The very popular Kia Seltos has been crash-tested by the Global NCAP and has received a 3-stars rating out of 5 for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and 2 stars for Child Occupant Protection (COP).
The entry-level trim, HTE of the made-in-India Seltos was tested at the Global NCAP, which offers dual front airbags and pretensioners as standard. As usual, the car's frontal offset crash test was done at a speed of 64 kmph, and the body shell & footwell area were rated unstable.
For front adult occupants, head protection considered as ‘adequate’ and neck protection as 'good'. The chest showed protection was 'marginal' for the driver and 'good' for the co-passenger. The safeguard for the driver and co-drivers knee was rated as ‘marginal’ as they could impact structures behind the dashboard supported by the Tranfascia tube. Overall, the car managed to receive 8.03 points out of 17 for adult protection, which is quite disappointing.
For Child Occupant Protection (COP), the Kia Seltos has only scored 15 out of 49 points. The NCAP reported excessive forward movement of the front-facing child seat, which was used for a 3 years old child dummy. During the collision, it offered inadequate protection to the head as it contacted with the interior trims. However, chest protection was good. The safety for an 18-month-old child (rearward facing) was rated as 'good' for both chest and head. As Kia Seltos do not offer ISOFIX child seat mounts and 3-point seatbelts as standard, hence the CRS was installed with an adult belt. These features are offered from HTX onwards.
Author's Take
The Kia Seltos is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in India and it is extremely disheartening to see its safety score, especially when its price is considered. It is a shame for Kia Seltos as models like Mahindra XUV300 and Tata Nexon, which are a segment below cars, have scored an absolute 5-star rating for adult occupants in the same test.
