Small SUV’s or crossover vehicle are a key part of the automotive market these days.
So, when one carmaker decided to fill two spaces in that segment it made sure there is a distinct difference between what its brands offer.
Bumper2Bumpertv has a look at how that worked out.
UNLIKE OTHER AUTO BRANDS THAT BUILD MULTIPLE VEHICLES FROM ONE PLATFORM THE HYUNDAI-KIA GROUP IS GIVING THINGS A TWIST.
BOTH BRANDS DEVELOPED A SMALL SUV OR CROSSOVER IF YOU WISH, WITH SIMILAR DIMENSIONS.
BUT THAT IS WHERE THE RESEMBLENCE COMES TO AN END.
THE VENUE FROM HYUNDAI IS THE BUDGET ENTRY INTO THE SEGMENT WITH ONLY ONE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CHOICE AND A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIM LEVELS.
THEIR CORPORTATE SIBLING KIA CREATED THE SELTOS WITH AT LEAST FIVE VERSIONS, TWO ENGINES AND THREE DIFFERENT TRANSAXLE SETUPS.
BOTH HAVE A HIGH ROOFLINE PROFILE WHICH PROVIDES HEADROOM FOR PASSENGER COMFORT AND SOME BONUS CARGO SPACE THE KIA HAS AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 172 INCHES AND SEATS FOUR COMFORTABLY WITH 26 CUBIC FEET OF CARGO CAPACITY BEHIND THE SECOND ROW.
WE TESTED THE SX TRIM LEVEL WHICH IS THE TOP OF THE LINE MODEL AND NOTICED A SURPRISINGLY UPSALCE INTERIOR WITH MANY OF THE HIGH EN TECH FEATURES NORMALLY FOUND ON KIA’S SEDANS AND LARGER SUV’S.
POWER COMES FROM ONE OF TWO ENGINES A 2.0 LITER FOUR OR THE ONE WE TESTED A 1.6 LITER MOTOR DELIVRING 175 HORSEPOWER AND 195 POUND FEET OF TORQUE THE TRANSMISSION IN THE TEST CAR WAS A 7 SPEED DUAL CLUTCH SETUP.
THE IVT IS OFFERED WITH THE TWO LITER POWER PLANT.
THESE GEAR SYSTEMS ARE MATED TO BOTH FRONT WHEEL AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE CONFIGURATIONS.
THE SELTOS ALSO COMES WITH FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES A FEATURE WE REALLY LIKE.
THE VENUE WAS CREATED ON A PARALLEL TIME FRAME IS JUST OVER 159 INCHES IN TOTAL LENGTH AND ALSO SEATS FOUR COMFORTABLY.
CARGO SPACE BEHIND THE REAR SEAT IS ONLY 18.7 CUBIC FEET.
HYUNDAI INTENTIONALLY LIMITED VARIATIONS ON IT TO KEEP THE PRICE POINT ATTRACTIVE.AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A USED CAR.
THE LONE ENGINE OFFERED IS A 1.6 LITER DUAL PORT INJECTION FOUR CYLINDER POWER PLANT.
IT IS RATED AT 121 HORSEPOWER AND 113 POUND FEET OF TORQUE.
WHILE NOT A PAVEMENT BURNER IT DELIVERS ENOUGH TO HANDLE MOST ROUTINE DRIVING SITUATIONS.
WITH ONLY A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRANSAXLE, THE COMPANY’S IVT TRANSMISSION IS EFFICIENT AND OPERATES WITHOUT A STRAIN.
WE TEST DROVE THE SEL VERSION WHICH GETS MANY TECHNOLOGY AND FEATURE UPGRADES FOR MODEL YEAR 2021.
DURING THAT TIME WE NOTED THE INTERIOR IS MORE FUNCTIONAL THAN FANCY BUT WE ALSO APPRECIATED THE WELL PLACED CENTER DISPLAY SCREEN AND THE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS IT SERVED.
WE LIKED THAT THE FIT AND FINISH WERE BETTER THAN EXPECTED.BOTH CARS WERE EASY TO DRIVE WITH SEDAN LIKE HANDLING.
WHAT THE HYUNDAI KIA GROUP HAS DONE WITH THESE VEHICLES IS TO CARVE OUT AN EXTRA SEGMENT IN THE SMALL SUV UNIVERSE.I’M GREG MORRISON.