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Kia has tried to sell us plenty of compact crossover combustion models over the years but few of them have really been proper SUVs. The brand claims that this Seltos model is. If you're about to sign for a Kia Sportage or something similar but don't need all that space, one of these might suit.
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Detailed ratings
Medium-Sized Family Hatch-Based SUVs
Background
The strongest selling Kia you've never heard of is this one, the Seltos. It's the brand's second best-seller worldwide (behind the Sportage), first launched in its original form 2019 and sold in massive numbers in countries like Mexico, South Korea and India (where it's built). Safety and emissions legislation prevented the original model being sold in Europe but the second generation design we looking at here has been created to meet these requirements and slots into Kia's line-up between the Niro and the Sportage.
As the reference to those two model suggests, the Seltos is a combustion-only design, like the K4 family hatch introduced just before it. A huge sign that big global players like Kia are adjusting their priorities for combustion power in the light of the electric revolution's slow take-up. Let's take a closer look at this car.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 26000 | 35000 |
| CO2 (g/km) | 140 | 140 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 115 | 115 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 10 | 10 |
| Min | Max |
| Combined Mpg | 35 | 35140 |
| Length (mm) | 4430 | 4430 |
| Width (mm) | 1830 | 1830 |
| Height (mm) | 1660 | 1660 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 536 | 536 |
Driving experience
We expect the conventionally engined part of the line-up to be built around a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Offering either 178bhp with a six-speed manual gearbox or 192bhp with an eight-speed auto. Kia has also engineered this car to offer the 1.6-litre full-Hybrid engine which puts out 139bhp with the aid of an electric motor energised by an 11.1kWh battery. Hybrid drive is via a six-speed dual clutch auto gearbox.
Kia could in the future also offer the PHEV drivetrain from the Niro. But there will be no full-EV version. And there won't be a performance GT variant of the Seltos, the sort of thing Kia offers with its EVs.
The Seltos sits on the same K3 platform as the Niro and like that car is primarily front-driven. Unlike that car though, there'll also be a 4WD option to make this what the brand calls 'an authentic SUV'. That 4WD Seltos offers a special 'Terrain' mode that optimises the drivetrain for snow, mud and sand. Whatever Seltos you choose, don't expect particularly involving on road handling - but likely customers won't be prioritising that.
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Design and build
Kia calls this a 'sub-compact SUV'. Basically, it's a similar size to the brand's Niro, but much more SUV-like to look at. The Seltos measures 4,430mm long, 1,660mm tall and 1,830mm in width - so size-wise right between the company's Stonic and Sportage SUVs.
There's a wide grille with the integrated 'Star map' lighting we've seen on other Kias. And there's an upwardly-angled rear D-pillar with a black panel that gives a 'floating roof' effect in profile. Black-clad wheel arches and skid plates front and rear emphasise the crossover vibe and there are flush-fitting door handles. Silver bumper detailing differentiates the trim levels and a smart red LED light bar wraps around the back.
Inside, the front of the cabin is dominated by a dash top panel taken from the K4 hatch, with twin 12.3-inch screens separated by 5.3-inch climate display. There's also a head-up display. Buttons and switches are kept to a minimum. And a column-mounted gear shift frees up centre console space.
It'll feel spacious in the back for this kind of car - rear legroom is only 59mm less than a Sportage. The rear backrest can recline by up to 24-degrees. Out back, there's a 536-litre boot. For perspective, a Niro has 451-litres and a Sportage 587-litres.
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Market and model
Kia is targeting around 60,000 sales per year for this car in Europe, so it needs to be tightly priced. If you expect Seltos pricing to start from around £26,000 - midway between the Stonic and the Sportage - you won't be far out. You'll get plenty of equipment for that including twin 12.3-inch cabin screens, a sunroof, second row reclining seats and a head-up display.
Via the centre screen, you also get seven years of access to 'Kia Connect' in car services - a world of live data. This includes real-time traffic information, notifications of speed camera locations and accident danger zones, weather updates and points of interest info along your route. 'Kia Connect' can also help you find parking spaces and direct you to charging stations.
'Kia Connect' also works via a smartphone app - all Seltos models come with 'Kia Connect' mobile application services. These allow you from your 'phone to check your car's location and get an overview of the vehicle's status or whether any of the doors have been left unlocked. Via your 'phone, 'Kia Connect' will warn you if your Seltos's alarm is triggered. And a 'Valet Mode' allows you to track your car's location and speed if you lend it out - say to a valet parker or to your grown-up son or daughter.
Optional is Kia's latest 'Ad Gear' accessory pack first introduced on the PV5 van, adding mounting points throughout the cabin for things like phones, tablets, lights and water bottles. ADAS safety kit includes Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Follow Assist and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist. Also expect the option of Kia's 'Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2.0' package.
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Cost of ownership
Kia's 1.6-litre turbo petrol unit isn't particularly economic; so if that's a priority, you might want to wait for the Hybrid version, which should get over 50mpg and around 110g/km of CO2.
As usual with Kia, there's a 7 year or 100,000 mile warranty which, since it can be passed from owner to owner, should help the impressively strong residual values. You might want to note that roadside assistance cover is limited to one year, but you do get a long 12 year bodywork warranty. Maintenance costs can be kept down by opting for Kia's 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' servicing packages, which offer a fixed-cost and inflation-proof servicing plan for the first three or five years, something which can also be passed on to subsequent owners.
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Summary
The Seltos joins a crowded Kia SUV line-up, but you can still just about see a place for it. The important gap between the supermini-based Stonic and the mid-sized Sportage has for the last decade been filled by the Niro. Which isn't really an SUV and forces potential customers to stretch to a sophisticated full-Hybrid powertrain some of them may not be able to afford. The Seltos is a simpler, more affordable product that's more of an SUV. On that basis, you could see it doing quite well as long as the brand puts enough weight behind it.
It'll certainly sell to a different kind of customer than the one who might choose a Niro or an Xceed. A customer looking for space, street presence and value, someone yet to be convinced by the merits (and the price) of the EV revolution. Until small electric SUVs get better and cheaper, there'll continue to be a place in the market for cars like this.
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