The new Kia Seltos will be a substantial upgrade from your Baleno, and considering you will be using it 90% in the city, it’s best to stick with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and the CVT gearbox. Despite the Seltos having grown considerably with the new generation, the 116hp and 250 Nm are more than enough to propel the SUV along smoothly, with enough pep for overtaking on the highway.
Moreover, this is the smoother powertrain by far, which is beneficial in your bumper-to-bumper driving conditions. The 1.5 turbo-petrol with the 7-speed DCT is no doubt the more exciting powertrain, but it’s nowhere near as smooth at low speeds – turbo lag combined with some shift clunkiness can become annoying after a while. Plus, it isn’t as fuel-efficient as the 1.5 CVT either.