2024 Kia Seltos review: Full range detailed

The Kia Seltos is a five-door, five-seat small SUV that drives well around town with good fundamental dynamics, bundled with generous cabin space, stylish looks and useful tech.

A facelift for the 2023 model year brought even fresher looks, the fitment of an improved conventional automatic transmission and new technology headlined by a fresh infotainment suite.

A carryover 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine matched to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive is standard on all variants, with the top two grades offered with the option of an updated 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine driving all four wheels through a conventional automatic gearbox.

Sadly there are no hybrid or electrified variants, but real-world fuel economy is decent and all versions have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Kia’s seven-year warranty is one of the best available.

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JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing
• What body styles are available for the Seltos?
• What features are standard in every Seltos?
• What key features do I get if I spend more?
• How safe is the Seltos?
• How comfortable and practical is the Seltos?
• How much boot space does the Seltos offer?
• I like driving, will I enjoy this car?
• Which Seltos engine uses the least fuel?
• What is the Seltos’s towing capacity?
• How long is the warranty & what are the Seltos’s servicing costs?
• Which version of the Seltos does Wheels recommend?
• What are the Seltos’s key rivals?

Pricing

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What body styles are available for the Kia Seltos?

The Kia Seltos is sold as a five-door SUV only, and depending on the drivetrain option is either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

It is classed as a small SUV in the mainstream segment and trades heavily on its keen value and usable technology suite.

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What features are standard in every Kia Seltos?

The features listed below are standard in the entry-level model (Kia Seltos S) and will appear in higher-grade models, unless replaced by more premium equivalent features.

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What key features do I get if I spend more?

The least costly version, the Seltos S, has cloth seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen and 16-inch wheels, and comes with at least the standard features listed above.

The range predominantly utilises the carryover non-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and CVT combination.

You can opt for the more powerful, more sophisticated, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol unit with a superior conventional automatic transmission for a $3500 premium compared to the equivalent mid-range Sport+ and flagship GT-Line trims.

The turbocharged powertrain also benefits from all-wheel drive, providing more confident roadholding, and a noticeable step up in capability for unsealed ‘soft-road’ scenarios.

Upgrading to the Seltos Sport inches up the wheels to 17-inch alloys, adds niceties such as a full-size spare wheel, fancier projector-style headlights, climate control, and a larger dual 10.25-inch infotainment and instrument displays.

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The Sport also brings

Paying more again for a Sport+ gets you those features plus:

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The Seltos GT-Line is the most expensive trim grade and includes:

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How safe is the Kia Seltos?

Safety high points in a standard entry-level Seltos include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist that helps steer the Seltos within the road markings.

The AEB can initiate a full emergency stop automatically from speeds up to 80km/h if the system senses you are in danger of driving into something. First, it sounds a warning; if you ignore that, it applies the brakes partially; and if you do not intervene it applies maximum braking. At speeds between 80 and 180km/h, it warns and brakes partially, but it will not brake as hard as possible on its own.

Also standard are a reversing camera and seatbelt warning for every seat – a simple but valuable feature for those with children old enough to unfasten their belts. High-beam assist, six airbags, rear cross-traffic alert, lane following assist, safe exit warning, front and rear parking sensors and the mandatory stability control complete an excellent standard package.

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Stepping up to the Seltos Sport adds an in-car emergency eCall function to Kia’s connected services.

The Sport+ adds cyclist and junction (front cross-traffic) detection to the existing AEB system, plus adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, topped off by lead vehicle departure alert.

ANCAP rated the current-generation Kia Seltos at the maximum of five stars, though this is a carryover result from assessment of the pre-facelift Seltos conducted in 2019.

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How comfortable and practical is the Kia Seltos?

It is easy to get comfortable in the driver’s seat of a Seltos; you can adjust it manually in six dimensions in lower-grade variants.

The driver and front passenger seats in the flagship GT-Line respectively have 10-way and eight-way power adjustment.

You can also move the steering wheel further from you or bring it closer, and adjust it for tilt.

The Seltos cabin is deceptively roomy for its small footprint, with a great view of the road afforded by a largely upright glasshouse. Instruments and controls are laid out neatly and legibly in entry models but impressively morph into a dual 10.25-inch driver display and infotainment array in Sport trims and higher.

Visual and haptic responses of the operating system are good, and the monitors themselves display crisply and cleanly.

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The interior is well-built and is finished using good-quality plastics, fabric and carpet — though it may not feel as ‘premium’ as some others in the segment.

A particular oddity to the Seltos is that the entry model’s simpler 8.0-inch infotainment screen can facilitate wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while stepping up to the dazzling twin 10.25-inch system requires a wired connection. A minor quirk, but something to be aware of.

Rear seating in the Seltos is among the roomiest in its class and often feels more akin to that of larger vehicles.

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The 60:40 split seat’s backrest adjusts for angle in seven steps.

The seats offer good back, under-thigh and lateral support, with enough headroom even for six-foot adults. The cushions are comfortable, and the leather and cloth trim options feel like they will wear well. The 60:40 split seat’s backrest adjusts for angle in seven steps.

Features added in 2023 include rear air vents across the range (previously exclusive to top-shelf GT-Line), plus a USB-C port for the second row.

ISOFIX and top tether anchor points both feature in the second row for securing child seats, with added map pockets behind the front seats. Sport+ and GT-Line grades add a fold-down centre armrest with cup holders.

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How much boot space does the Kia Seltos offer?

In the same way that Kia’s Seltos delivers segment-leading second-row space, the boot is similarly capacious, and one of the biggest in its class.

All variants except the Seltos S get a full-size spare wheel which eats into boot capacity only marginally, swinging in at 433L with the rear seats in place. The space-saver-equipped base variant ups this to 468L.

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With the rear seats stowed, boot capacity swells to 1428L in the Seltos S and 1393L for all other variants.

Nissan’s new Qashqai has the Seltos bested in ultimate capacity with the rear seats folded (up to 1524L) but offers less boot space with all five seats in place.

A one-piece tailgate lifts upwards to reveal a large opening, which makes it easy to load bulky items.

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I like driving - will I enjoy this car?

Yes. The Kia Seltos is a solid steerer within the small SUV segment, with fundamentally sound urban roadholding and dynamics.

Locally tuned suspension imbues the Seltos with confident ride and handling over a variety of Australian roads, with intuitive, linear steering.

The Seltos has a quite firm suspension set-up, which helps it respond quickly to steering inputs and corner with relatively little body roll. The firmness also prevents the body from bobbing on the springs after the car hits a big bump on the road.

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All-wheel drive versions offer more stability in slippery conditions, such as on gravel or wet roads.

Even with AWD, most unibody SUVs are suited to only light off-road duty, such as snowy conditions or reasonably smooth dirt tracks.

New developments in the recent facelift include extra sound-absorbing material in the pillars, doors, under the carpet and in the wheel arches, helping further suppress any unwanted noise, vibrations and harshness.

Headline powertrain changes for the most recent facelift centre on AWD Seltos variants, which now feature the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder lifted from the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N Line sedan, yielding 146kW (up 16kW) and 265Nm; matched to a conventional eight-speed automatic.

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Not only is the new engine more sophisticated and powerful, but it’s also more efficient and has crisper in-gear response which aids overtaking ability.

The new Aisin-sourced automatic is also a much smoother sailer than the old dual-clutch transmission which, at low speeds, could be clunky.

A naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder returns for service in front-wheel drive Seltos variants, but is still a meritable unit despite its modest 110kW/180Nm outputs. It’s a smooth unit that will lazily and linearly surf its small wave of torque to the speed limit, making it deceptively well-matched to the small front-driven Seltos.

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Which Kia Seltos engine uses the least fuel?

The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine uses the least fuel, at a claimed 6.9 litres/100km on the official test (city and country combined).

During the launch of the Kia Seltos in 2023, we registered an impressive 6.7L/100km.

All-wheel drive variants with the new turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol are less efficient at 7.4L/100km, with our real-world testing returning a figure of 8.7L/100km. Much of this is explained by the all-wheel drive vehicle’s extra 120kg of mass and double the number of driven wheels.

Paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive traction, the turbocharged Seltos possesses a noticeable advantage in pace and power, while the new conventional automatic transmission is a welcome step change in refinement.

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AWD Sport+ and GT-Line variants respectively cost $3500 and $3400 more than their FWD counterparts.

Apart from front-wheel drive and the 2.0-litre petrol engine being the exclusive configuration offered in an entry-level Seltos S, the main reason you might not choose the all-wheel drive turbocharged Seltos is that you want to pay less both up front and in ongoing fuel costs.

Front-drive variants sip less fuel than the equivalent AWD Sport+ and GT-Line, which respectively cost $3500 and $3400 more than their FWD counterparts.

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What is the Kia Seltos’s towing capacity?

The Kia Seltos has a braked towing capacity of 1100kg for front-drive variants, swelling to a max braked capacity of 1250kg for all-wheel drive turbo variants, all with a max tow ball download of 130kg.

How long is the warranty and what are the Kia Seltos’s servicing costs?

The Kia Seltos comes with one of the industry’s longest factory warranties at seven years/unlimited kilometres.

Kia offers capped-price servicing for seven years, and roadside assistance for up to eight.

Kia Connect is complimentary for the first seven years, while the dealership will also make sure your satellite navigation system maps (if applicable) are kept updated for up to ten years.

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Scheduled servicing runs annually, or every 15,000km for the 2.0-litre front-drive variants, with shorter 10,000km intervals for the all-wheel drive 1.6-litre turbo variants.

Both variants cost just over $2000 for five years of scheduled maintenance.

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Which version of the Kia Seltos does Wheels recommend?

There are no real wrong answers in the Kia Seltos range as the comprehensive feature lists of lower models look very attractive for their asking prices.

A Seltos Sport looks particularly attractive at $32,700 before on-road costs, with 17-inch alloy wheels, that dazzling twin 10.25-inch digital screen array, DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation and one-touch driver's window control. It’s an affordable, competent city runabout with some of the most desired features as standard.

The Sport+, for just $3100 more, is also worth the extra spend, adding significant safety features like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capabilities, as well as cyclist and junction (forward cross-traffic) assistance to the existing AEB safety system. There’s also part-leatherette upholstery, driver attention alert, lead vehicle departure warning and push-button start.

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Powertrain-wise, even the carryover 2.0-litre naturally aspirated front-driven package is still a worthy urban companion.

The all-wheel drive, turbocharged Seltos adds breadth to its inner-city talents with greater ‘soft-road’ ability over unsealed surfaces, confident roadholding in inclement weather, and a noticeable advantage in pace and overtaking ability.

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What are the Kia Seltos’s key rivals?

• Toyota Corolla Cross
• Mazda CX-30
• Hyundai Venue
• Nissan Qashqai
• Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

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