2023 Kia Seltos, Sonet, Carens get RDE-compliant powertrains

Kia has updated its entire line-up, including the Carens, Sonet, and Seltos to comply with the upcoming BS6 phase-2 and RDE emission norms. Above all, these models also come with updated powertrain options. As a result, the 2023 Seltos, Sonet, and Carens have also witnessed a considerable price increment.

2023 Kia Seltos: Highlights

The most significant update for the 2023 Seltos comes in the form of BS6 phase-2 compliant petrol and diesel engines. These engines can also run on E20 fuel. Unlike the previous model, the updated Seltos only comes with a 1.5-litre, inline-four, naturally aspirated petrol engine making 115PS/144Nm and a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel motor that produces 116PS/250Nm. The former is paired with a six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission, while the latter comes mated to a new six-speed iMT (intelligent manual transmission) or six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Its 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit and diesel manual gearbox option have been discontinued.

With this, the prices of the 2023 Seltos now start at Rs 10.89 lakh and go up to Rs 19.65 lakh (ex-showroom). The petrol variants are costlier by up to Rs 25,000, while the diesel variants are pricier by Rs 50,000.

2023 Kia Carens: Highlights

The highlight of the 2023 Kia Carens is a new 1.5-litre, inline-four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol motor generating 160PS and 253Nm of torque. This is the same unit that made its debut with the 2023 Hyundai Alcazar and will also be available with the all-new Hyundai Verna. This new motor is coupled to a six-speed iMT and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. On the other hand, the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel now comes mated to a six-speed iMT instead of a six-speed manual unit. However, it continues with the six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Further, Kia has carried forward the 1.5-litre, inline-four, naturally aspirated petrol that delivers 115PS and 144Nm of torque. Notably, all the powertrains are now compatible with BS6 phase-2 emission regulations. Meanwhile, the 2023 Carens prices range between Rs 10.45 lakh and Rs 18.95 lakh (ex-showroom).

Apart from the updated powertrains, the 2023 Carens features the 12.5 fully digital instrument cluster standard across its variants. It was previously available from the Prestige variant. In addition, the MPV now gets an in-built Alexa voice assistant and a leather-wrapped gear stick from Prestige Plus variants.

2023 Kia Sonet

The 2023 Sonet has also been updated to meet the upcoming BS6 stage-2 and/RDE emission norms and can run on E20 fuel like the 2023 Carens and Seltos. The sub-four meter SUV retains its 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine making 83PS and 115Nm of torque and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol unit that generates 120PS and 172Nm of torque. While the former is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the latter is paired with a six-speed iMT and seven-speed DCT automatic transmissions.

Interestingly, the 100PS/115PS 1.5-litre diesel manual has been replaced with an updated 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit that makes 116PS. This engine now comes mated to a six-speed iMT instead of a six-speed manual gearbox, whereas the six-speed torque converter automatic transmission has been retained. With this update, the 2023 Sonet has received a significant price hike of up to Rs 50,000. Thus, its prices now start at Rs 7.79 lakh and go up to Rs 13.89 lakh (ex-showroom).