit-and-finish have improved significantly with this generation
- Strong resale value — Seltos holds its value better than most rivals in this segment
- Comprehensive Kia Connect feature set for connected car functionality
- Ventilated front seats are genuinely effective in Indian summer conditions
Cons:
- 1.5 NA petrol lacks the punch for confident highway overtaking — turbo variants are better suited for this
- IVT can feel strained under hard acceleration, with the characteristic CVT “drone” audible at full throttle
- Torsion beam rear suspension, while well-tuned, is a compromise versus independent rear on some rivals
- Lower dashboard and door panel materials reveal the price point upon close inspection
- ADAS false alerts on Indian roads with faded lane markings can be occasionally annoying
- No all-wheel-drive option available with the IVT — only front-wheel drive
- Ground clearance of 190mm is adequate but not exceptional for rough terrain
- Touch-based controls for some functions require eyes-off-road interaction while driving
Who Should Buy the Kia Seltos IVT?
If the following description sounds like you, the Seltos IVT was essentially engineered with you in mind.
You are a young professional or a family buyer in a major Indian city. You cover 40-60 kilometres daily in stop-and-go traffic. You want an automatic because driving a manual in Delhi or Bengaluru traffic has tested your patience for the last time. You care about fuel efficiency because petrol prices hurt, and you’re planning to keep this car for 5-6 years. You want a car that feels genuinely premium — not just functional — because it’s also a reflection of where you are in life.
You occasionally take highway trips or weekend getaways, and you want a car that handles those comfortably without requiring a separate vehicle. You’re attracted to the Seltos’s sharp looks but have been uncertain about the IVT — worried it might be too sluggish or feel too compromised.
If you’re planning to buy this car, here’s what you must know: the IVT’s smoothness in city conditions is not a marginal improvement over a conventional automatic — it’s a transformative one. If your driving is predominantly urban, the IVT is not a compromise. It’s the right choice.
The Seltos IVT also makes exceptional sense for buyers who are coming out of a manual transmission car for the first time. The IVT’s light controls, smooth power delivery, and intuitive behaviour make the transition from manual to automatic feel completely natural and unstressful.
Families with a mix of driving duties — some self-driven, some chauffeur-driven — will find the Seltos IVT accommodates both scenarios well. The comfortable rear seat handles passenger duties ably, and the smooth, quiet drivetrain makes the car a pleasant environment for everyone on board.
Who Should Avoid the Kia Seltos IVT?
The Seltos IVT is genuinely good — but not for everyone.
If you regularly drive on highways or cover significant intercity distances, the 1.5 NA IVT’s power limitations will eventually frustrate you. For high-speed highway work, the 1.5 turbo-DCT Seltos is a categorically better tool. Yes, it drinks more fuel, and yes, the DCT can be jerky in city traffic. But on an open highway at 120 kmph, with proper overtaking ability and engine responsiveness, it’s a fundamentally different experience. Highway warriors should not compromise on the engine.
If you live in a hilly region — think Pune, Shillong, Mussoorie, or anywhere in the northeast — the naturally aspirated engine will feel breathless on steep climbs, particularly with a full load of passengers. Turbo or hybrid variants will serve you significantly better.
Driving enthusiasts who prioritise the act of driving over the experience of travelling should look elsewhere. The Seltos IVT is not designed to excite. It’s designed to pamper. If you want your Sunday morning drive to feel like a driving experience rather than a transportation exercise, the IVT’s DNA is fundamentally at odds with that aspiration.
And if your primary concern is absolute cargo space or towing capability, the Seltos IVT’s 433-litre boot and front-wheel-drive setup have more capable alternatives in the market.
Expert Verdict: Is the Kia Seltos IVT Worth Buying in 2024?
I want to be direct with you, because that’s what a real expert review should be.
The Kia Seltos IVT is the best version of the Seltos for the majority of Indian buyers in the majority of Indian cities. That’s not faint praise — that’s a strong, considered recommendation based on real-world testing across real Indian conditions.
What Kia has achieved with the IVT calibration is genuinely impressive. They’ve taken a transmission technology that has historically been associated with compromise and lethargy, and they’ve tuned it to be one of the most pleasant, relaxing, and efficient daily-use drivetrains in this segment. The Smooth Operator nickname this car has earned is not marketing language — it’s a driving reality.
The combination of class-leading fuel efficiency, a well-sorted ride, comprehensive safety technology, and a features list that genuinely punches above the price point creates a package that is difficult to argue against for the target buyer.
Is it perfect? No. The engine needs more power for truly confident highway work, the rear suspension is a compromise, and the infotainment interface has some rough edges. But in this segment, at this price, the Seltos IVT gets the big things right in a way that few rivals manage consistently.
My rating for the Kia Seltos IVT: 8.4 out of 10.
It scores highest for ride and refinement, features value, safety, and efficiency — exactly the criteria that matter most to the buyers this car is aimed at. It drops points for outright performance and driving engagement, but those were never its promises to begin with.
Buy the Seltos IVT if your heart is in the city and your head is on your fuel bills. You will not regret it.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Kia Seltos IVT
What is the difference between IVT and CVT in the Kia Seltos?
IVT stands for Intelligent Variable Transmission, which is essentially Kia’s branded and refined version of a CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission. The fundamental operating principle is the same — a belt and pulley system that varies gear ratios infinitely rather than using fixed steps. However, Kia’s IVT has been specifically calibrated to reduce the “rubber-band effect” associated with older CVTs by simulating gear steps under hard acceleration. The result is a smoother, more refined experience than conventional CVTs while retaining all the efficiency benefits of the variable ratio system.
Is the Kia Seltos IVT good for city driving in India?
Yes — and this is genuinely where the Seltos IVT excels most. The IVT’s seamless ratio changes and absence of gear hunting make stop-and-go city traffic significantly more relaxed and comfortable compared to a DCT or manual transmission. In dense urban conditions like Bengaluru, Delhi, or Mumbai traffic, the IVT’s smooth, flowing character transforms the daily commute from a chore into a genuinely pleasant experience. For city-dominated use, the IVT is the best transmission choice in the Seltos lineup.
What is the real-world mileage of the Kia Seltos IVT?
Based on real-world testing, the Seltos IVT delivers approximately 14.5-15.5 kmpl in pure city driving conditions, 16-17 kmpl in mixed city and highway use, and approximately 17.5-18 kmpl on highways at steady speeds of 80-100 kmph. The ARAI-certified figure is 18.0 kmpl. These numbers are class-competitive for an automatic compact SUV in India and represent a meaningful improvement over the turbo-petrol DCT variants in efficiency-focused driving.
Should I choose the Kia Seltos IVT or the turbo DCT?
This depends entirely on your primary use case. If you drive predominantly in cities and prioritise smooth, stress-free daily commuting with excellent fuel efficiency, the IVT is the better choice. If you regularly drive on highways, frequently overtake at speed, or live in hilly terrain where on-demand power is important, the turbo-DCT is the more appropriate tool despite its higher fuel consumption and occasionally jerky city behaviour. There is no universally right answer — the right answer depends on where and how you actually drive.
How reliable is the Kia Seltos IVT in the long run?
CVT-type transmissions — when well-engineered and properly maintained — have proven to be highly reliable in long-term use. Kia’s IVT, as a refined evolution of this technology, benefits from years of global development data. Key to long-term reliability is regular transmission fluid changes as per Kia’s service schedule — typically every 40,000-60,000 kilometres. Skipping this maintenance is the most common cause of CVT issues across all brands. With proper servicing, the Seltos IVT should prove a reliable and trouble-free unit over the ownership period.
What variant of the Kia Seltos IVT offers the best value for money?
The HTX IVT variant represents the best value proposition in the Seltos IVT lineup. At approximately Rs. 18.65 lakh ex-showroom, it includes the full dual-screen setup, panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera, ADAS suite, and Bose audio system. The HTX+ adds a few additional features for about a lakh more, but the incremental benefit over the HTX is modest for most buyers. Unless the specific additional features of the HTX+ matter deeply to you, the HTX IVT is where the sweet spot lives in this lineup.