Off-Road-Spec Kia Seltos Looks Bolder Than Even a Tata Safari

Kia Seltos was the first product of the South Korean carmaker to go on sale in the Indian market. Thanks to its stylish design, long feature list, multiple engine-gearbox options, and competitive pricing, it turned out to be a hot-seller. Over time, the Kia Seltos even grew fairly popular in the aftermarket modification scene. However, none of the mods we have seen on the Seltos so far come close to this wild rendering of the SUV as a hardcore rugged off-roader.

This rendering has been created by Zephyr Designz and was then shared on Instagram. As you can probably tell by looking at this image, all modifications on this Kia Seltos are purely functional and there are not many cosmetic alterations as such. The most striking feature on the face of this Seltos is its heavy-duty metal bumper with provisions for an electric winch and a couple of red tow hooks. It also comes with an integrated bull bar with auxiliary lamps and LED light modules within the bumper itself.

Also Read : Tata Harrier Pickup Version Looks Expedition Ready

Once you get past the face of this Kia Seltos, that is when things get really wild. The Seltos is obviously a front-wheel drive SUV and in stock condition, it is no off-roader at all. However, to justify the rugged look of this SUV, there have been plenty of modifications under the skin. Most certainly, the Seltos has been upgraded with a four-wheel drive system here in this rendering. The stock suspension unit has been completely replaced with longer struts and it even gets solid axles at both ends.

To put all that to the ground, this Kia Seltos rides on massive off-road spec tyres, for which the wheel arches have also been trimmed. Elsewhere, this Seltos also comes fitted with a snorkel and a roof-mounted LED light bar. With these modifications in place, this digitally-tuned Kia Seltos looks ready to go to the North Pole and come back intact. However, these modifications cannot be carried out in the real world as the monocoque frame of the SUV will not be able to support the long-travel suspension, rigid axles, and massive tyres.

In other news, Kia recently updated the Seltos for the 2021 model year with new trims, more features standard across the range and even a new gearbox option. Currently, prices for the 2021 Kia Seltos start from INR 9.95 lakh and go up to INR 17.65 lakh (ex-showroom). A highlight of the updated C-SUV is the introduction of the iMT technology that has been available on the Sonet. The iMT gearbox on the Seltos is being offered with the 115hp 1.5L, NA petrol engine. The 140hp 1.4L turbo-petrol engine, which was so far offered only with a 7-speed DCT gearbox, is now also being offered with the 6-speed manual gearbox in a new GTX(O) trim. All automatic variants of the Seltos now additional come equipped with steering-mounted paddle shifters for a sportier driving experience.

Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Kia updates and other four-wheeler news.