New-Generation Kia Seltos ARAI Mileage Figures Revealed
The ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India)-certified mileage figures of the South Korean automaker Kia India's latest launch, the new-generation Seltos, have now been shared online. These figures have broken quite a few myths that many people believed in regarding the choice of powertrain and mileage. Here are the mileage details of the new Kia Seltos with regard to the different powertrains offered by the company.
The mileage figures of the new-generation Kia Seltos have been shared on X by Vahan Warta on their page. According to the report, the 1.5-litre diesel engine, which makes 116 bhp and 250 Nm of torque with the 6-speed manual gearbox, offers a mileage of 19.4 kmpl. It is the highest mileage in the entire Seltos lineup. Next up is the diesel with the 6-speed torque converter automatic, and it offers a mileage of 17.8 kmpl.
When compared to the manual variant, there is a difference of 1.6 kmpl. Moving ahead in the lineup, the standard 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 113 bhp and 144 Nm and comes with the 6-speed manual gearbox, offers a mileage of 16.5 kmpl, which is significantly less than the diesel manual variant. The same engine with the IVT gearbox offers an identical mileage of 16.5 kmpl.
This data reveals the technological advancements made with the IVT gearbox. The IVT gearbox has become extremely efficient and is offering the same results as the manual gearbox, which earlier was believed to be a better mileage-offering gearbox. Now, coming to the lower end of the mileage spectrum of the new-generation Kia Seltos, we have the turbo petrol variants.
The new-generation Kia Seltos is offered with the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, which makes 158 bhp and 253 Nm of torque. What's surprising is that this particular engine, when combined with the 7-speed DCT (Dual Clutch Automatic) gearbox, offers a mileage of 17.5 kmpl, which is higher than the naturally aspirated petrol engine variants.
Additionally, it is also higher when compared to the same 1.5-litre turbo engine with the 6-speed IMT gearbox, which has the lowest mileage of 15.6 kmpl. A lot of people are surprised by these results, as generally the most powerful engine is not very fuel-efficient. And in the case of the Seltos, the turbo petrol with the DCT gearbox has managed to achieve a high mileage figure.
The first and most important thing that has to be mentioned is that the above figures have been certified by ARAI. This means that these numbers are measured under ideal driving scenarios. And if you have driven on Indian roads for any duration of time, you will know that there is nothing like an ideal driving day on Indian roads.
So, expecting these figures in real life would only lead to disappointment. With that aside, what we can take away from the results is that the diesel with the manual gearbox is still the most fuel-efficient engine option. But the gap between the mileage figures of petrol engine options with manual and IVT gearbox options has come very close to diesel automatics.
The most surprising result is the turbo DCT variant outperforming both the turbo IMT and the naturally aspirated petrol engine with both gearboxes. It shows how a DCT gearbox, in ideal conditions, brings out optimal results due to its efficiency and quick shifting. However, once again, these are ideal-world scenarios, which we all know are very rare on a day-to-day basis.