Tata Sierra vs Kia Seltos: Official ARAI Mileage Figures Compared
The mid-size SUV segment in India is getting more competitive with every passing day. Almost every brand present in India is eagerly working on offering great products to customers. Although customers are now considering features and build quality, fuel efficiency is still one of the major factors that makes or breaks the deal for many. Here, we have a detailed comparison of the official fuel efficiency figures of the Kia Seltos and the Tata Sierra SUV.
The Tata Sierra is available with three engine options. The petrol engine on this SUV was developed by Tata in-house and falls under the Hyperion series. There is a 1.5-litre NA petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo petrol, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine.
The naturally aspirated petrol engine on the Tata Sierra is offered with the lower variants of the SUV. It is a new 4-cylinder unit that generates 105 bhp and 145 Nm of peak torque. This engine is available with a 6-speed manual and a DCA gearbox option.
As per ARAI, the 1.5-litre NA petrol engine offers a claimed fuel efficiency of 16.9 kmpl. (The fuel efficiency figures for the DCA variant have not been mentioned.)
After the naturally aspirated engine, there is a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. This engine is also developed by Tata and generates 158 bhp and 255 Nm of torque. The SUV is available with a 6-speed automatic transmission only. As we already know, torque converters are not the most efficient in the lot. It offers an ARAI-claimed efficiency of 15.3 kmpl.
The diesel engine offered with the Sierra falls under the Kryojet series. It is a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit that generates 116 bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque. This engine is available with both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions. The diesel variant of the Tata Sierra offers an ARAI-certified efficiency of 19.2 kmpl.
Kia launched the new-generation Seltos this year, and just like the Sierra, it is also available with a variety of engine and transmission options. The Kia Seltos comes with two petrol and one diesel engine option: a 1.5-litre NA petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo petrol, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. These engines are available with multiple transmission options as well.
This petrol engine is offered in the lower variants or the Tech Line models of the Seltos. The SUV is powered by a Smartstream G1.5, 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that generates 113 bhp and 144 Nm of torque. This engine is available with both manual and IVT gearbox options.
The manual variant offers an ARAI-claimed efficiency of 16.5 kmpl. The IVT version of the Seltos also offers the same 16.5 kmpl mileage.
The next petrol engine offered with the Seltos is the 1.5-litre turbocharged unit. This engine generates 158 bhp and 253 Nm of torque. It is available with a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) variant offers an ARAI-claimed efficiency of 15.6 kmpl, while the 7-speed DCT version offers 17.5 kmpl.
The third engine option for the Kia Seltos is a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine that generates 113 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. This engine is available with both 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The manual diesel version offers an ARAI-claimed efficiency of 19.4 kmpl, while the automatic variant delivers 17.8 kmpl.
1.5 NA petrol: 16.9 kmpl
1.5 turbo petrol (automatic): 15.3 kmpl
1.5 diesel: 19.2 kmpl
1.5 NA petrol: 16.5 kmpl
1.5 turbo petrol: 15.6 kmpl (iMT), 17.5 kmpl (DCT)
1.5 diesel: 19.4 kmpl (manual), 17.8 kmpl (automatic)
Both SUVs are closely matched. The Sierra has a slight edge in NA petrol efficiency, while the Seltos performs better in turbo petrol (especially DCT) and manual diesel. Overall, differences are minor, and your personal buy should depend on transmission preference and usage rather than mileage alone.