Kia’s Seltos is an unsung hero in the subcompact crossover SUV segment. This five-passenger vehicle has a lot to offer those who want style, substance, and a great warranty at a fair price. The Seltos is available with a geared transmission and a turbocharged engine, helping it stand out from the pack.

The Seltos is good in every regard, but its interior design and execution are on par with the best in the affordable crossover segment. The materials are easy on the eyes, and everything you touch feels of high quality. Kia did many small things, like contouring the covers of the Bose audio speakers to make sure the vehicle has visual appeal.

We loved that Kia used physical buttons where they made sense and that the gear shift lever is conventional. This is a vehicle one can enter and drive without any tutorial on how to make the wipers work. The infotainment system is very good, but it could be better if Kia had made Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work wirelessly.

Though it is a compact vehicle, the seats are sized for real people, and the driver area is not cramped. Kia even worked in two cup holders while retaining the gear shift lever (as opposed to using an annoying knob). The front seats in our top-of-the-line SX test vehicle were not only heated but also ventilated.

Kia didn’t skimp on the details with its Seltos. There is a spare tire under the cargo floor, along with ample space for storing emergency items and more. It’s clear that Kia spent considerable time with its design of the Seltos. We have a sneaking suspicion that Kia may have benchmarked the Mazda CX-30 when it created the Seltos.

Most of the affordable subcompact crossovers we test have too little power and use lousy CVT transmissions. This diminishes their fun factor. The Mazda CX-30 is the exception. Its base powertrain is very good, and the up-powered turbocharged trims are fantastic. The CX-30 is also the best-looking and most premium in its styling. The Seltos can come close in all these areas and does so at a slightly lower price point, along with a much longer warranty.

The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid AWD has an amazing powertrain that delivers 42 MPG while somehow still feeling peppy. Those who put fuel economy and low cost of ownership first and second should consider the Toyota. That said, our Seltos delivered better than 31 MPG in all our testing scenarios during winter. It’s no slouch when it comes to being frugal on gas.

Those who are looking for a small SUV for off-pavement adventures may want to cross-shop the Subaru Crosstrek. Although the Seltos SX has a great AWD system, the Crosstrek has more ground clearance, more off-pavement drive modes, and a legendary all-wheel drive system.

The Kia Seltos LX, with its base engine, front-wheel drive, and CVT starts at $26K. There are five trims in total, with the X-Line and SX being different from the other three by using a different and more powerful powertrain that offers AWD standard. Our top-of-the-line SX with options had an as-tested price of $33,085. Our prices include Kia’s Inland Freight and Handling charge but do not include dealer doc fees, dealer-added content, and dealer markups.

The Seltos gets refreshed styling for 2024. In addition, the turbocharged X-Line and SX trims have a slight power bump.

We have tested the Seltos twice, for a week each time. Our testers were both turbocharged top trims with AWD and geared transmissions, so our driving impressions may not apply to the LX, S, and EX trims, which use different powertrains.

It is refreshing to drive a compact crossover SUV with a geared transmission. Some CVTs are OK, but each time we return to a vehicle with a geared transmission, we realize how much we prefer them. The Seltos SX has a small turbocharged gas engine that offers great pickup when you push it. However, off-the-line acceleration is not snappy, but rather muted. We got used to it, and it wasn’t a negative, but it was also not a positive. Sport Mode helps a smidge, but doesn’t really make the vehicle feel fast. We would say satisfying and capable were better descriptions. The acceleration of the Seltos SX is much better than the Honda HR-V and Subaru Crosstrek.

Handling is good around town, on twisty back roads, and on the highway. Compact crossovers can be a bit too soft, but the Seltos isn’t. It has crisper steering and better turning response than most in its segment. However, we did find the ride a bit firm over bumps. To the point that we double-checked the tire pressure to make sure it was not too high.

Kia’s Seltos has a great AWD system. The monitor that displays the power delivery to each wheel reveals that the Seltos is almost always using its rear axle to push the vehicle. That surprised us. Most crossover SUVs are 90% front-wheel drive. Even the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands compact SUV is almost always just front-wheel drive unless the rear tires are desperately needed. In addition, the Seltos has an AWD lock button, which we love. There is even Downhill Brake Control! We were very impressed with all of this in such an affordable package. The Seltos has all the ingredients to be a great winter and dirt road vehicle. With a swap to more capable tires, the Seltos could be a legitimate competitor to the Crosstrek or base Bronco Sport.

IIHS tested the Seltos in 2021, and at that time, it earned the Top Safety Pick award. NHTSA gave the vehicle four out of five stars in 2021 but is planning a new round of testing this year. We liked that the Seltos didn’t have any false positive alerts during our testing.

Consumer Reports gives the Seltos a predicted reliability rating of 51/100, low for its segment, but does list the Seltos as an Approved choice. In the 2024 J.D. Power Dependability Study, Kia ranked fifth among mainstream brands and is in the top quarter overall.

Having not tested the base engine and transmission, we cannot comment on how much we would like them. We do like the turbocharged engine and geared transmission the X-Line and SX offer. Our SX tester had the $1,200 Sunroof Package, which added a sunroof and heated and ventilated seats along with a power tailgate and a smartphone key capability. This package seems to offer a lot of value.

One big plus of the Kia brand is that its warranty is among the longest in the industry. The new vehicle warranty is five years or 60K miles, and the powertrain warranty extends out to 10 years of 100K miles for original owners. This is much longer than what Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru offer.

• Basic: 5 years / 60k miles
• Powertrain: 10 years / 100k miles (original owner)
• 5 years roadside assistance
• If buying used look at our best extended warranties

The Seltos has been on sale since 2021, so used ones are available. We caution buyers to be aware that the powertrain warranty is not transferable to second or subsequent buyers.

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