Kia Syros Review: Super Quirky, Immensely Practical

The Syros offers a unique blend of form and function!

The Kia Syros is a sub-4-metre SUV that’s positioned between the Sonet and the Seltos. It is an alternative take on sub-compact SUVs that aims not only at prospective SUV buyers but also those who prefer sedans. Rivals for the Syros include bestsellers such as the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Kia’s own Sonet. The price also overlaps with mid-variants of larger SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara/Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. 

For a similar budget, you could also consider sedans such as the Maruti Dzire or Honda Amaze, and lower variants of larger sedans such as the Volkswagen Virtus/Skoda Slavia and Honda City. 

What does the Syros bring to the table, and why should you consider it? Let’s run through the positives and negatives. 

Exterior

Kia’s approach seems to be to shock and awe. The design is nothing like we’ve seen before, and has people turning heads and taking note. Quite a few comments on social media draw parallels to a certain luxury SUV given its boxy shape and tall stance. 

The Syros is based on the same K1 platform as the Sonet. However, Kia has stretched out the wheelbase by a full 50mm and also improved the height and width. Pair this with an 189mm ground clearance, and you’ve got a small car that doesn’t look small at first glance. This baby Kia looks confident and stands shoulder to shoulder with larger SUVs from a segment above.

There are interesting details in the design too. Whether it’s a thin piano black strip separating the bonnet from the bumper, the large full-LED headlamps that ‘spill over’ onto the side, or the flush-fitting door handles — there’s so much quirk to the design that we can’t help but appreciate Kia’s guts to put this into production. Most bystanders commented that the Syros looks like an electric vehicle, and we do see why they’d say so. 

A large glass area, straight-cut lines for the windows and 17-inch alloy wheels make the Syros’ side profile pop. The wheel design itself is quite unique, finished in a dual-tone shade. 

However, it’s the rear that might seem polarising to most. The L-shaped lighting around the windscreen acts as running lamps, while the actual tail lamps are placed lower down on the bumper. Much like the front lamps, these too are placed right at the edge and prone to damage by errant bikers/rickshaws. 

As far as design is concerned, Kia is definitely serving up something fresh. It might be unconventional, but it’s a design that’s likely to grow on you over time. 

Interior

The doors on the Syros open wide enough. Getting in and out is easy, even for the elderly. Seats too are set at a neutral height, and it’s unlikely to be a bother. The driver’s seat features 4-way electric adjustment (only height adjustment is manual), and the steering wheel gets tilt-adjust, making it easy to find a driving position. A few members of our team found the pedal box to be off-set to the right, leading to a sub-optimal driving position. Remember to check if this is a bother for you on your test drive. 

The front seats themselves are comfortable, and have enough room for even those above 6 ft tall and generously sized. From the front seat, the nose of the car is fully visible and all-round visibility is great too. A new driver is sure to appreciate this a whole lot. 

Everyone, however, will appreciate the thoughtful layout of the dashboard and the quality of materials used. Quality of plastics is on par with the best in the segment, and Kia has been playful by using different textures and patterns in different areas. Based on the variant you choose, Kia offers a customised interior theme as well, making the experience unique. 

There’s a new design for the steering wheel that now incorporates the drive and traction mode buttons. The off-set Kia logo and the leatherette wrap used make it feel premium too. Other buttons in the cabin, whether it’s the power window switches, the buttons on the steering wheel, the switches for the climate control all have a positive and reassuring feeling to them. 

It’s the rear seat where the magic continues. Kia is offering choice here. You get to pick between phenomenal rear seat space or above-average boot space. You can choose to pick a middle ground between the two as well. The seats can be slid fore-aft by a full 75mm, making it very spacious for the largest people you can think of. To add to this, the seats can be reclined as well, adding to the comfort. For reference, we had a 6’5” tall person sit very comfortably with space to spare, behind a 6’ tall driver. 

Kia has very cleverly worked in storage spaces inside the cabin of the Syros. The doors at the front can hold 3 bottles and a small umbrella each, there’s a sunglass holder, couple of holders, a cubby under the armrest and a slot on the dash above a fair size glovebox. The rear seat occupants get storage spaces on the door amrest, a bottle holder below, a central armrest with cupholders, seat back pockets, and a mobile phone pocket on the co-driver’s side in addition to a small phone holder under the rear AC vents. There are a whopping 23 usable storage spaces in the cabin. Yes, we counted. 

Boot Space

Kia claims a boot space of 390-465 litres depending on the position of the rear seats. The boot is deep and wide, and the loading lip isn’t particularly high either. There’s added convenience in the 60:40 split functionality, which makes carrying extra luggage easy. 

Features

The Syros is pushing boundaries and expectations ahead in the category when it comes to features. If you wanted a small car but did not want to compromise on the feature package, this little Kia will most certainly impress. Here are the highlights: 

Other features include keyless entry, push-button start-stop, automatic headlamps, and a panoramic sunroof. Rear seat occupants get their own AC vents and sunblinds for privacy. Charging options include two type-c chargers, 12V socket and wireless charger at the front, and two type-c chargers at the rear. 

There are no real feature misses on the Kia Syros. A few rivals offer a head-up display, and powered co-driver’s seat, but we wouldn’t consider them as absolute must haves. 

Performance

Kia is offering two engine options with the Syros. 

*DCT = Dual-clutch automatic transmission; AT = Torque converter automatic transmission

1-litre Turbo Petrol

This three-cylinder engine makes its presence felt on start-up but settles into a smooth idle quickly. While the power/torque numbers might seem superlative, the drive experience doesn’t feel rushed or hurried. At no point does the engine feel underpowered, but it isn’t outright exciting either. In-city drivability is easy, and there’s enough power for interstate highway drives, even with a full load.

The 7-speed DCT is smooth and quick and is almost always in the right gear. We doubt you’d need to use the paddle shifters provided. 

1.5-litre Diesel

A hidden gem in Hyundai-Kia’s arsenal, this engine delivers a great balance of on-demand performance and fuel efficiency. Here too, save for some expected turbo lag under 2000rpm, the engine pulls cleanly all the way through to triple digit speeds. This engine too doesn’t give you that push-in-the-seat feeling, but feels casual and relaxed as the speeds climb. The 6-speed automatic we sampled felt quick enough too. 

We’d recommend this engine highly if you foresee yourself doing a lot of highway trips, or if daily driving is in excess of 50-60km. 

Note: Kia claims to have improved the noise, vibration and harshness package of the Syros over the Sonet. The cabin feels notably quieter, especially on start up. Road and wind noise feels better controlled too. 

Ride and Handling

The Syros’ focus on comfort means it’s not the sharpest handler in the segment. Given its height, there’s some expected body roll if you flick it hard on ghat roads or corners. It’s best driven sedately, not spiritedly. Thankfully, the steering is light at low speeds and weighs up enough at highway speeds, making it easy for newer drivers to feel confident. 

We feel Kia could improve the overall ride quality of the Syros. Undulated surfaces at low speeds cause the Syros to move side-to-side a fair bit, and deep ruts/level changes cause the Syros’ suspension to crash and thud. At high speeds, there’s vertical movement in the cabin, which feels amplified at the rear. On smooth city/highway roads, you’re unlikely to complain. We’d recommend you drive the Syros over varied surfaces, and spend some time in the rear seat before finalising your decision. 

Safety

Kia is offering a host of safety features as standard. This includes:

The top-spec version also features Level 2 ADAS which unlocks functions such as auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and high beam assist. We couldn’t test the ADAS systems thoroughly, but brief tests of the adaptive cruise control and lane keep systems demonstrated satisfactory performance. Hyundai-Kia’s calibration of the ADAS system has largely been acceptable for Indian conditions, and the Syros is no different. 

Note: The Syros has not been crash-tested yet by an independent authority. Kia claims to have ‘reinforced’ the K1 platform with greater use of advanced high-strength and high-strength steel. It has also resulted in the Syros gaining a full 150kg compared to the Sonet based on the same platform. Kia’s target is that of a 4- or 5-star rating. 

Verdict

As a package, the Kia Syros is truly refreshing and genuinely hard to fault. It’s pushing the envelope in terms of design, quality, features and most importantly, space. Priced correctly, the Syros is a small SUV you’d find super hard to ignore.