Kia could have left the 2023 Kia Seltos more or less as it was in 2024 and had an excellent vehicle on its hands. But the company has instead updated its award-winning smallest SUV inside and out.
The Seltos has been around since 2021 and has won our Best Buy award in the subcompact SUV class every year of its existence. When our editors round up all the contenders for testing, the Seltos consistently stands out for its long equipment list, reasonable price, and impressive space for its small size.
For the new model year, Kia has updated the body and cabin, added new standard technology and given a power boost to its optional turbocharged engine.
Kia offers the Seltos with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 146 horsepower or a 1.6-liter turbo four that makes 195 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available if you live where snow affects traffic.
Let’s take a look inside the redesigned Seltos.
Passenger room and comfort
The Seltos is shorter than a 2023 Honda HR-V or Toyota Corolla Cross. But it offers comparable legroom and shoulder room and more headroom in the front seats.
On most models, the driver has a 6-way manually adjustable seat. The more exclusive EX and SX trims include a 10-way power adjustable front seat with 2-way power lumbar support. Heated front seats are available on X-Line, EX and SX models, and cooling seat ventilation is an option on the top of the line.
Passenger space is a little tighter in the back, as is to be expected in this class. But rear passengers get their own air conditioning fans, something we can’t say about all rivals. Both rows also have their own USB charging ports.
Features and technology
If you haven’t bought a car in a few years, you might be surprised to learn about the advanced technologies available even in cheap cars.
Each Seltos comes with a display instead of the traditional driver’s instrument panel. It’s only 4.2 inches in the base LX trim, but a generous 10.25 inches in all other trim levels.
LX models also have a smaller center touchscreen: 8 inches. Other trim levels get a 10.25-inch model.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment. These systems basically turn your car’s touchscreen into a mirror of your phone’s screen, so you can safely access commonly used apps without picking up your phone.
Climate control functions, however, are operated via traditional buttons. So, no more playing with menus while driving just to turn on the heat.
Most trim levels have a 6-speaker sound system, but SX models have a premium Bose 8-speaker setup with mood lights that respond to music.
Materials and Design
We’re used to subcompact interiors that look like hasty projects made from parts left in the bin to design more expensive cars. This is not the case of the Seltos.
The driver’s instrument display and the central touchscreen are mounted together in a single housing. It makes them look like a wide, curved screen, an effect more common in luxury cars. But Kia’s designers have been doing an excellent job lately. The clean lines of the Seltos cabin belie its low price. There are some hard plastics, but that’s to be expected in an affordable subcompact car. They help keep the price reasonable.
The base LX has only one color option: black cloth with heather seat inserts. With other trims, you can get creative.
Kia’s SynTex synthetic leather is quite convincing. On the Seltos S, you can get it in blue with black cloth inserts. Top-of-the-line EX and SX models have a choice of black, sage green, or camel brown that feels luxurious at this price.
Cargo room and flexibility
With the rear seats in use, the Seltos has 26.6 cubic feet of space, more than an HR-V or Corolla Cross.
Fold them over; you’ll get 62.8, nearly eight more cubic feet than in a comparable HR-V.
Build and price your own version of the 2024 Kia Seltos to see this week’s Kelly Blue Book Fair Purchase Price, Cost of Ownership 5 Years and Up, or Check out the Kia Seltos for sale near you.
