2025 Kia Syros First Impressions: The New Daddy Of Compact SUVs?

Kia has finally unveiled the much-anticipated compact SUV Syros in India. The car has been officially revealed with all its specifications. However, its booking will commence on January 3 and deliveries will start in February 2025. The pricing of Syros has also been kept under the curtains for now and is expected to be unveiled at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Expo 2025.

Kia has positioned the Syros between the Sonet and Seltos in its compact SUV lineup. The car has been made using a reinforced version of the Hyundai-Kia K1 platform which also underpins some popular models like the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Aura and Exter. However, it has been highly modified to suit the characteristics and provide better structural rigidity to the Syros.

Syros is still a sub-four-metre car like the Sonet, both measuring 3995mm. But it has a 50mm longer wheelbase of 2550mm compared to the Sonet’s 2500mm. This extra wheelbase makes Syros a car with a great rear seat experience, which is the biggest highlight of this car. More on this later. 

To distinguish itself from the crowd of compact SUVs in the Indian market, the Syros boasts a tallboy design. The design not only gives it a polarising appearance but also helps in maximising the interior space. 😮

We spent some time with the Syros at its official world premiere and here is everything that we have learned about the latest South Korean compact SUV.

Everything you need to know about Kia Syros

Looks and exterior design

The looks of the Syros have polarised Indian car enthusiasts. Many love it, many hate it. A few, like me who prefer to focus on functions over form, have nothing to complain about. If the 2nd Gen Creta was lapped up by the masses like steaming hot Idlis, we believe the Syros' design will eventually grow, if it hasn't appealed to your senses already.

The Syros gets a tallboy design that looks similar to the lord of all tallboys, the WagonR. Yes, the resemblance is there. You felt it and we felt it too. 🤓

However, while the WagonR is all about efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the overall design elements and equipment of Syros are more premium. 

The vertically stacked LED lights, slim tiger nose pattern on the radiator grille, the three-petal stylish 17-inch alloy wheels and the L-shaped tail lamps give the Syros a distinct look among the crowd of compact SUVs. The overall design makes the Syros stand out and whether you love it or loathe it, you won't be able to ignore it, just like the Creta.

Interior and features 

The interior of the Syros is special!

It features a 30-inch trinity panoramic display on the dashboard consisting of three screens which look like one large unit. One 12.3-inch display is used for infotainment, another 12.3-inch unit shows instrumentation and the third screen is a 5-inch unit for HVAC controls. A few buttons exist on the centre console for crucial features of the vehicle.

These screens combined with the modern twin-spoke steering wheel uplift the Syros’s cabin feel by a significant margin. Other features like the panoramic sunroof, air purifier with AQI monitor, wireless charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and more make the Syros’s cabin a feature-loaded affair.

The rear seat experience 

The rear seat experience of the Syros was something that I was excited to check out and my first reaction after stepping in was PERFECT. 👌 

The segment-first ventilation function along with slide and recline adjustment for the rear seats in Syros can put some high-end luxury cars to shame. Thanks to these adjustments on offer, the car has no problem with legroom and knee room. The headroom is already sorted for anyone, thanks to the tall boy design. The seats are so cushy and comfortable that you feel like sitting on a recliner sofa in your living room. For reference, at right angles, it feels roomier than the Seltos’s cabin and better than the Sonet’s in any scenario. 😌

All in all, the cabin felt spacious and comfortable. The only thing left to check is the suspension tuning which we will do once the car is out for testing. 

When it comes to interior space, comfort and features, the Syros beats its siblings, the Sonet and Seltos. It also feels much more premium and spacious than other compact SUVs in the market such as the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza etc.

Performance

Kia is offering Syros with two engine options: one is a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which churns out 118.3 hp of peak power and 250 Nm of peak torque. This engine can either be mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT. This is the only petrol engine offered with this car. 

The second engine on offer in Syros is the mighty 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine from its siblings which churns out 113.9 hp of peak power and 250 Nm of peak torque. This engine can be coupled with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter transmission.  We have driven this diesel engine in most Hyundai-Kia cars and we love its punchy performance and great efficiency. 💪

Safety features

The Syros is loaded with safety features such as 6-airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, Level 2 ADAS with 16 features and more. This indicates that the brand is aiming to get a five-star rating from BNCAP crashworthiness testing, when the test happens. 

Kia Syros’ rivalry and market positioning

We feel the Syros has emerged as a mighty compact SUV contender under the budget of INR 20 lakhs. Its feature-rich and comfortable cabin along with its radical exterior design helps it stand out in the crowd of plain-jane compact SUVs. 

The only deciding factor left is its pricing. If priced right, the Syros has the potential to become one of the best, if not the best, cars in its segment in the coming year.

The Sonet starts at INR 7.99 lakhs and the Seltos starts at INR 10.89 lakhs. Hence, we can expect the Syros to start somewhere around INR 10 lakhs.