Kia Seltos review and buying guide: Get the good one
There’s plenty to like about the relatively new small SUV from Kia and the version I drove in particular was the Sport+.
I wanted to drive this version a tier down from the top-spec GT-Line with the 1.6-litre engine and dual-clutch transmission because it represented a saving for mums and dads out there who need to get out of their old car and into something newer, safer and better in every way.
Having driven the Hyundai Kona 1.6 I can tell you that engine, and its dual-clutch transmission, are very easy to drive both as a regular in-traffic kid taxi and as a pretend fighter pilot on the backroads home from the mountains while everyone else is asleep.
So, we know the Seltos GT-Line is going to be equally delightful to drive if you love driving. It weighs about the same, goes similarly and has broadly the same level of features as the Kona Highlander.
But if you don’t have the extra few thousand to spare, can you save a few grand and still have a very sensible family car in the Seltos Sport+?
Well, I think that depends on you. What can you afford, what annoys you about driving, and what are the alternatives if you can’t bare the less-than-perfect Seltos’ idiosyncrasies.
Alternative small SUVs you might like to consider if money’s tight are the Hyundai Venue (which I'm yet to test drive), the Mazda CX-3 Neo or Subaru XV 2.0i - their lower spec-level. You could also think about something very cheap like an MG ZS ($22-27K); it’s ‘only’ rated with a four-star ANCAP safety rating, but that’s because it’s dated 2017 but now has crash-avoidance features, plus the airbag didn’t inflate fully during a crash test.
I’d stick to the Seltos or a more mainstream brand for now, because they’re all very safe and supported by established brands and large dealer networks.
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INSIDE
The cabin layout is low-key, functional and not irritating in any way - there are even a couple of clever touches like the storage hole forward of the transmission lever which doesn’t have a lid.
Storage lids on these little cubbies have a tendency to break and they impede progress, but you won’t find one in here. That’s good.
Seats are okay for general suburban and city driving, and happily, they do clean really easily thanks to the water resistant fabric and a tight weave and stitching that makes for easy vacuuming of sand et al.
The seats are reasonably comfy on a long trip too, but you’re glad to get out of them after two hours. Like any small car, the ambient drone of road noise and tyre roar means you'll want to stop for a break after 90 mins. It’s not awful, just a factor. You’ll want to avoid large potholes for this same reason.
Driving Seltos is interesting. It’s a bit noisy on coarse chip highway, but that’s because 18-inch alloys with relatively low-profile tyres and adequate (not exceptional) sound deadening will do that, not to mention the cabin is closer to the road than a bigger, higher heavier SUV.
If long distance driving is fairly frequent, try going up a size to Sportage, or at least sampling the Kona or CX-3 on freeways against Seltos if you can't afford to go bigger.
Or you could be cunning and go for a Cerato with a bigger wheelbase (cabin space, legroom) which I think has a nicer ride and drives better than the CVT Seltos. The Subaru XV is gifted with a much more sorted CVT and gets a mechanical all-wheel drive system if you frequent dirt roads, wet areas and do plenty of camping etc.
The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine isn’t particularly exciting to drive, but that’s okay. It does a good job turning petrol into energy and that’s all you need it for, really.
And typically I don’t have any issue with CVT transmissions, per se, but it’s the computer measuring my driving inputs which sometimes gets confused. And as perverse as this sounds, that’s kinda normal. See, CVT transmissions need you to tell the car in advance what’s happening up ahead because the software needs historical data in order to tell the gearbox what ratio (gear) to be in for the approaching situation, in order for the pulleys in the CVT to increase or decrease tension on the drive belts.
This whole process happens in the space of a few seconds and what it means is when you give the car a sudden sharp input, like a large amount of throttle pulling out of a T-intersection, for example, it can take a moment for the computer to recognise what you’re asking for and make it happen. Unfortunately, for me, this takes too long for my driving.
Granted, this and other situations requiring quick responses from the transmission and engine don’t happen very often. Rarely, even, and particularly so for ordinary drivers who are happy to wait with endless patience for the traffic to end.
But I can’t do that. My driveway is sloped and enters the bitumen at the exit of a blind corner where the regular traffic is almost never doing the permanent 50km/h residential speed limit. So as I reverse out, I need the car to be ready to get its shit together and get moving forward - now. Every millisecond I wait, I’m exposed to danger. I think the Seltos CVT+2.0-litre isn’t responsive enough, but to be fair to Kia, it hasn’t had much product use a CVT until now. Subaru’s CVT is superior and that shows in 10 years of getting it right. On freeways and suburban streets, the Seltos CVT is fine, and does the job.
However, you should judge for yourself because I am not you and it might suit you perfectly. I urge you to take a test drive of the CVT Seltos first and then drive the 1.6 dual-clutch GT-Line.
TRICKS & TREATS
The tech in Seltos is an interesting dichotomy of simple-and-slick and apprehensive.
A little rotary dial to switch between driving modes ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ ‘Sport’ and ‘Smart’ is wonderfully simple and removes a potential distraction from the steering wheel because it’s not something you should be tempted to play with while you’re moving; if you’re gonna change into a sportier drive setting, you should be stationary at the lights or parked etc.
Likewise, activating the electronic all-wheel drive system with the push of a button if you enter a damp grassy carpark or a mildly sandy beach track or even if it’s just particularly slippery underfoot, say, it’s been raining or you’re in a mountainous region where it’s cold and could be a bit icy, this simple addition of sending drive to the rear wheels could keep you straight and true.
Keep in mind, I did not just say it’s okay to take Seltos into difficult, snowy, or deep sandy or boggy conditions. Stay away from all of that. This is purely an electrical AWD system that splits drive via rear electronically controlled clutch. It is not a mechanical all-wheel drive system like a Subaru, nor is it a serious off-roader like a Pajero Sport or Nissan Patrol.
I used this system for the sandy carpark at Phillip Island and you can barely feel it at low speeds. And don’t let other reviews tell you that using Seltos’ AWD gives you extra traction or sends ‘more power’ to the back wheels. What it actually does is splits the available power (tractive effort, technically) by sending some to the rear; therefore you’re reducing the amount of power going to the front (reducing likelihood of wheelspin) and increasing your potential for grip. Instead of having 50 per cent on each front wheel, you have 25 per cent on each wheel, potentially.
As for Seltos’ capability for moving you and your family’s stuff from place to place, cargo space is not bad for beach bags, a kid's trike or balance bike, and the odd heavy item like a pram, and awkward items.
There’s no full-size spare wheel under the boot floor - it’s a space-saver only, which is a bit disappointing. But you’ll find pretty much all small SUVs are compromised in this way - Subaru XV, Mazda CX-3, Hyundai Kona, Mitsubishi ASX.
But installing child seats is a bit awkward, although not hard. ISOFIX points are a bit tricky to locate as they're not directly in the centre of the holes, and the top tether is quite high on seat back, which is great for short people, but finding it initially can be confusing based on where your arm normally would reach over and clip it in. Once the kids are dialled in, the rear of the front seats will cop dirty feet kicking them incessantly, so remove their shoes.
Your Ultimate Child Seat Installation Guide: Common mistakes and getting it right
Speaking of shoes, I'm a size 12 sneaker and the tip of my left or right shoe clips something in the footwell as I move my foot to the brake pedal. If you don't have big feet like I do, this probably won't effect you. But it’s awkward when you go to swiftly move your foot to pound the brakes and something (however minor) impedes your progress. If you’re on the taller side, I urge you to check if this issue affects you. (Also, why are you buying a small vehicle if you’re tall?)
The boot is relatively commodious, and will happily take a stroller, bags of potting mix etc, beach bags, a toddler’s bike. The problem, as with all small SUVs, is that you can take any combination of these things, but not all at once. Not without potentially stacking things on top and scuffing panels or squashing the bread or whatever. If you pack light and don’t tend to haul all your crap with you (rare when you have kids, I realise), then this is going to be an occasional inconvenience.
With the tens of thousands you save over a bigger mid-size SUV, you could look at some roof racks and a luggage pod or basket for taking those bulkier items. Or have a towbar fitted and take a small box trailer on bigger trips like for touring and holidays. This will keep the boot free for essentials like clothing, food, eskis and the rest.
OUTSIDE
Cruise control is adjustable in 1km/h increments, which is good. But the speed limiter function is bundled in with the cruise control on/off, which is annoying and one more thing you have to get past in order to set your ideal speed.
The CVT doesn't really like crawling in stop-start traffic for prolonged periods, it jolts forward as you creep up in speed, and then rocks slightly as you start slowing again and it drops a ratio. It's not awful, just nuanced. As someone who drives with mechanical sympathy in mind, I notice this. You may not, and it probably won't bother you. And don't misconstrue this as a fault, because CVTs aren’t bad, they just behave a little differently; try to keep your distance, and minimize stopping by keeping a consistent speed.
The reverse emergency braking system is a bit eager to slam on the brakes even if you're already lightly on the brake pedal; but this is better than it being dim-witted and failing to measure an imminent collision. If it were a choice between this with my adult kid driving or not, I'll take the intrusive software 100 times over.
In the same situation, I appreciate Kia's design of the closest distance setting on the radar cruise control being what seems like a proper 2 second gap. That's excellent and so underrated with this feature.
Every millisecond of time you have in front of you is crucial braking distance in an emergency, every meter you give yourself is time to think. So well done there, Kia.
Overall, Seltos is a bit cramped for my liking, but we tend to overpack rather than underpack.
And if you’re like the 80 per cent of regular drivers who don’t know what the apex of a corner is, nor care about dynamic performance on a twisty backroad, then you'll be at home with the Sport+ pictured and driven here.
If however, you get the shits when the car tries to be better than you or worse - can’t keep up with your demands- then anything other than the 1.6 engine with dual-clutch will drive you insane.
Lucky for me, a driving control freak who grumps at technology and swears quietly at inanimate objects (i’m ultimately in control of, ironically), i’m fortunate enough to be able to give the CVT 2.0 litre Seltos back to Kia.
So if you’re buying a small SUV, I urge you to drive the Sport+ first and see if you like it enough to save a few grand over the 1.6 DCT GT-Line.
Seltos is safe, light, economical and practical if you’re a suburban family and value for money carries more weight than outright go.
Make sure you test drive Seltos in a variety of conditions including busy streets, in traffic, on the freeway and on hills if you can.
Have a play with the tech, connect your phone and call mum, put your pram in the boot and even ask the dealer if you can have a demo for a weekend.
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If you have any questions about Seltos or any other small SUV, email me. I can even try to get you a discount…