When purchasing a vehicle, it’s advisable to research the model you’re considering, including its overall performance and common issues, through online searches before making a decision.
Today, I’ll introduce you to the Kia Seltos. Currently, a facelift model has been released, and a complete redesign is expected to be unveiled soon.
The 2025 Kia Seltos (Source: Naver)
The 2025 Kia Seltos features significant improvements compared to the previous model, particularly in the transmission system. This enhancement addresses the issues associated with the dry 7-speed DCT transmission used in the 2019-2022 models, which many owners found inconvenient. There were even instances where the transmission failed within the 5-year, 100,000 km warranty period, leading to replacement service.
What exactly is a dry 7-speed DCT transmission?
If you’re not particularly interested in cars, you might not be familiar with what a dry 7-speed DCT transmission entails.
If you’re not particularly interested in cars, you might not be familiar with what a dry 7-speed DCT transmission entails.
In simple terms, a car consists of an engine that generates power and a corresponding transmission. In the case of the 2019-2022 Seltos, it features a dry 7-speed DCT transmission.
The dry 7-speed DCT transmission operates differently from conventional systems, utilizing a mechanism similar to that of a manual transmission. Since the days of the Hyundai Tucson TL, Hyundai and Kia have equipped various vehicles with this transmission to achieve quick shifting and excellent fuel efficiency.
YouTube channel 'Yoon Soon's Unusual Life'
However, the dry 7-speed DCT transmission faced many durability issues early on. In urban driving conditions, where stop-and-go traffic is common, drivers reported overheating warnings.
If you’ve driven older cars with manual transmissions, you might relate to the experience of the dry 7-speed DCT, which retains some of the manual transmission's characteristics, causing a bit of a jolt at low speeds.
This can create discomfort for the driver during the driving experience.
Moreover, approximately every 100,000 km (depending on usage), the internal consumables of the transmission need replacement, with maintenance costs estimated around 1,000,000 KRW (about $750 USD).
Those who have experienced driving a vehicle with a dry 7-speed DCT transmission often say, “I will never drive a car with a DCT transmission again.”
I also remember feeling quite uncomfortable when I briefly drove a Tucson TL with a dry 7-speed DCT, especially during cold starts.
Recently, while traveling to the northern regions by KTX, I needed a rental car and ended up renting a vehicle through SoCar. Initially, I rented a Renault XM3, but due to a vehicle malfunction, I quickly switched to a Seltos.
If you want to determine whether your car has a DCT transmission, simply check if the gear is in 'D' mode and look for 'D + number' on the dashboard indicating the current gear.
The dashboard also displays current gear information for both the dry 7-speed DCT and the wet 8-speed DCT transmissions.
I recalled the discomfort I experienced with the dry 7-speed DCT in the Tucson TL, worrying whether I would feel the same discomfort while traveling with my family.
Surprisingly, the driving experience in this vehicle felt quite smooth and lively.
I might have focused too much on the drawbacks of the dry 7-speed DCT transmission earlier, but one of its advantages is that it provides a light driving feel.
Therefore, when acceleration is necessary, it allows for more aggressive downshifting and offers appropriate torque at each gear. Personally, I prefer it as long as the durability issues are resolved.
The dashboard also features a display showing the transmission temperature. Even after about 20 minutes of stop-and-go driving uphill, the transmission temperature didn’t rise significantly.
However, compared to the wet 8-speed DCT, it felt like the cooling speed was somewhat slower.
City driving with frequent stops and starts doesn’t seem ideal for this vehicle; I believe the Seltos is best suited for those who drive primarily on highways.
Considering that the cumulative mileage is around 74,000 km, it seems that internal consumables like the clutch have not been serviced at all. However, since this is a later model of the Seltos, it might have benefited from transmission improvements.
Since it’s a rental car, many people have driven it, so it might not be in the same condition as most vehicles. In fact, it’s likely that its condition is worse than average.
If you’re wondering whether it’s okay to buy a used Seltos with a dry 7-speed DCT transmission, I would say it’s acceptable.However, as mentioned earlier, some internal parts of the transmission are consumables, so when the cumulative mileage reaches around 100,000 km, replacements will be necessary. If your driving pattern involves frequent stops and starts in the city, it’s better to choose a vehicle with a conventional torque converter transmission.
Similarly, the competition model Kona features a conventional 8-speed transmission in the latest All-New Kona gasoline model, so it might be worth considering a used Kona as well.
That concludes today’s post. Thank you for reading.
Kia Seltos Related
Related Content
