Note 1: In this Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos comparison (S Optional and HTK Plus variants), each of the two cars will follow a red (Hyundai Creta) and blue (Kia Seltos) colour scheme. In some cases, having a lower cost is better (e.g. fuel cost), while in other cases, having a higher cost is favourable (e.g. feature differences). Wherever the red car is at an advantage, the difference in the monetary value will be mentioned in red. When the blue car has the upper hand, in that particular cell, the difference will have a blue shade. Thus, the final result is easy for you to crosscheck by simply adding up the red and blue values to find out which one is a better option.

Note 2: This article is divided into 2 main sections — cost of ownership and upfront value. Within the total cost of ownership, we’ll compare:

• Upfront on-road price differences
• 5-year/50,000km maintenance cost
• 5-year/50,000km fuel cost

In the upfront value section, we’ll cover:

• Dimensions
• Engine and performance specifications
• Feature differences

The final verdict section will merge the values from each of the 2 main sections and present the recommendation.

Let’s start with the ownership cost section.

Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO)

The first step towards comparing the Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus total ownership costs is to start with their upfront cost.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Price Comparison

The Kia Seltos HTK Plus costs Rs. 22,000 less than the Hyundai Creta S (O). Once you factor in the on-road price, the price gap increases to around Rs. 25,500. Let’s see how this gap widens or narrows as we progress.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — 5-year Maintenance Cost Comparison

For an ownership period of 5 years or 50,000km, Seltos costs around Rs. 2,000 less than the Creta. Hence, there is no major difference here.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Service & Maintenance Cost (10 Year/1 Lakh Kilometre)

Hyundai Creta Service & Maintenance Cost (10 Year/1 Lakh Kilometre)

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — 5-year Fuel Cost Comparison

There is no major difference in the claimed fuel efficiency of these cars. Driving each of these cars for about 50,000km with an assumption of Rs. 100 per litre fuel cost will save you almost Rs. 6,800 if you buy the Creta.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK​​ Plus — TCO Comparison Summary

In the TCO (total cost of ownership) comparison, we found that the Seltos HTK Plus has an advantage over the Creta S (O) in terms of upfront cost and periodic maintenance. The Creta gains some points back with its superior fuel economy but not enough to close the gap.

Also Read: Why Minor Scratches On Car Make You Angry? Grow YOUR Wealth!

Note: If You Want to Buy a New Car, Calculate Car Loan EMI with V3Cars

Upfront Value For Money

To estimate the upfront value for money of the Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus, we’ll first compare the dimensions and engine specs to find out which car offers better value for money.

Before we compare the features of the Creta S (O) vs Seltos HTK Plus, we’ll first get the common features out of the way. Then, we’ll focus on the exclusive and unique features each of the cars offers to find out which one offers a better value for money.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Dimension Comparison

The Creta and Seltos are both built on the same platform, and they are both C-segment cars with a length of around 4.3 metres. In terms of length, width and height, the Seltos is marginally larger compared to the Creta, but both cars have identical wheelbase, ground clearance, and even boot space. That said, in the variants we are comparing, the Creta comes with 17-inch wheels, while the Seltos has 16-inch wheels.

According to V3Cars size comparison tool, the Creta has an advantage of Rs. 4,300 over the Seltos mainly due to the larger tires, although practically, this shouldn’t make much of a difference. The sidewall of the Creta’s tires is slightly thinner compared to the Seltos, but the Creta’s suspension is already on the softer side compared to the Seltos – so this aspect seems to be beneficial for both cars.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Engine Specs Comparison

Just as there is no significant difference in the dimensions of these two cars, their powertrains are almost the same as well. Both cars are equipped with the same 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which produces a maximum power of 115PS and a peak torque of 144Nm. There is a marginal difference in the kerb weight of both cars, resulting in a negligible difference in their power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios. Both engines come with a 6-speed manual transmission, and the claimed fuel economy for both cars is also nearly the same. Therefore, in terms of powertrain, neither car has a major advantage over the other. But if we have to speak in numbers, the Seltos has an advantage of almost Rs. 1,000 over the Creta in this section.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Feature Comparison

Let’s now compare the Creta S (O) features with those of Seltos HTK Plus to first see what’s common for these two cars and then find out what unique features they each bring to the table.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Common Features

The Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus offers the following common safety, infotainment and style features:

The following table lists out the common functional features of Creta S (O) and Seltos HTK Plus:

Hyundai Creta S (O) — Unique Features

The following table presents the unique features of Hyundai Creta S (O), which are not available in the Seltos HTK Plus:

Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Unique Features

Likewise, the Seltos HTK Plus also has the following features, which aren’t available in the Hyundai Creta S (O):

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — VFM Comparison Summary

In the upfront VFM section, the Creta S (O) beats the Seltos HTK Plus by around Rs. 43,800.

Now, let’s sum up the two main comparison headings and see which one offers better value and to what degree.

Hyundai Creta S (O) vs Kia Seltos HTK Plus — Verdict

The Kia Seltos HTK Plus wins the TCO section by almost Rs.21,000 because of its slightly lesser upfront cost and periodic maintenance. The Hyundai Creta S (O) wins the VFM section by around Rs.43,800 mostly because of its features.

In the end, the Creta S (O) comes out on top delivering almost Rs.23,000 worth of higher value making it the winner of this comparison.

To learn how you can get discounts when buying a new car, you can refer to the following article and use them to sharpen your bargaining skills:

How To Get The Best Discount On Buying New Car (11 Tips)

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