Kia begins sales of new Seltos compact SUV

Kia Motors Executive Vice President Kwon Hyug-ho, second from left, poses for photos at a launch event for the Seltos SUV in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, on Thursday. [KIA MOTORS]

Kia Motors launched Thursday its Seltos compact sports-utility vehicle (SUV), the latest addition to its burgeoning portfolio of SUVs.

The compact SUV is seeking to upstage Kia’s previous attempt in the segment, the smaller Stonic SUV, as it packs a more powerful engine and premium features.

Kia equipped a 1.6-liter turbo engine in the 4.4-meter (14.4-foot) long vehicle that has up to 177 horsepower and 27 kilogram-meter (36.6 pound-foot) of torque.

The vehicle is the largest in its segment for the domestic market, coming in at 210 millimeters (8.3 inches) longer than sister company Hyundai Motor’s comparable Kona SUV. The Seltos is around 100 millimeters shorter than Kia’s larger Sportage SUV.

The vehicle boasts a 498-liter (17.6-cubic-foot) trunk.

The Seltos is targeting young and new drivers, and will come with smart safety features including forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-following assist and driver-attention warning as standard.

It also features interior ambient lighting and a heads-up display.

“Seltos will play a game-changing role in the fierce small SUV market through its design and features,” said Kwon Hyug-ho, executive vice president at Kia Motors at Seltos’ launch event in Yeoju, Gyeonggi.

The automaker will also target global markets with the Seltos as the vehicle is the latest in a crowded segment. The Seltos brings Kia’s total number of SUVs and crossovers to seven in the domestic market.

Hyundai Motor launched its Venue compact SUV just a week earlier, while SsangYong Motors introduced an updated version of its popular Tivoli SUV last month.

Kia said it will launch the Seltos in India and China in the near future, without specifying exact dates.

Pricing for the Seltos starts as low as 19.29 million won ($16,400), climbing as high as 24.44 million won for the gasoline model.

Kia is also offering a diesel version.

BY CHAE YUN-HWAN [chae.yunhwan@joongang.co.kr]