Tech and Auto Awards 2019: Kia Seltos is the Winner of SUV/MPV of the Year Award

Like the previous two times, the third edition of the News18 Tech and Auto Awards witnessed tremendous success this week as manufacturers across the technology and automotive fraternity were awarded for the excellence of their products across 19 carefully curated categories. A total of 9 awards were distributed to 40 products across the categories at this year's edition.

Nominations for the SUV/MPV of the year consisted of five cars from leading manufacturers in the Indian automotive market. This included the MG Hector, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki XL6, Kia Seltos and Renault Triber. However, before we dive into the results here is a closer look at the nominations.

Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos is the most famous and highest-selling mid-SUV of 2019 with number touching 14,000 units a month. Kia Seltos was launched at Rs 9.69 Lakh and offers connectivity and many first in segment features.

MG Hector

Competing against the Tata Harrier and Kia Seltos is the MG Hector, the large SUV from the house of Morris Garages, the iconic British brand now owned by SAIC. The Hector was launched at an attractive price of Rs 12.18 lakh.

Maruti Suzuki XL6

Maruti Suzuki launched two MPVs back to back, the all-new Ertiga and the Ertiga based XL6 premium MPV, which is a 6-seater version of the former and is being sold via the Nexa range of dealerships.

Renault Triber

Another MPV in the market that created a buzz with its pricing and packaging is the Renault Triber. The Triber is India’s first modular MPV with removable third-row seating and is priced at Rs 4.95 Lakh.

Hyundai Venue

Lastly, Hyundai launched the Venue compact SUV in India as a competitor to Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and successfully managed to outsell it. The Venue is currently the most sold SUV of India and starts at Rs 6.50 Lakh.

Winner

Among the new entrants that stirred up a storm in the domestic automotive market was the Kia Seltos. The first offering from the Korean manufacturer quickly climbed to be one of the top 10 best-selling cars in the country. The car comes with very capable powertrain options, impressive interiors and a sumptuous tray of connectivity features.