Overview
Occupying the slim middle ground between the Soul and the Sportage in Kia’s SUV lineup is the subcompact 2022 Seltos, which pairs style with practicality in a size that is just right. The Seltos shares its platform and powertrains with the smaller Hyundai Kona, which helps it deliver an engaging driving demeanor and competitive fuel economy. Base models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but upmarket trims come with a turbocharged 1.6-liter that pumps out 175 horsepower. While the base LX model comes standard with popular driver-assistance features and provides an adequate list of standard infotainment equipment, the Seltos’s other trims are more likely to satisfy modern SUV buyers with additional niceties and a host of available options. The fact that the Seltos is slightly larger—and therefore slightly roomier—gives it another advantage over other subcompact SUVs such as the Mazda CX-30 and the Nissan Kicks.
What’s New for 2022?
For the Seltos’s sophomore year, it gains a host of driver-assistance features as standard, including automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlamps. The larger 10.3-inch infotainment screen is now standard on more of the Seltos’s trim levels, and all but the LX trim now come with automatic climate control and remote start; the top-spec SX receives a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a new Plum interior color scheme. The Nightfall Edition is new to the lineup this year and features unique black-painted 18-inch aluminum wheels and blacked-out exterior trim.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
The best value lies with the Seltos’s EX trim. The SX model will come loaded with almost everything, but the EX is well equipped, too, but much cheaper. All-wheel drive will ratchet up the price of all four versions, but depending on where you live and how you plan to use the Seltos, that feature may not be necessary.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Kia offers two different four-cylinder engines in the Seltos: a 2.0-liter that makes 146 horsepower or a turbocharged 1.6-liter that pumps out 175. We were able to sample the Seltos with the turbocharged 1.6-liter and found its power to be more than adequate. Our test vehicle snapped off a quick 6.6-second run to 60 mph. While the base engine is mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), the turbo comes with a seven-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is standard with the turbo four but optional with the nonturbo base engine. The Seltos offers a firm but mostly smooth ride, and handling is sharp for an SUV—it’s far more entertaining and composed than rivals such as the Jeep Compass and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates that the Seltos will deliver fairly efficient MPG figures. Highway fuel economy is estimated to be as high as 35 mpg for front-wheel-drive models with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test route, an all-wheel-drive Seltos with the turbocharged 1.6-liter managed 30 mpg. For more information about the Seltos’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Inside, the Seltos offers noticeably more space for people and cargo than the Kona. The materials used throughout the cabin are well chosen and refined enough to seem right at home in the showroom next to the brand’s excellent Telluride SUV. Interior ambient lighting is standard on the upscale SX model and can be set to pulse along with the music like the system Kia offers in the smaller Soul SUV. During our test drive, the cargo area easily swallowed our suitcases, backpacks, and photo bag; in our testing, we fit eight carry-on suitcases in the cargo hold and 20 with the rear seats folded.
Infotainment and Connectivity
All Seltos models will have a touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, but the optional 10.3-inch unit is the one to get, and it’s standard on all but the base LX. Navigation is optional and offers the capability to split the screen so you can view the map and directions at the same time you’re making changes to the radio station. Depending on which model you choose, the Seltos can also be equipped with a wireless smartphone-charging pad, up to three USB ports, a head-up display, and a 7.0-inch color display in the gauge cluster. An eight-speaker Bose audio system will also be optional and features fractal-textured speaker grilles.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Kia offers a standard suite of driver-assistance tech on the Seltos, but higher-tech features such as adaptive cruise control and cyclist detection are limited to the range-topping SX trim. For more information about the Seltos’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Available adaptive cruise control and cyclist detection
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Kia’s warranty is the best in the industry, and the company continues to offer the 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain coverage on its models. The only other rivals that can match it are SUVs from sister company Hyundai.
- Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
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