After making headlines with the launch of Intelligent Transmission technology (iMT) in petrol versions of the Sonet and the Seltos in 2020 and 2021. Kia now brings all its diesel models with iMT. Thus, all manual transmission diesel versions of Kia will get 6iMT versions. And this will now come as a standard transmission in its refreshed RDE-compliant vehicle 2023 editions of the Seltos, the Sonet, and the Carens. These models will go on sale starting from 1st April 2023. Kia believes that this move will transform the diesel driving experience. Traditionally, which has been considered highly inconvenient due to heavy clutch usage and India’s traffic and road conditions.
Thus, Kia believes that the iMT technology is superior to a manual transmission. And it comes with a range of benefits such as eliminating clutch fatigue and engine stalling in higher gears at low speeds. Additionally, Kia also claims better fuel efficiency with iMT. This is because the clutch operation is controlled by actuators and the Transmission Control Unit (TCU). Kia’s iMT technology has been quite a success among customers. As per the sales figure, one out of every five Seltos and one out of every three Sonet sold in 2022 are iMT editions.
With this move, Kia makes a bold and meaningful disruption in shifting customer preferences. Currently, they are the undisputed market leaders in iMT since its launch with the petrol edition in the Sonet in 2020 and in the Seltos in 2021. Thus given the fuel emission norms, they feel that it’s the right time to revolutionise diesel drive experiences with the iMT technology.
As per Kia’s deep research and customer feedback. It proved how India loves a clutch-free thrilling driving experience. Thus allowing them to navigate the growing traffic on the roads without restricting their long commutes to work or leisurely vacations. With iMT, Kia believes that customers can enjoy the comfort of an automatic with the drivability of a manual transmission. As for the pricing, the price of the Diesel variants of Seltos is INR 12.39 Lakhs.
Also Read: 2023 Kia Seltos gets ISG (Idle-Stop-Go), priced at INR 10.89 lakh onwards.