Kia Seltos — Spacious and stylish


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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(June 7, 2020) The automotive market is booming with sub-compact SUV crossovers, and Kia and its corporate cousin Hyundai, have been leading the way with well-made and attractive products. A great example is the all-new 2021 Kia Seltos, which joins a very attractive lineup of small Kia crossovers including the Soul, Niro and Sportage. Other major competitors for the consumers "just right-size" dollar are the mechanically similar Hyundai Kona, the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Subaru Crosstrek.


The Seltos is spacious and stylish that comes with a remarkable amount of content for a mid-$20,000 price tag. Front wheel and all-wheel drive are both available as are two engine and transmission offerings, which is a bit unusual for a vehicle in this segment.



There’s the choice of a standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 146 horsepower mated to a continuously variable transmission and a sportier 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 175 horsepower paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The base Seltos comes with front-wheel drive, all other models get AWD.

Size-wise the Seltos slots at the upper end of the subcompact segment offering spacious accommodations with adequate room for four adults and 26 cubic feet of storage behind the seats. When the seatbacks are folded, the Seltos opens up to a whopping 62.8 cubic feet of storage space, easily beating out its competition. 

The Seltos sports a more upright stance — just short of boxy — with a handsome chiseled athletic demeanor. The familiar Kia grille pattern and a rather unusual headlight treatment featuring projector beams displayed between upper LED running lights and lower turn signals at the corners offer an upscale look. In the rear, a chrome bar is mounted under the back glass tying together shapely wrap-around taillights. The handsome 17-inch alloy wheels on our test car brought some added flare. And the attractive appearance can be enhanced with optional two-tone roof paint.

We're happy to have had the opportunity to drive the standard 146-horsepower naturally aspired four-cylinder and we can report that it handled all the chores of daily driving in an expeditious manner. It's larger than most base offerings in the subcompact ranks and it feels that way mated to a sophisticated CVT that mimics the feel of a traditional automatic transmission. For comparison purposes the 2.0-liter can climb from 0-to-60 in an acceptable 8.5 seconds.



We say we were happy to have tested the smaller engine because we've spent considerable seat time with the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine mated to the 7-speed clutch transmission in several vehicles from the Kia-Hyundai stable. And we recommend it if you want a sporty feel not only with acceleration (0-to-60 in 6.6 seconds), but with excellent body control on the curving back roads where the Seltos in all-wheel drive configuration stays planted in brisk cornering. All vehicles with the turbocharged engine come with AWD, which brings hill descent control and a locking differential. While not necessarily making it a true off-roader, the AWD setup does make it a good partner in bad-weather conditions.

While there is considerable plastic inside the cabin, upscale tones and textures and well-placed and attractive switchgear give the living area a substantial look. The interior has an open, spacious feel with plenty of leg room for front-seat passengers. The controls are simple, with clearly marked buttons, useful knobs, and an easily accessible infotainment system located high on the dashboard. There are heated seats available, but there is no ventilated seat option for those hot summer days. Rear air conditioning vents, a rear USB port, and a rear smartphone storage space are provided on the upper trim levels.

Several driver assist features such as blind-spot warning, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control are also available as standard or optional features.

Although it wasn't available on our test car, the top SX trim adds disco-like mood lighting, which will change the color of the ambient lighting depending on the melody of the song—a feature that comes straight from the Soul.

The Seltos comes in four trim levels — LX, S, EX and SX — starting at $23,110 and topping out at $29,010 for the SX with AWD and the 1.6-liter engine. Our test EX model with the base 2.0-liter engine and AWD came with only two inexpensive options and a bottom line of $26,885 including destination charge.

Kia has endowed the Seltos with the style, interior space, and technology to stand out in a segment that's seeing demand soar. In addition to its attractive appearance, the Seltos delivers in handling, performance and fun factors. With the 2021 Seltos, Kia is ensuring its customers have yet another outstanding choice.

2021 Kia Seltos

Essentials

Base price: $23,110; as driven, $26,885
Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 146 @ 6,200 rpm
Torque: 132 foot-pounds @ 4,500 rpm
Transmission: continuously variable
Drive: all-wheel
Seating: 2/3
Wheelbase: 103.5 inches
Length: 172.0 inches
Curb weight: 3,087 pounds
Turning circle: 34.8 feet
Luggage capacity: 26.6 cubic feet
Cargo capacity: 62.8 cubic feet
Fuel capacity: 13.3 gallons (regular)
EPA rating: 27 city, 31 highway, 29 combined
0-60: 8.5 seconds (Motor Trend)
Also consider: Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Jeep Renegade

The Good
• Spacious interior
• Excellent performance with turbocharged engine
• Stylish appearance
• High level of standard features

The Bad
• Ride may be too firm for some

The Ugly
• A lot of hard plastic inside