For a vehicle type that blends the winning attributes of both sedan and SUV, it's not surprising that Kia's compact crossover, the Seltos, has been able to steal market share from other segments. For buyers, they now have a ride that is affordable and easy to drive like sedans, and at the same time, versatile, tall and spacious like SUVs.

AC Motors, the official distributor of Kia in the Philippines, took us for a drive to the Old Grove Farmstead in Lipa, Batangas, via a special route that would help us appreciate the Seltos, which is a revamped version of Kia's compact crossover and unveiled last December at the Ayala Museum in Makati City.

This writer was fortunate to be assigned to drive the range-topping SX variant (P1.688 million) that is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter Smartstream G four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, delivering a healthy 138 hp and 242 Nm of torque. The other variant, the P1.288-million EX, is powered by a normally-aspirated 1.5-liter Smartstream engine mated to an intelligent variable transmission, producing 115 horsepower and 144 Nm of torque.

"We are proud to have the new Seltos evaluated by [the Motoring media] during this day-long trip to Lipa, Batangas. This is an important model for us and we expect that around 12 percent of our total sales this year will be coming from the new Seltos.

"And yet, the introduction of the new Seltos is just the tip of the iceberg because Kia Philippines has some very promising plans this year as we intend to launch four new models," said Kia Philippines president Toti Zara, during the sendoff program held at the AC Motors Centrale complex at BGC in Taguig City.