Kia Syros long term review, 14,500km report

For the past two months, my long-term cars have been all about the rear-seat experience. Previously, I had the MG Windsor, whose sofa-like rear seats really impressed my wife and kids, and this month, it’s the turn of the Kia Syros. Here, too, the rear seating area is really a highlight. There’s ample space on offer; it’s not just headroom, there’s plenty of legroom too, even without considering the Syros’ sub-4-metre footprint.

Then there’s the amenities: roller sun blinds that are nicely shaped and don’t leave odd gaps, an in-cabin air purifier, an armrest with cupholders, two rear AC vents, two type-C USB ports with a phone holder, and a panoramic sunroof that, along with a light upholstery shade, really gives the cabin a bright and airy feel. And then, of course, you have the seats themselves. Sliding, reclining and cooled too (only the base, but that’s better than nothing, and it does work quite effectively).

My family really did like the car, and we’ve driven a lot inside the city, but that has also highlighted its firm ride. The Syros is quite stiffly sprung, which is needed to manage its tall height. So, it’s not really plush and cushy, as the upright and non-sporty body style would lead you to believe. 

Which brings me to the very first thing that strikes you when you see the Syros – its exterior styling. When I first reviewed the car, I said the styling was very quirky and ‘would displease some’. Turns out it’s a lot more than just some. Given all its talents, the Syros should really be doing so much better on the showroom floors. The first-generation Hyundai Santro, too, was never a beauty – not to me at least – but its long list of merits really won everyone over. And that should be the case with the Syros too. There’s just so much to love. 

There’s the entire rear-seat experience, which we’ve just spoken of, but the experience at the front too is very pleasing, with a very high-quality cabin. And, unlike the exterior, the interior design should find more favour. Okay, it has a squircle steering wheel and an off-centre Kia logo, but there’s no arguing its feel and utility, with its easy-to-use buttons and scroll wheels. And what I really like is the presence of the drive mode button right on the wheel itself. 

The twin screens look great, the Harman/Kardon music system sounds lovely and my daughter really loved the interior colour scheme, which has a youthful palette with some lively offset colour accents. Speaking of whom, she did not like the outside door handles and actually said I must write about them; so here goes. They are the pop-out type, except that they don’t pop out automatically, and my daughter found that you require a bit more force than normal to pop them out, after which, of course, you have to pull to open the door. So yes, just like every other pop-out handle, it only complicates life for some limited novelty factor.

Back inside, I particularly like the cube-like gear knob, which easily falls to hand and looks neat with the dual-tone design, the orange accent and the illuminated P-R-N-D indicator. What surprised me was the wireless charging pad. It’s like a raised platform, and while there are two sleeves to hold your phone within, it looks like your phone would come sliding off. My phone never did, however, thanks to the grippy surface area and the fact that I’ve always been driving it in a relaxed manner in the city. It’s not because of a lazy engine; the 1.0 T-GDi engine puts out 120hp and 172Nm and is paired with the DCT autobox. In our initial tests, we clocked a 0-100kph time of 11.63 seconds in Sport mode. So, it’s quick, but the seating position and overall vibe of the car somehow always put me in a relaxed and laid-back state of mind. While we’re on the engine, fuel efficiency isn’t its strong point. Over the months we’ve had the Syros, it returned an average of 9.2kpl, and that’s nearly all in the city.

Overstyled and underrated. That’s the real sum of the Kia Syros. It’s a car you might overlook, but if you give it a chance, boy, does it impress you. And I have to confess that’s been the case at the Autocar India office too. The Syros hasn’t really been the one that all of us have clamoured for, but whoever has used it has only come away very impressed. And funnily enough, now that it’s leaving us, everyone wants to take it home. The classic case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’.

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