Kia Syros vs compact SUV rivals: specifications comparison

The Kia Syros, named after an island in the Mediterranean Sea, made its global debut last week and the Korean brand has revealed nearly every detail except the price. While bookings for the compact SUV will commence from January 3, the price reveal and delivery details will be announced in early February. When it arrives, the Syros will take on Kia’s own Sonet and other compact SUVs like the Skoda Kylaq, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite and Maruti Brezza. We compare the nine compact SUVs, on paper, to see if the Syros has an edge.

Kia Syros dimensions vs rivals

Like others in this segment, the Syros' length ducks under four metres. Barring the Mahindra XUV 3XO, which is 1,821mm wide, the Syros is wider than the rest its competition (just 1mm wider than the Nexon). Due to its tall-boy stance, the Syros is taller than all its rivals except the Maruti Brezza, which is 5mm taller. In terms of wheelbase length, the Syros' is the third-longest, 50mm less than the Mahindra and 6mm less than the Skoda Kylaq. As it stands, the Syros is among the larger compact SUVs here, which bodes well for the space on the inside.

While the Brezza has the largest fuel tank in this group, the Syros, Kylaq and XUV 3XO are the only ones here to offer 17-inch alloy wheels on their respective top-spec trims. Kia claims the Syros' boot measures 465 litres, making it the largest here. It should be noted that the Renault's figure is measured from boot floor to roof, while the others measure it from boot floor to parcel tray.

Kia Syros engine and gearbox vs rivals

As we’ve reported before, the Syros gets the same 120hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol as the Sonet and Hyundai Venue; it does not get the 83hp, 1.2-litre petrol engine. Compared to its turbo-petrol rivals, the Syros sits in the middle of the lot – above the Nexon, equal to the Venue and Sonet, and below the XUV 3XO with its 131hp TDGi engine leading the pack. The Magnite and Kiger are the least powerful models here, in both naturally aspirated and turbo-petrol forms. Maruti’s Brezza is available with a 103hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine, which is just more than the Nissan and Renault.

All models here get a manual transmission as standard, though the Sonet stands out for offering an iMT unit. The Tata Nexon offers the largest number of gearbox options as, depending on the variant, there’s a 5- and 6-speed manual, a 6-speed AMT and a 7-speed dual-clutch auto.

Kia is among the carmakers that continues to offer a small diesel engine, and the Syros shares its 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit with the Venue and Sonet. The Korean’s diesel engine makes 1hp more and 10Nm less than the Nexon, while the XUV 3XO is, again, the most powerful of the lot. Interestingly, the XUV 3XO is the only one here with an AMT gearbox option, while the Venue is the only one here to be manual-only.

For a more definitive verdict, we’ll have to wait until the launch of the Kia Syros; we expect it to cost between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 16 lakh (ex-showroom). For now, Kia’s new compact SUV seems to have what it takes to be at par with its competition, at least on paper.

Also see:

Kia Syros walkaround video

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