As is well known, Kia (and Hyundai) have been on a roll. The Stinger was great, the Telluride even better, and the Seltos came out to positive reviews by the press. Heck, it even was a MotorTrend SUV of the Year finalist. So is it as good as it seems?
TLDR: So close to greatness. A competent overall package, but a handful of fatal flaws detract from the overall experience of Kia’s newest AWD crossover.
Pros: Looks great, exterior lighting design is handsome and striking at night, boxy shape provides excellent rear seat room and trunk space, technology and safety features work well, great driving dynamics, strong braking performance, competitively priced
Cons: Light output and clarity from LED headlights is dismal, stiff ride, dual clutch is derpy and prone to overheating, the seat material feels like rubber, interior could use some color, prevalent wind and road noise, Bose audio is flatter than Kansas
Some Background
Kia’s newest crossover, Seltos, slots nicely in Kia’s crossover heavy lineup, and is a perfect addition to their fleet of vehicles. It sits above the Soul (in which it shares its chassis), but below the Sportage. The Seltos competes in a very crowded, and very competitive segment, vying for space among competitors such as the Jeep Renegade, Hyundai Kona, Toyota CH-R, Honda HRV, Mazda CX-30, Chevy Trailblazer, and Subaru Crosstrek.
The Kia Seltos is available with two engine options: a 2.0 Liter four cylinder mated to a CVT which is available on LX, S, and EX trims. The second is a turbocharged 1.6 Liter four cylinder mated to a dry dual clutch transmission, which is available on S Turbo and SX trims. Fuel economy is on par for the segment, 27/31 for the 2.0 and 25/30 for the turbo. Starting price for the Seltos is $21990 for the base LX, and top level SX starts at $27890 which means, like many Kia’s, the Seltos is very competitively priced in its segment, and undercuts some competitors such as the Subaru Crosstrek.
Interior
The Seltos interior is well laid out and the SX trims 10.25 inch touch screen steals the show. Stretched out across the middle of the interior, it looks great, is very responsive, and is matched with a nice set of physical buttons and knobs. Like many, I am appreciative of Kia’s decision to utilize redundant knobs and buttons instead of going all in on the screen. Annoyingly, Carplay doesn’t stretch the entire width, but it is bug free and smooth on the head unit.
I found the interior to be ergonomic and well laid out. Controls are easy to understand and the angular pattern on the speaker grills adds a nice, spunky touch to what would otherwise be a pretty bland interior. Nothing is bad about the design, but nothing stands out to me like say the CX30’s interior which exudes premium. Material quality is good for the segment, as is the overall interior comfort. Front and rear seat space is great thanks to the boxy shape, front seat heating is available on AWD models, the second row reclines, and the Seltos comes with an actual donut spare. Nice!
Also a cool touch is the mood lighting which is user adjustable, and you can have it set based on the music you are listening to. You can choose from a handful of settings and color options such as party time or midnight city. It works great with each option providing unique colors and intensity. Even if it is a bit dim, it is still cool to see that feature in this car. Another cool feature is the touch on/off for the interior lights. But what isn’t cool are the seats and the Bose audio.
First the seats, which literally feel like rubber. It’s supposed to be a fake leather, but it might be the most unconvincing fake leather I have experienced. It’s rubbery texture means it is also quite grippy… which could be a pro or con depending on how you see it.
Second letdown is the Bose audio. While a worthwhile upgrade over the base audio, for a premium sound system it is lacking. I prefer the more dynamic Harmon Kardon units that Kia have traditionally used because this Bose sounds as flat as Kansas. It does seem to sound better if you turn it up, so maybe if you like to blast music it’s the ideal system for you.
Exterior
My car was painted in a two tone, Mars Orange with a white roof. The white roof looks appropriately modern, and also helps with keeping the car cool in the sun. Also the Mars Orange is a nice looking color, and I am glad Kia is getting adventurous with color choices. But with the white roof, it should be called creamsicle orange.
Regardless, the Seltos to my eyes, is a very handsome rugged yet modern looking SUV with styling that shows that a boxy crossover can actually look good, and you don’t need a swoopy design that sacrifices interior space ala CX30, and you don’t need to be overstyled ala CHR. Since Kia picked up Audi designer Peter Schreyer, exterior lighting design has been looking great on Kia’s and the Seltos is no exception. The front lights look sharp with an LED eyebrow and stripe that goes almost the full width of the car, and the rear lights have a mirror effect that looks kinda Lexus-ey (which is definitely not a bad thing).
One major gripe is the plastic piece on the front and rear bumper which Kia annoyingly calls a skid plate (a skid plate is metal), and the fake exhaust like design in the rear bumper. Please just integrate real skid plates and exhaust or none at all. Thanks. /endrant
Driving Impressions
Driving this crossover is actually very good fun. The 1.6 turbo is punchy, tight suspension and low profile tires mounted in 18 inch wheels, and nicely weighted and responsive steering make this car a blast on a back road. The brakes have a nice and firm pedal feel, and stop the Seltos quickly and confidently. Once moving, the DCT shifts are smooth. Paddles are absent on the Seltos, which is a shame given how fun this car is.
But getting to said back road is really where some flaws come to light. First, that same tight suspension is too firm for normal driving. It’s not uncomfortable by any means, but a couple ticks softer would improve the ride while still providing equivalent back road fun. Perhaps a smaller wheel and larger tire like on the EX trim would improve the ride. The DCT at slow speeds is jerky, and shudders when inching forward or pulling away from a stop. And if you’re not used to DCT’s, slow engagement and too much gas can cause you to go shooting backward when reversing. Thankfully, the auto start/stop is unobtrusive and well calibrated.
I took the Seltos on a easy off road trip, and the approach angle and ground clearance confidently allowed me to clear obstacles, the hill descent control button is easy to find and appropriately controlled my speed, and the firm suspension provided a sure footed feel when driving the rough road. But again the DCT just hinders. I saw some YouTubers easily overheating the transmission, and I thought it was a joke, but just climbing a short, easy hill I saw the transmission temp rising. While the car is off road ready, the transmission is definitely not.
Wind and road noise is prevalent especially near the A-Pillar. But a huge let down are the LED headlights. They are 100% worth it over the base model’s halogens, but compared to competitors, these LED’s suck. Width is not good, neither is reach, and neither is clarity. When driving at night, there’s a dim spot right in front of you even with the fog lights on, and a very bright crescent shaped spot near the cutoff point which annoyed the heck out of me.
Verdict
So overall, the Kia Seltos is a handsome, stylish, spacious, fun to drive, and competitively priced crossover that could really benefit from tweaks and refinements. The Seltos competes in a very a crowded segment, so doing most things well isn’t enough to earn a top spot. In my book, it still places higher than entrants from Jeep, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Nissan and lands in a very solid third place, falling short of two segment stalwarts. The CX30 looks and feels more premium inside and out, and provides a better blend of comfort and sportiness. And the Crosstrek is the undeniable leader in off road capability, and gets better gas mileage as well. But if you are looking for a good price, a very practical package, all weather (but not offroad) capability, and driving fun, the Seltos might just be the ideal blend of Crosstrek and CX30.
My Used Car Take
The Seltos should make a solid choice for a used car, as its design, technology, and materials/build quality feel substantial and unlikely to age quickly. I do suggest you buy Kia’s as a CPO, since the remnants of the 10 year/100,000 mile are transferred when you buy CPO but not third party.
However, there is one drawback. Remember the dual clutch (DCT) transmission that I didn’t like in my review? Well it has proven problematic among owners. Pre January 2020, many owners were having issues with the overheating and skipping gears. A software fix was issued in January 2020, which the efficacy is unknown at the time of writing. If you do decide to buy a Seltos used (once they start popping up) make sure you pay attention to the shift action on the transmission (for DCT models).
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