Kia Syros pros and cons — Great packaging, but inefficient powertrains

There’s a flood of options in the sub-4 metre SUV segment, with each car trying to stand out in order to make itself appealing. And the Kia Syros has managed to do this to a great extent. While it isn’t the best looking of the lot, it certainly has a lot to speak about for what it offers inside the cabin. Here are the top Kia Syros pros and cons that we recommend you to consider before buying a new sub-compact SUV in India.

Kia Syros pros

Great packaging

Space and practicality are the Syros’ key selling propositions, and there’s no other car in the segment that nails these two aspects as well as the Syros. Thanks to its long wheelbase, wider cabin, and sliding and reclining rear seats, there’s no dearth of space. Real estate in the boot is modular.

Feature loaded

Kia has stuffed the Syros with features to the brim, with notable Kia Syros features including ventilated rear seats (base only), a premium Harman Kardon sound system, powered driver’s seat, drive and traction control modes, Level-2 ADAS functionalities, and more.

Powertrain options

You can spec your Syros with either a turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch, or a diesel engine with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor. Furthermore, variant options are in plenty as well.

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Kia Syros cons

Exterior design

While the exterior design largely follows the ‘function over form’ approach, the placement of both headlights and rear lights is weird and prone to breakage even in case of minor abrasions. The styling isn’t the prettiest in its segment either, especially when put against its own sibling.

Pricey higher-end variants

The higher-end Kia Syros variants are priced quite exorbitantly, with on-road prices going northwards of Rs 20 lakh, which seems a bit irrational for a sub-compact SUV. Diesel variants also carry a significant premium over the petrol ones. 

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Not-so-good fuel economy

Hyundai-Kia’s turbo-petrol engine isn’t a very frugal motor when it comes to delivering fuel economy. Adding to that, the diesel engine with the torque convertor isn’t the best in this aspect either.