Kia India’s success story started with the Seltos, a Creta-sized SUV with which the carmaker proved they knew what the Indian customer wanted and delivered accordingly. The Sonet came after that, followed by the Carens, both of which have only strengthened Kia’s market position. Even the relatively low-volume cars like the EV6 and Carnival have been received well by the market. So, what’s next? Kia has decided to mark its presence in a new category, effectively creating a sub-segment of SUVs, the only member of which is the all-new Kia Syros. It looks like nothing else on the market and manages to grab one’s attention quicker than we expected, but is there more to it than that? We tried to find that out during our rendezvous with Kia’s latest, which is positioned roughly between the Sonet and the Seltos.
Quirky design
The Syros looks like it’s from the future, full of quirky design bits and what could be described as EV-like, breaking away from the conventional SUV design. It wouldn’t even look out of place in an anime comic, and it’s nice to see a new car with such a refreshing design. It bears some passing resemblance to cars like the Honda Pilot and Land Rover Defender, but there’s nothing like it currently on sale. Having said that, it’s worth noting that Kia hasn’t given up on its typical design elements: the Syros still gets the Tiger Nose grille, ice-cube-style LED headlights, etc. Since it’s unconventional, some design bits might take a while to get used to, but it eventually grows on you. The only word of caution here is that because the lights — both at the front and rear — are positioned low, they can get scratched or bumped into in everyday traffic conditions, although we didn’t face the predicament per se.
Since it’s unconventional, some design bits might take a while to get used to, but it eventually grows on you
The Syros has a pretty pleasant cabin, too, not that we’re surprised to see it. The SUV feels airy and spacious inside, thanks to the car’s boxy shape. It’s specced with high-quality materials and a dual-tone finish. Excellent fit and finish aside, what you also get in the Syros is a 12.3-inch dual-display setup, an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, and a mix of physical and touchscreen-based controls. Its panoramic sunroof lets in a fair bit of light, furthering the openness of the cabin.
The seats are comfortable, too, and with carved-out backs, there’s no compromise on overall support. We feel the Syros will be a great car on long journeys. The rear seats come with a fair bit of adjustability: these can be reclined for maximum comfort, and depending on your requirements, you can slide them forwards or backwards to either maximise boot space or to open up leg space for the rear passengers, respectively. The 60:40 split makes partial folding and thus loading bigger items in the boot possible, but the star of the show has to be the variant-specific presence of ventilation feature for all four passengers.
Excellent fit and finish aside, what you also get in the Syros is a 12.3-inch dual-display setup, an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, and a mix of physical and touchscreen-based controls
Six airbags are standard, and you can also spec the Syros with Level 2 ADAS (features like Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Braking, etc.), rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera which also projects a detailed 3D rendering of the car on the screen making parking even easier.
The Syros will be available with either a 1-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 118 bhp and 17.53 kg-m, or a 1.5-litre diesel, which produces 114 bhp and 25.49 kg-m. Both engines get a 6-speed manual as standard, but if you’re looking for the added convenience of automatics, the turbo petrol has the option of a 7-speed DCT and the diesel can be specced with a torque converter auto. We had the chance to sample both engines and came back impressed.
Abundance of torque
The diesel engine’s abundance of torque is particularly likeable, making it an easy choice for highway runs. Only some engine noise gets into the cabin, but it doesn’t disturb the near-excellent driving experience. The turbo-petrol, on the other hand, feels lighter and more ready to take on urban driving. It lacks the outright torque of the diesel, but it feels more agile. The suspension on the diesel was more composed while the petrol model’s set-up felt a bit bouncy. In terms of efficiency, too, Kia has got it spot-on; the diesel is claimed to return an overall fuel economy of 20 km/l while the petrol’s figure is 17 km/l.
In terms of manoeuvrability, the Syros proved why it can be a great choice for everyday use. Its footprint offers a good mix between compact overall dimensions and decent space inside. It’s also quite nimble, so tackling traffic is unlikely to be an issue. Similarly, parking, which tends to a painful experience in crowded cities, will be less of a problem thanks to the onboard 360-degree camera — plus the fact that it steers well into tight spaces. In the handling department, it’s clear that the Kia Syros isn’t going to be the most focussed car available. The suspension is set up to offer good ride comfort, and it delivers the ability to absorb bumps at low speeds and glide over rough patches on the highway, too.
The way it’s positioned is also of importance here, as that will reflect in how the car is priced — it will determine if you could potentially save some money by getting the Sonet instead or by adding some money, get the bigger-engined Seltos. The Syros’s design is fresh and innovative, it’s fairly loaded with features and tech, and the overall performance isn’t bad, either. There are no direct rivals and given that Kia knows well how to deliver a good product made keeping in mind what customers want, we think the Syros can be another sales success for the brand. As something with more features and space than the Sonet but in a relatively compact footprint (when compared to the Seltos), the Syros offers great balance without losing out on individuality.
