Kia Seltos review & buyer's guide
Thinking about buying a Kia Seltos? It’s fundamentally a very good small-medium SUV provided you’re the right customer.
Kia has conscripted its on-call dynamics wizard to turn this vehicle’s default international-tuned suspension into what is actually an outstanding platform to drive on our third-rate Australian roads.
Full video review with transcript
Performance & handling
The drive program on the launch was on mainly these B and C roads around Noosa, and I’d have to say the body control and steering feedback is excellent.
There was probably 90 minutes of freeway driving as well - it’s quiet and composed at 110km/h.
Interestingly enough - this vehicle has a next-generation motor driven power steering assistance system.
That means an electrical servo motor provides the steering assistance. It detects input from you, and a computer tells it how much to help. That’s when you’re turning in.
But when you’re on the way out of a bend, MDPS typically defaults to ‘off’ and the self-centring steering effect you feel (if any) is just mechanical control feedback.
But in this system, the motor also provides self-centring feedback assistance. It’s really excellent. It’s a real step up from previous MDPS systems, which sometimes feel as if there’s insufficient self-centring.
It’s a big step - $3500 - to go from S to Sport, but it’s well worth it for a private owner. You get alloys, a full-sized spare, the big centre infotainment screen, SUNA live traffic and 10 years of free map-care updates (and, I’m assured, there are no strings attached to that - you just get the updates when they’re available).
Sport+ is probably the pick of the range - because you get adaptive cruise and the better safety gear standard. Plus front parking sensors, nicer interior, proximity key. And it’s $5500 cheaper than GT-Line, which is loaded with all the nice toys, certainly, but do you really need all that stuff? Probably not. You get a full-sized spare, too except in the based model S. So that’s nice.
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LOVE
1.6-litre turbo + DCT for engaging driving
More luggage space than most rivals, seats up or down
MDPS steering offers mechanical feedback during self-centring
GT Line 18-inch alloys (with red wheel hub highlights) and head-up display
Local suspension tuning irons-out deficiencies in Australia’s poor quality roads
Tyre pressure monitoring standard across the range
HATE
S for poverty pack: temporary spare, 16-inch steel wheels, turn-key ignition
CVT’s noticeable engagement lag when exiting corners and feeding-in throttle (totally adequate for normal driving)
Smaller brake rotors front and rear on S and Sport
Specifications
2.0L MPI 4-cylinder Petrol
Power: 110 kW @ 6200 rpm
Torque 180 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Power/weight: 81 W/kg
Fuel economy:
8.8 L/100km (Urban)
6.7 L/100km (Combined)
5.5 L/100km (Extra Urban)
1.6L T-GDI 4-cylinder Petrol
Power: 130 kW @ 6000 rpm
Torque 265 Nm @ 1500-4500 rpm
Power/weight: 96 W/kg
Fuel economy:
9.5 L/100km (Urban)
7.6 L/100km (Combined)
6.3 L/100km (Extra Urban)
General Specs
Transmission: 7 sp CVT (2.0L) or 7 sp dual-clutch (1.6L)
Manufactured: South Korea
Length: 4370 mm
Width: 1800 mm
Height: 1615 mm
Tare weight: 1355kg (2.0L) / 1470kg (1.6L)
Max tow capacity: 1250kg (1.6L braked)
Seating Capacity: Up to five
Warranty: 7 years / unlimited km
Spare wheel: Temporary (16”) / full size alloy (17” / 18”)
Fuel tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 433L (rear seats up), 1393L (rear seats down)
Ground clearance: 177mm
View the official Kia Seltos brochure >>
Range & configuration
Kia Seltos range goes like this:
Two engines:
2.0-litre multi-point fuel injected petrol 4-cylinder, dual continuous variable valve timing
1.6-litre turbo gasoline direct injection, dual continuous variable valve timing.
Click to enlarge the detail (right)
Two transmissions:
Seven-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT)
Seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT)
Three drivelines:
2WD Front-wheel drive only with 7-spd CVT, with 2.0-litre petrol 4-cylinder (S, Sport, Sport+)
2WD + DCT Front-wheel drive only with 7-spd dual-clutch transmission (DCT), with 2.0-litre petrol 4-cylinder (Sport+)
AWD On-demand all-wheel drive with 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, 7-spd DCT (Sport+, GT Line)
Four model variants:
S 2.0L 4-cyl petrol with 7-spd CVT, 2WD - $25,990 drive-away
Sport 2.0L 4-cyl petrol with 7-spd CVT, 2WD - $29,490 drive-away
Sport+ 2.0L 4-cyl petrol with 7-spd CVT, 2WD -$32,990 drive-away - or 1.6L 4-cyl turbo-petrol with 7-spd CVT dual-clutch, AWD -$36,490 drive-away
GT Line 1.6L 4-cyl turbocharged petrol with 7-spd DCT, AWD-only - $41,990 drive-away
Model range permutations and limitations
You get S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line in order of increasing appeal and price. 2.0-litre CVT only on S and Sport. 1.6 Turbo only on GT-Line. But you can have either engine in Sport+.
So the fuel economy powertrain is available in the first three variants. The performance powertrain on the top two. They overlap at Sport+.
Adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert and autonomous emergency braking with cyclist avoidance can be added to S or Sport as a $1000 option pack.
Here’s how you tell the four variants apart like an automotive ninja:
The poverty S model rolls on steel wheels. That’s dead easy to spot. If you’re looking at a Seltos with alloy wheels and a folding key - like, a key that you actually stick into an ignition barrel, it’s a Sport. If it’s got 17-inch alloys and a push-button start it’s Sport+ and if it’s got 18-inch alloys (with a bright red highlight around the hub) and a head-up display, it’s a GT-Line.
Just remember to drive the one you’re thinking of buying. Get more actionable tips for beating a car dealer >>
There’s more safety gear on Sport+ and GT-Line, but you can get that on S and Sport for $1000 as an option.
S: Autonomous emergency braking with forward-collision warning, reverse parking sensors with dashboard display on rearview camera, lane keeping assistance, automatic headlights with escort function, cloth seats, eight-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, running on regular 91RON unleaded petrol.
Sport: Adds fog lamps, electric folding mirrors, “solar glass” on windscreen and front windows, dual USB charge ports, 10-inch infotainment screen with SUNA satnav and live traffic (with 10 years free map updates), climate control with auto defog.
Sport+ : Adds safety pack, rear cross-traffic alert and collision avoidance, front parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring and lane change assistance, multi-link rear suspension (AWD), LED interior lights, centre rear armrest, faux leather trim seats front and rear, proximity key and push-button start, auto-dimming rearview mirror,
GT Line: 18-inch alloys, lane following assistance, LED running lights, headlights and tail-lights, premium leather sports seats, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, heated and cooled front seats, second-row air-con, premium yellow/black, white/black paint combinations.
Competitors
Hyundai Kona: Boot space is 361 litres (rear seats up) / 1143 litres (rear seats down) - both less than Seltos (433L/1393L), temporary space saver spare wheel across the range, ground clearance 170mm, shorter than XV/Seltos at 1565mm with roof rails. CVT very well sorted, Go and Active now get camera-based forward collision warning and assistance systems absent in base XV. Get the latest Hyundai Kona updates here >>
Kia Sportage: Seltos is unequivocally not a Sportage replacement; there’s no diesel Seltos and you get less towing capacity despite a greater towball download limit. Sportage is just 115mm longer than Seltos, 55mm narrower and wheelbase is 40mm longer. Boot space is better than the rest at 466 litres (seats up) / 1455 litres (seats up). Safety assistance features (AEB, radar cruise, lane keeping, forward collision warning) standard across range. Check out the full review here >>
Subaru XV: Inferior boot space at 310 litres (seats up) / 765 litres (seats down), superior small SUV ground clearance at 220mm, heavier than most at 1434kg (tare, Premium), same height as Seltos 1615mm with roof rails. Permanent symmetrical all-wheel drive offers maximum traction at all times, X-Mode makes accessing rougher terrain easier than others, EyeSight safety suite among the best on the market, but auto stop-start is the compromise here. View more on Subaru XV here >>
Which engine?
I’d strongly suggest you buy the 1.6 turbo if sporty engaging driving matters to you.
The CVT that goes with the 2.0-litre is a little bit frustrating for enthusiastic driving. It displays this noticeable re-engagement lag, getting on the gas when you clip an apex and want to start feeding the power on smoothly.
If you don’t know what that means, the 2.0-litre will be fine. It’s totally adequate for normal driving - just like a Subaru XV.
Towing Capacity
Unbraked 600kg
Braked 1100kg (2.0-litre), 1250kg (1.6-litre turbo)
Max. towball download 130kg
Less tow capacity than Sportage but more towball download limit, so depending on your trailer, you might be able to tow a trailer with Seltos which you can’t with Sportage.
In Sportage, (braked) it’s 1600kg in the 2.0-litre petrol and 1500kg in the 2.4-litre petrol, and 1900kg in the 2.0-litre diesel, but only 100kg towball download limit versus 130kg in Seltos.
More detail on towing a trailer in Australia >>
Conclusion
A really tidy SUV which isn’t actually that small and doesn’t do much wrong at all, while handling our roads very nicely.
Seltos, even with a silly name, in 1.6-litre turbo guise goes harder than any Sportage could ever hope to, but just remember it is a big jump in price to go up from the 2.0-litre.
Sport+ is probably the pick of the range, but if you’d prefer getting a kick driving around everyday, the Cerato GT will be far sportier than either SUV.
More on Kia Seltos at Kia Australia >>
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