2024 Kia Seltos
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.9 - 7.4 / 100km |
|---|---|
| ANCAP Rating | 5-star |
| Warranty | 7 years |
About the Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos is the South Korean brand's competitor to big sellers such as the Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Qashqai in the Small SUV space.
The Seltos a modern and well-proportioned design with an unusually large amount of cabin space for the class, and in higher spec levels a massive 10-inch touchscreen and party tricks like pulsing cabin LEDs.
There are base models of the Kia Seltos with a 2.0-litre engine and CVT, plus front-wheel drive, or 1.6-litre turbo models with a 8-speed automatic transmission (previously a DCT) and on-demand all-wheel drive, plus fairly agile dynamics.
For 2023 model year the Kia Seltos gets a range of new safety features, air vents in the rear for all variants and USB C charging ports along with a host of other changes detailed below
Video Review
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2023 Kia Seltos review (inc. 0-100, autonomy & reverse test)
Kia has finally updated the 2023 Kia Seltos and listened to our criticisms! Kia has ditched the dual-clutch transmission and there's finally a regular torque converter transmission. There are also styling and pricing updates - so is it worth joining the wait list? Paul Maric finds out!
Summary
Great tech across the range
New 8-sp Automatic is a massive improvement
One of the most practical SUVs in its class
Annoying speed limit assist warnings
Basic halogen headlights on entry grades
Some odd spec decisions
Price & Specs
Reviews
News
Kia Seltos Range Guide
The 2023 Kia Seltos S comes standard with the following features:
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Spare-saver spare wheel
- Automatic halogen headlights
- Automatic high-beam
- Halogen daytime running lights
- Rear fog light
- Matte Black grille mesh
- Body-coloured door handles
- Body-coloured, power-folding side mirrors
- Roof rails
- Rear spoiler
- Shark fin antenna
- 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Six-speaker sound system
- 12V power outlet in front console
- USB-A and USB-C outlet in front console
- Two USB-C outlets behind centre console
- Manual air-conditioning
- Second-row air vents
- Manual handbrake
- Folding key
- Cloth upholstery
- Six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
The 2023 Kia Seltos Sport adds:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Full-size spare wheel
- Windscreen and front door Solar Glass
- Halogen (projector-style) front fog lights
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- DAB+ digital radio
- Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- Sounds of Nature
- Kia Connect (seven-year complimentary service)
- Climate control
- Driver window one-touch up and down
- Premium steering wheel
- Premium gear shifter
The 2023 Kia Seltos Sport+ adds:
- Heated side mirrors
- Privacy glass
- AEB cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Keyless entry and push-button start
- Electric park brake with auto-hold
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- LED interior lights
- Illuminated vanity mirrors
- Front centre console armrest sliding function
- Rear centre armrest
- Cloth and artificial leather upholstery
The flagship 2023 Kia Seltos GT-Line adds:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- LED daytime running lights
- LED fog lights
- LED positioning lights
- LED rear combination tail lights
- Premium Gloss Black grille mesh
- Satin silver belt line
- Tilt and slide sunroof (not available with two-tone paint)
- Power tailgate
- Rain-sensing window wipers
- Head-up display
- Wireless phone charger
- Eight-speaker Bose premium sound system
- Heated, flat-bottom steering wheel
- Interior ambient lighting
- Parcel shelf
- Premium artificial leather upholstery
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- 10-way power driver’s seat with two-way power lumbar support and two-position memory
- Eight-way power front passenger seat
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Interior
Being a mid-life facelift, the interior of the new 2023 Kia Seltos hasn’t been overhauled, but the refinements are fairly significant.
Sport variants and up get a swish new all-digital cockpit incorporating dual 10.25-inch displays for the instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment display.
It’s basically been taken out of the Niro eco-crossover – Seltos S models get an 8.0-inch touchscreen sans navigation, and a ‘Basic’ digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch LCD supervision display. The digital displays are share with a high resolution that offer snappy loading times, and smooth, fluid animations.
GT-Line variants also get a colour head-up display via pop-up polariser, which while not as high-tech or integrated as a windscreen-projected unit places key information like speed, navigation prompts and assistance functions in the driver’s line of sight – it’s a shame this isn’t offered further down in the range.
There’s native Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though still wired on the 10.25-inch infotainment unit with satellite navigation. We would like to see this go wireless.
Material quality remains a bit of a drawback compared to benchmarks in the segment, with the interior being almost exclusively hard, scratchy plastics that make even a Cerato feel luxurious, but Kia’s typical solid build quality otherwise remains.
Kia Seltos Photo Gallery
Ownership Suitability
The 2023 Kia Seltos remains one of the picks of the small SUV segment, and despite industry trends the updated range hasn’t been met with sharp price increases to go with the more fulsome specification list across the line-up.
As before, the Kia Seltos is one of the more practical vehicles in its class, blending its load-lugging capabilities with polished on-road manners that even add a dash of enthusiasm. The new digital displays available across most of the range really move the cabin upmarket, and the range of Kia Connect services are also somewhat unique at this end of the market.
Models with the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive are more worthy of consideration than ever, thanks to the extra grunt on offer as well as the excellent new transmission. Kia’s CVVD engine tech also means it’s more efficient than the old one, too.
Few rivals offer such a well-rounded package for a broad range of demographics, and the Seltos will no doubt appeal to the young, old, single, coupled and kid-laden Australian public alike.
Kia Seltos Colours
Seven colours are offered across the line-up, including a new Pluton Blue finish. The outgoing models’ Starlight Yellow has been dropped, while Clear White and Pluton Blue are available with a contrast Fusion Black roof exclusively on the Seltos GT-Line.
The other single colours include Neptune blue, Mars orange, Steel grey, Gravity grey, Cherry black and Snow White pearl.
- Mars Orange
- Pluton Blue*
- Snow White Pearl*
- Steel Grey*
- Gravity Grey*
- Fusion Black*
- Neptune Blue*
- Pluton Blue & Fusion Black roof^
- Clear White & Fusion Black roof^
Cost of Ownership
The Seltos 2.0 MPi will set you back $288, $494, $352, $614, $324, $624 and $344 for the first seven visits ($3040),
The Kia Seotos 1.6 T-GDi costs $308, $500, $373, $651, $346, $630 and $671 ($3479).
Both cost just over $2000 over five years, which is competitive with most brands other than Honda and Toyota.
The Seltos continues to be covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with capped-price servicing for the same period and roadside assistance for up to right years. Kia Connect is complementary for seven years also.
Kia will also give you free map updates for your satellite navigation system (where applicable) for up to 10 years,
Scheduled maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km for the 2.0 MPi, or slightly shorter 10,000km intervals for the 1.6 T-GDi. Kia Australia says it’s global policy for its turbo models to have shorter intervals.
How it Drives
The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine carries over from the pre-update model and produces 110kW of power and 180Nm of torque. It’s available across the entire range.
The engine is mated to a continuously-variable transmission (CVT), with drive sent to the front wheels only.
For the 2023 Kia Seltos, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is carried over from the original Seltos but now produces 146kW and 265Nm, which is 16kW more than the outgoing model. It’s available only on Sport+ and GT-Line trim levels.
The turbocharged engine is now mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission instead of the outgoing dual-clutch, with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.
For the turbo model 0-100km/h takes 8.4 seconds while 80-120km/h takes 5.7 seconds. A less relevant metric is top speed, which has increased by 10km/h to 210km/h.
The Seltos strikes a nice balance between comfort and engagement across all trim levels. The steering is accurate and lightly weighted for everyday use, while the pliant ride doesn’t come at the expense of handling.
The new Seltos also offers impressive body control and cornering abilities. This isn’t a proper corner-carving crossover trying to be a hot hatch, but the Seltos is definitely one of the more connected vehicles in the segment.
Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) also received attention in this update, and while the pre-facelift model was already good for the class, the new one is more refined again.
Kia says it added more sound-absorbing materials in the floor carpet, door trims, wheel guards and C-pillars to mitigate road noise. As a result, the new Seltos claims to be 0.3dBA quieter with road noise than the old model.
Further, the exhaust system has been retuned for reduced acceleration noise, which contributes to a 1dBA claimed improvement for 2.0 MPi models. In a segment where some rivals can get quite noisy on anything but perfect bitumen, these attributes make the Seltos a good choice if you want a compact SUV that can do the odd road trip.
Kia Seltos Safety Rating
The Kia Seltos was crash tested by ANCAP in 2019 and it received a five-star safety rating.
It received an adult occupant protection score of 85 per cent, child occupant protection score of 83 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 61 per cent, and a safety assist score of 70 per cent.
All 2023 Kia Seltos models come standard with the following safety features:
- Front, front-side and curtain airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Car
- Pedestrian
- Blind-spot assist
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Safe Exit Warning
- Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
- Driver Attention Alert
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Rear-view camera
- Tyre-pressure monitoring system
Sport+ and GT-Line models receive AEB with cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist, as well as adaptive cruise control and lead-vehicle departure alert.
Kia Seltos Lifecycle
The current generation Kia Seltos was launched in October 2019 and is currently 72 percent through its lifecycle. The last update was a facelift that was launched in November 2022 with the next model expected in 2026.
Kia Seltos Options
The only option that was previously available for the Seltos in the base grade S and Sport is the $1000 Safety Pack. This has now been dropped.
The only options available now are colour options.
Kia Seltos Warranty
Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing in addition to its seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty for the Seltos.
The 2023 Kia Seltos 2.0-litre requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, while the Kia Seltos 1.6T requires servicing every 12 months or 10,000km.
When equipped with the 2.0-litre four cylinder naturally-aspirate engine, the Seltos has an average cost per service of $402 while Seltos models with the turbocharged 1.6-litre have an average service cost of $466.
Kia Seltos Stock Availability
The Kia Seltos has proven to be a very popular model and at the moment the wait times are estimated to be somewhere between 6-12 months but improving rapidly as we head furrther into 2023.
Kia Seltos Infotainment
Base models come equipped with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and reversing camera with rear parking sensors.
Upgrade to the Seltos Sport and you get a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system (also with with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) as well as DAB digital radio and Satellite navigation. Go for the top-spec and your tech will get upgraded to include a head-up display, 7.0-inch colour instrument cluster display, ambient lighting, Qi wireless phone charging and a Bose eight-speaker premium sound system.
Kia Seltos Boot Space
All models bar the entry-level S – which feature a full-size spare – get 433 litres of volume with the rear seats in play, while the base model with its space-saver spare gets 468L.
Fold the rear seats down and that figure expands to 1428 litres in the Seltos S, and 1393 litres for everything else.
Kia Seltos Fuel Economy
The 2023 Kia Seltos, when equipped with the standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder, consumes 6.9L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle.
The turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder uses 7.4L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle.
Both engines need 91RON regular unleaded fuel and can run on E10 with a 50L fuel tank.
Depending on the variant, view the 2024 KIA SELTOS fuel usage below.
All Highway, City, and Combined figures below are litres per 100km
| Variant | Series | Style | Fuel Type | Highway | City | Combined | E10? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.9 | Yes |
| SPORT (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.9 | Yes |
| SPORT+ (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.9 | Yes |
| SPORT+ (AWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 7.4 | Yes |
| GT-LINE (FWD) (SUNROOF) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.9 | Yes |
| GT-LINE (FWD) (TWO-TONE) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 6.9 | Yes |
| GT-LINE (AWD) (TWO-TONE) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 7.4 | Yes |
| GT-LINE (AWD) (SUNROOF) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 7.4 | Yes |
Kia Seltos Dimensions
Each Kia Seltos model measures 4370mm in length, 1800mm in width and sits 1615mm high without the roof rack in place, which bumps up to 1630 mm when attached.
The wheelbase spans 2630mm, the ground clearance 177mm, the front/rear track 1575mm/1584mm, the approach and departure angle comes in at 28.0 degrees.
The front and rear headroom with the sunroof in place spans 978mm, which increases to 1016mm when removed.
Depending on the variant, the 2024 KIA SELTOS measures as below.
| Variant | Series | Style | Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Wheelbase (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1630 | 2630 |
| SPORT (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| SPORT+ (FWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| SPORT+ (AWD) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| GT-LINE (FWD) (SUNROOF) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| GT-LINE (FWD) (TWO-TONE) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| GT-LINE (AWD) (TWO-TONE) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
| GT-LINE (AWD) (SUNROOF) | SP2 PE MY24 | 4D WAGON | 4385 | 1800 | 1635 | 2630 |
The 2024 KIA SELTOS has a braked towing capacity from 1100kg to 1250kg depending on the variant and an unbraked towing capacity of 600kg.
Kia Seltos Market Fit
The Kia Seltos sits above the Kia Stonic and below the Kia Sportage in terms of SUV sizes for the Korean brand.
Kia Seltos Sales Data
So far in 2022 (Jan-April), Kia has sold 617 Seltos vehicles, capturing 11 percent of the small SUV segment, but still behind the likes of the Toyota CH-R, Mazda CX-30, Mitsubishi ASX.
Kia Seltos Reliability
The Kia Seltos has only been around for 2 years, nonetheless, with its seven year warranty and Kia’s general reputation for great reliability, we are yet to encounter any anecdotal evidence of systematic issues with the model as a whole.
Should you buy the Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos is our favourite small SUV, it presents a very clean package with more room than one might expect from a small SUV. It comes feature packed with a modern interior and all the latest technological gadgets one could ask for in the price point.
It unfortunately misses out on some great features such as automatic boot (tailgate), but other than that, it’s a pretty good package overall and should be very high on your consideration list.
Competitor Analysis
The Seltos should be compared to the Mitsubishi ASX, Toyota CH-R, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, Skoda Kamiq and MG ZS.
Kia Seltos Interesting Facts
The Seltos is made in South Korea and shares its engine and transmissions with sister company’s Hyundai Kona.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enquiring through CarExpert is one of the easiest ways to order a new 2024 Kia Seltos. We connect you with an accredited dealer/s and equip you with information on current deals, what others have paid, plus, our independent reviews and ratings. You can also call our friendly Concierge team whenever you need support - they remain on hand throughout the process to ensure you get the service (and value!) we demand of our partnered dealers.
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