Joel
Stocksdale of the Autoblog team has been covering the news
hottest off the press regarding cars for years, and was excited to write about
our brand this past week. All of us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis
have been closely watching the teasing elements in the media regarding a new,
global small crossover with some sketches the past couple of weeks. Now the
actual crossover called the Kia Seltos is completely unveiled via the web and
is sized between the Kia
Soul and the Kia
Sportage.
It
also is evident that these photos clearly show that
the drawings Kia had previously released were of the production car. Everything
looks for the most part identical, and there appears to be a black or
contrasting-color roof separated by metallic trim, faux metallic skid plates on
the bumpers, and a gradually rising window line at the back. Compared to other
cars Kia has released as of late, there are more lines and creases, although
the pictures probably are showing a high-level model. There is not a close look
at the interior offered here, but if it's anything like what is presented on
the outside, it will still appear pretty typical for a Kia.
It
is expected to brandish a fairly low, horizontal dash with a large screen
protruding from the middle, and as has been seen in the K900 and Kia Telluride,
there has now been a newer widescreen available. At a glance of the Seltos's
size, it would seem plausible for it to share the naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter
and turbocharged 1.6-liter engines found in the Forte and Kia Soul. It cranks
out 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, and the 2.0 – liter engine would
probably get a CVT, while the 1.6-liter variant would likely be paired to a
dual-clutch transmission.
It
would seem reasonable for all-wheel drive to be an option, and we'll have to
wait and see which trim and powertrain combinations it would be offered on. The
official reveal is slated for late summer, so there may just be a couple more
months to wait for the specific details. As we gleaned the blogs and news sources
online to see what the car-loving aficionados out there in the general public
think, many think that it looks truly phenomenal, and “more upmarket than
anything it will compete with.” One reader in Nashville claimed, “if the
interior is as upmarket and high quality as previously reported, Kia will
definitely have a smash hit on their hands.”
We
also were able to get our hands on an ultra-cool rendering of the interior here on the Hotcars.com
blog. At a glance of these photos, we love how the midsection of the
dash pays a bit of homage to something out of “2001 A Space Odessey”, yet still
remains taught and functional. We will keep you posted here on the blog about
any news we hear before the reveal, and will continue to look forward to the
Selto's release in its currently very sought-after segment!
