In India, the small SUV market is highly competitive, with the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos emerging as top rivals. These vehicles offer striking designs, well-equipped interiors, and various engine choices, making it tough for buyers to decide between them. This comparison aims to break down their pros and cons, aiding you in evaluating factors such as cost, power, roominess, features, and gas mileage. Let’s dive in to find out which SUV suits your driving preferences best.
Key Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Price (Starting Range) ₹10.99 Lakh – ₹20.34 Lakh ₹10.89 Lakh – ₹20.45 Lakh Engine Options 1.5L Petrol, 1.4L Turbo Petrol, 1.5L Diesel 1.5L Petrol, 1.4L Turbo Petrol, 1.5L Diesel, 1.4L Turbo GDI Petrol Transmission Options 6MT, CVT, DCT 6MT, iMT, CVT, DCT Mileage (Petrol) 16.8 kmpl – 17.7 kmpl 16.8 kmpl – 18 kmpl Mileage (Diesel) 21.8 kmpl 21.4 kmpl Dimensions (L x W x H) 4300 mm x 1790 mm x 1635 mm 4315 mm x 1800 mm x 1620 mm Boot Space 422 Litres 433 Litres Features Sunroof, Ventilated Seats, 10.25-inch Touchscreen, Bluelink Connected Car Tech, Bose Sound System, 6 Airbags Panoramic Sunroof, Ventilated Seats, 10.25-inch Touchscreen, UVO Connect, Bose Sound System, 6 Airbags Safety 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Hill Assist Control, Brake Assist 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Hill Assist Control, Brake Assist
Engine & Transmission
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Petrol Engines 1.5L 4-cylinder MPi 115 PS @ 6300 RPM, 144 Nm @ 4500 RPM 115 PS @ 6300 RPM, 144 Nm @ 4500 RPM Transmission 6-speed manual, CVT 6-speed manual, CVT, 6-speed iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) 1.4L 4-cylinder Turbo GDi 140 PS @ 6000 RPM, 242 Nm @ 1500-3500 RPM 140 PS @ 6000 RPM, 242 Nm @ 1500-3500 RPM Transmission 7-speed DCT 7-speed DCT 1.0L 3-cylinder GDi 120 PS @ 6000 RPM, 172 Nm @ 1750-4000 RPM Not Available Transmission 7-speed DCT – Diesel Engine 1.5L 4-cylinder CRDi 115 PS @ 4000 RPM, 250 Nm @ 1500-2750 RPM 115 PS @ 4000 RPM, 250 Nm @ 1500-2750 RPM Transmission 6-speed manual, 6-speed AT 6-speed manual, 6-speed AT
Kia Seltos offers an additional 6-speed iMT option for the 1.5L petrol engine.
Kia Seltos does not offer the 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine.
Both cars offer the same engine options for the diesel variant.
Fuel & Performance
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Engine Options Petrol (1.5L NA, 1.4L Turbo GDI), Diesel (1.5L CRDi) Petrol (1.5L NA, 1.4L Turbo GDI), Diesel (1.5L CRDi) Transmission Options 6MT, CVT, DCT (Turbo Petrol only) 6MT, CVT, DCT (Turbo Petrol only) Power (Petrol NA) 115 PS 115 PS Torque (Petrol NA) 144 Nm 144 Nm Power (Petrol Turbo GDI) 140 PS 140 PS Torque (Petrol Turbo GDI) 242 Nm 242 Nm Power (Diesel) 115 PS 115 PS Torque (Diesel) 250 Nm 250 Nm Mileage (Petrol NA) 16.8 – 17.7 kmpl (MT), 16.8 kmpl (CVT) 16.5 – 17.4 kmpl (MT), 16.8 kmpl (CVT) Mileage (Petrol Turbo GDI) 17.2 kmpl (MT), 16.8 kmpl (DCT) 16.3 – 17.0 kmpl (MT), 16.2 kmpl (DCT) Mileage (Diesel) 21.8 kmpl (MT), 20.5 kmpl (AT) 21.4 kmpl (MT), 20.0 kmpl (AT) Acceleration (0-100 km/h) 11.3 sec (MT), 12.3 sec (CVT) 11.0 sec (MT), 12.2 sec (CVT)
Both SUVs offer similar performance figures across engine and transmission options.
The turbocharged petrol engines in both models offer significantly more power and torque.
The diesel engines provide better fuel economy, especially for highway driving.
The driving experience can vary slightly depending on the chosen variant and individual preferences.
Suspension
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Front Suspension McPherson Strut with Coil Spring McPherson Strut with Coil Spring Rear Suspension Coupled Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring Coupled Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring Steering Type Power-assisted Electric Power-assisted Electric Steering Column Tilt Adjustable Tilt Adjustable Front Brakes Disc Brakes Disc Brakes Rear Brakes Disc Brakes Disc Brakes Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Standard Standard Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) Standard Standard Brake Assist (BA) Standard Standard Hill Start Assist (HSA) Available on all automatic variants Available on all automatic variants Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Standard Standard Traction Control System (TCS) Standard Standard Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) Standard on top variants Standard on top variants Hill Descent Control (HDC) Available on certain variants Available on certain variants All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Available on certain variants Available on certain variants
Both SUVs offer similar suspension and steering setups, prioritizing comfort over sporty handling.
All-wheel disc brakes ensure adequate stopping power..
Both offer a wide range of safety features including ABS, EBD, BA, ESC, TCS, and VSM.
Higher variants get additional features like Hill Descent Control and All-Wheel Drive.
Capacity & Dimensions
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Exterior Dimensions Length (mm) 4300 4315 Width (mm) 1790 1800 Height (mm) 1635 1620 Wheelbase (mm) 2610 2610 Ground Clearance (mm) 190 (varies slightly by variant) 175 (varies slightly by variant) Interior Dimensions Headroom (Front, mm) 950 940 Headroom (Rear, mm) 840 830 Legroom (Front, mm) 830 (Max) 850 (Max) Legroom (Rear, mm) 760 780 Shoulder Room (Front, mm) 1320 1340 Shoulder Room (Rear, mm) 1215 1235 Boot Space (Litres) 433 (with seats up) 433 (with seats up) Boot Space (Litres) 1430 (with seats folded) 1430 (with seats folded) Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres) 50 53
There may be slight variations in dimensions depending on variant and options chosen.
Both the Creta and Seltos offer 5-seater and 7-seater configurations. The dimensions listed above are for the 5-seater versions.
Interior
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Seating Upholstery options Leatherette, Fabric Leatherette, Fabric Driver seat adjustment 6-way manual 6-way electric with ventilation (optional) Passenger seat adjustment Manual Manual Rear seat features 60:40 split, reclining 60:40 split, reclining, sliding (optional) Dashboard & Infotainment Instrument cluster Analog with MID Digital with MID (optional) Infotainment screen size 8-inch/10.25-inch touchscreen 8-inch/10.25-inch touchscreen Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Yes Yes Navigation Yes (optional) Yes (optional) Sunroof Optional Optional Climate Control Manual or Automatic Manual or Automatic (dual-zone optional) Storage & Convenience Cup holders Front: 2, Rear: 2 Front: 2, Rear: 2 Door pockets Yes Yes Glove box Yes Yes Boot space 433 liters 433 liters (expandable to 490 liters) Keyless entry & start Yes Yes Other Features Ambient lighting Optional Yes Air purifier Optional Yes Mood lighting Yes Yes Heads-up display Optional Optional Ventilated seats Optional Optional
Exterior
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Front Grille Dark chrome, hexagonal with integrated LED DRLs Tiger-nose grille with chrome accents, integrated LED DRLs Headlights Vertically stacked LED projector headlights LED projector headlights with cornering function and auto high beam assist Fog Lights LED fog lights with chrome garnish LED fog lights with chrome housing Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) Integrated with headlights Extended LED DRLs extending across the grille Alloy Wheels 16-inch steel wheels (base), 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels 16-inch steel wheels (base), 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels (top Variants) Tail Lights LED tail lights with horizontal design LED tail lights connected by a light bar, with sequential turn indicators Roof Rails Integrated roof rails Roof rails with chrome finish Sunroof Panoramic sunroof available on top Variants Panoramic sunroof available on top Variants Spoiler Roof-mounted spoiler available on top Variants Roof-mounted spoiler available on top Variants Shark Fin Antenna Yes Yes Body Cladding Black plastic cladding on wheel arches and lower body Black plastic cladding on wheel arches and lower body Rear Defogger Yes Yes Rain Sensing Wipers Available on top Variants Available on top Variants Chrome Accents Chrome accents on grille, window borders, and exhaust tip Chrome accents on grille, window borders, and fog light housings
Safety Features
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Standard Safety Features Airbags (No.) 6 6 Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Yes Yes Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) Yes Yes Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Yes Yes Traction Control System (TCS) Yes Yes Hill Assist Control (HAC) Yes Yes Rear Parking Sensors Yes Yes Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Yes Yes Additional Safety Features (Available on higher variants) Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) Yes Yes Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Yes Yes Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) Yes Yes Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Yes Yes Head-Up Display (HUD) No Yes 360-degree Surround View Camera No Yes Front Parking Sensors No Yes Automatic Headlights Yes Yes Rain-sensing Wipers Yes Yes Global NCAP Rating 3 Stars (Adult Occupant), 2 Stars (Child Occupant) 3 Stars (Adult Occupant), 2 Stars (Child Occupant)
ADAS
Feature Hyundai Creta (2024) Kia Seltos (2024) Availability Standard on all Variants (expected) Standard on top Variants (GTX+) ADAS Level Level 2 (expected) Level 2 Front Collision Warning (FCW) Yes Yes Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Yes Yes Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Yes Yes Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) Yes Yes Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSW) Yes Yes Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) Yes Yes High Beam Assist (HBA) Yes Yes Driver Attention Warning (DAW) Yes Yes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Yes (expected) Yes Lane Following Assist (LFA) Yes (expected) Yes 360-degree Camera Optional Optional Head-Up Display (HUD) Optional X-Line Variant only
The Hyundai Creta is expected to receive a facelift in 2024 with Level 2 ADAS features becoming standard on all trims. The table reflects these expected features.
The Kia Seltos offers ADAS features only on the top GTX+ trim.
Both models offer similar core ADAS features like FCW, AEB, LDW, LKA, BSW, RCTA, and HBA.
The Creta may offer additional features like ACC and LFA in the expected facelift.
Both models offer optional features like a 360-degree camera and HUD.
Advance Internet
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Connected Car Technology Bluelink UVO Connect Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates Yes Yes Remote Control Features Yes (Lock/Unlock, Climate Control, etc.) Yes (Lock/Unlock, Climate Control, etc.) In-Car Wi-Fi Yes (optional) Yes (optional) Voice Assistant Integration Alexa Alexa and Google Assistant Head Unit Display Size 10.25-inch touchscreen 10.25-inch touchscreen Navigation Bluelink navigation with live traffic updates UVO navigation with live traffic updates Connected Apps Bluelink app with various features UVO app with various features Telematics SOS emergency call, roadside assistance, remote diagnostics SOS emergency call, roadside assistance, remote diagnostics Digital Key Yes (optional) Yes (optional) Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Level 2 ADAS features (Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance, etc.) Level 2 ADAS features (Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance, etc.)
The internet access features on both Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are quite widely known and have numerous similarities.
Certain features will depend on what trim level is selected.
Some functions may require subscription on behalf of a customer after the trial subscription is over.
While comparing the available options in the market, choose the car whose features best suit your needs and your budget.
Entertainment & Communication
Feature Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos Touchscreen Infotainment Yes (7-inch or 10.25-inch) Yes (8-inch or 10.25-inch) Navigation System Yes (with Bluelink connected car platform) Yes (with UVO platform) Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Yes Yes Voice Recognition Yes Yes Bluetooth Connectivity Yes Yes USB ports Yes (multiple) Yes (multiple) Wireless Charging Yes (top trims) Yes (top trims) Sound System 4 speaker or 6 speaker 4 speaker or 6 speaker, or 8 speaker Bose system HUD No Yes (to the top trims) 360-degree camera Right (high trims) Right (high trims) Ambient Lighting Single Color or Multi-Color Multi-color
Besides each of the cars provide diversified entertainment and communication functions according to its trim type.
The Kia Seltos generally tends to be a little bit more feature rich than the Hyundai Creta.