The Kia Syros slots itself between the Sonet and the Seltos, sitting in a niche space amongst a flurry of SUVs with prices starting at Rs 9 lakh (ex-showroom)
Kia have been working on their new SUV kid on the block for quite some time now with a number of teasers being revealed. That wait is now over as the wraps come off Kia’s new SUV, called the Syros. Essentially occupying the middle ground between the Sonet and Seltos, this all-new SUV stands out in its own right with a number of unique bits. The Syros is priced between Rs 9 lakh to Rs 17.80 lakh (ex-showroom) and is offered in the HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTX, HTX+ and HTX+ (O) variants.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the price list:
| Variants | Transmission | 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine | 1.5-litre diesel engine |
| HTK | Six-speed manual | Rs 9 lakh | – |
| HTK (O) | Six-speed manual | Rs 10 lakh | Rs 11 lakh |
| HTK + | Six-speed manual | Rs 11.50 lakh | Rs 12.50 lakh |
| Seven-speed DCT | Rs 12.80 lakh | – | |
| HTX | Six-speed manual | Rs 13.30 lakh | Rs 14.30 lakh |
| Seven-speed DCT | Rs 14.60 lakh | – | |
| HTX + | Seven-speed DCT | Rs 16 lakh | – |
| Six-speed automatic | – | Rs 17 lakh | |
| HTX + (O) | Seven-speed DCT | Rs 16.80 lakh | – |
| Six-speed automatic | – | Rs 17.80 lakh |
*All prices, ex-showroom, India
At a glance, you’d consider the Kia Syros a baby EV9 which makes sense as both SUVs follow Kia’s new “Opposites United” design philosophy. The hallmarks of that design are clear with a boxy silhouette with loads of cladding as well as flush-fit door handles. The Syros also stands out with a menacing face that gets vertically-stacked LED headlamps and LED DRLs. That’s complemented by sleek L-shaped tail-lamps, roof-rails, a swanky set of 17-inch alloy wheels, and a shark-fin antenna.
Head inside and you’re treated to a clean yet fairly futuristic cabin layout, especially with the two-spoke steering wheel, the use of vibrant colours all over, as well as the sleek AC vents and arrangement of buttons on the dashboard. It’s quite the feature-loaded SUV, too, with features such as 64-colour ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, two 12.3-inch digital screens handling infotainment and driver instrumentation duties, as well as a dedicated five-inch climate control display. Other cool bits include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, 60:40 split second row seats with ventilation, slide and recline function, a 360-degree camera, dual-camera dashcam, a powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, a wireless phone charging pad, as well as connected tech with OTA updates.
Kia have left no stone unturned in the realm of safety with up to 20 standard safety features that include multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, Tyre Pressure Monitor, ESC, ISOFIX mounts, and hill-start assist. The party trick is Level 2 ADAS with up to 16 assistance features such as smart cruise control, collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, and a blind-spot monitor.
Under the hood is where the Kia Syros takes a leaf out of the Sonet’s book as it gets the option of either a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine generating 120 hp and 172 Nm, or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel unit that puts out 116 hp and 250 Nm. Transmission options for the former include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic whereas the latter option can be specced with a six-speed manual or torque converter automatic.
Deliveries for the Kia Syros commence in early February. As far as rivals go, it sits in a pretty niche space, but it should have a variety of sub-four metre SUVs and mid-size SUVs to go up against such as the Mahindra XUV 3XO, Hyundai Venue and Creta, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Grand Vitara, and the Tata Nexon.
