The affordability thing is a real thing – and Kia is trying to address it. The Seltos – which used to be AWD only is now AWD optional. It’s also larger – and a lot nicer. At a glance, it looks like Kia’s very popular Telluride – which is also nice, but starts t $39,190.
The new Seltos starts at $24,990 – and you may be pleasantly surprised by what you get for that.
What It is
The Seltos is the least expensive vehicle Kia offers now that the Soul has been retired. But that doesn’t mean it’s an el cheapo special. It’s not just styled to look like a Telluride; it has Telluride-esque equipment such as a single sheet/dual LCD 12.3 inch main instrument screen integrated with a 12.3 inch secondary screen that can stream YouTube and Netflix, a huge (12 inch) heads up display, a panorama sunroof, reclining rear seats, pillow-like headrests for the front seats, Tesla-style flush-mounted door pulls that open as you approach and other high-end features that were never available before in a Seltos.
Or for the money.
As mentioned, the base price is $24,990 for the LX with front-wheel-drive; the AWD LX lists for $26,900. The next-up S trim ($26,390 with FWD, $28,090 with AWD) adds a wireless phone charging pad, 18 inch wheels and trim upgrades. The EX ($28,390 with FWD, $30,090 with AWD) gets synthetic leather upholstery, heated seats and is available with the panorama sunroof.
The $28,990 X-Line comes standard with the AWD system, plus driver-selectable terrain modes, for additional poor weather and light off-road capability. This one also gets a more rugged look, with gunmetal gray accents.
All of the foregoing trims come standard with a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine that isn’t turbocharged – because it’s big enough to get the job done without one. A CVT automatic is the standard transmission.
Kia offers a drivetrain alternative, for those who want more than enough (and don’t want the CVT). The X-Line SX ($32,790) comes standard with a turbocharged 1.6 liter engine and an eight speed automatic. AWD s standard – as is a Bose stereo rig and self-driving (on the highway) tech.
What’s New for 2027
The Seltos gets a major makeover. The drivetrains are the same as last year but just about everything else is different.
What’s Good
Low price, but doesn’t look it.
AWD is available but you can skip it if you don’t need it.
Available performance variant.
What’s Not So Good
All but the X-Line SX performance variant come only with the CVT automatic.
Pestering “assistance” technology is standard in all trims.
Peppy turbo engine is only available in the most expensive trim.
Under The Hood
The standard engine in the Seltos is – arguably – the kind of engine that ought to be standard in a transportation appliance. This is latter is not meant pejoratively. Most vehicles are appliances; their job is to transport you from A to B competently and reliably. A naturally aspirated (i.e., no turbo) four cylinder engine of adequate size that makes adequate power without a turbo is perfectly suited for that. It’s also an engine that isn’t under constant pressure – i.e., turbo boost – to make adequate power and that is an inherent long-term reliability enhancer, which is arguably a value-enhancer.
As far as power, the Kia’s 2.0 liter four makes 147 horsepower – which is enough to get the Seltos to 60 in about 8.3 seconds. That’s not push-you-back-in-the-seat quick – but it’s certainly adequate.
Gas mileage is pretty good: 28 city, 34 highway for the FWD version; with AWD, it slips a little to 27 city, 31 highway.
A CVT automatic is the standard (and only available) transmission.
There’s a performance option – if you want a Seltos with more-than-adequate power (and performance). The X-Line SX comes standard with a turbocharged 1.6 liter engine that touts 190 horsepower and that’s enough to get this version of the Seltos to 60 in about 6.9 seconds, which is quicker than a 1980 Turbo Trans Am.
The Seltos SX also gets an eight-speed (non CVT) automatic; AWD is also standard.
Gas mileage is still 24 city, 27 highway.
On The Road
This thing feels like a time machine. It takes me back to circa 2015 – when I first sat down in a new car that came standard with a dashboard display that looked like Mr. Data’s station on the bridge of the starship Enterprise. That had pillowy headrests, like this Seltos does. Back in 2015, though, this kind of experience didn’t cost you just over $24k to start. Add $75k to that, for starters. It’s remarkable how much ground Kias (and Hyundais and other non-luxury-brand cars) have gained on the luxury-brand cars. And how much ground they’ve lost. If you think I am exaggerating, check it out for yourself. I’d feel sheepish, were I a Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Lexus salesman attempting to sell someone a six figure car when they could get almost the same thing – something very close – for a down payment on a six figure car.
Ok, but what about what’s under the hood?
Well, how about for starters what’s under the hood is literally the same size and type of engine that’s under the hood of a $60k Benz E-Class or BMW 5-Series? They all have 2.0 liter fours. But which is the el cheapo special? Granted, the 2.0 liter fours in the Benz (and the BMW) are turbocharged and they makes more power than the Kia’s 147 horsepower four does. So? For more than twice the price – close to three times the price – they ought to.
Is the Setlos as quick as a $60k Benz or BMW? No, of course it isn’t. But is it quick enough? Arguably, it is. Anything that can get to 60 in about 8 seconds is quick enough for normal, day-in/day-out driving. The extra oomph is nice to have, of course. But how much more do you want to spend for it? You could also get it – in the X-Line SX – for about half the cost of a new Benz E-Class or BMW 5. Yes, the BMW and the Benz are still quicker – but are they nicer? Maybe a little. Certainly not much. They all have the starship Enterprise display and the Seltos has some things they don’t, such as those reclining rear seats. The ride is also pillowy – like the pillowy headrests that cradle your noggin.
This is a very nice ride to go for a long (or short) ride in.
The 1.6 turbo engine makes it nicer. Though smaller, it is much peppier. It is also more easygoing. If that doesn’t sound like it makes sense, I’ll explain. It’s easier-going because it takes less pedal effort to get going. The 1.6 engine doesn’t merely make more horsepower; it makes more torque – 195 ft.-lbs. – and that’s what makes it feel peppier with less pedal effort. There’s a pleasant swell of thrust that comes online when you push the pedal down about a third of the way; there’s rarely any need to floor it. The eight speed automatic adds to the quiet because it reduces engine RPM with each upshift. Shy of flooring it, the turbo Seltos is almost electric car silent.
Unfortunately, you can only get this drivetrain in the top-of-the-line Seltos X-Line SX.
At The Curb
You have heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In that case, the Seltos is very sincerely emulating its bigger brother, the Telluride. This isn’t a bad idea. The Telluride is one of Kia’s most successful-ever models – so why not make it (effectively) even more successful? The idea seems to have been to conjure a smaller, more affordable version of the Telluride – so that more people can buy (or just want to buy) Kias.
More fundamentally, the Seltos is just nice. More than nice. It is very nice – and not just for the money. It sells itself.
The 2027 Seltos rides on a longer, 105.9 wheelbase (an increase of 2.4 inches) which not only helps with the ride, it also helps increase interior space for passengers and cargo. Rearseat legroom has been increased by an inch (it’s now 39 inches vs. 38 previously) and total cargo capacity is up to 64.2 cubic feet now (vs. 62.8 before)
This makes it family-car viable.
What these numbers do not convey is the feeling – the actuality – of spaciousness that the new Seltos has, especially in the rear. Reclining rear seats greatly increase the effective space that passengers have to stretch out. There’s also an increase – in ground clearance – which goes up to 8.1 inches (vs. 7.3 previously). This extra clearance is at least as helpful as having AWD; it also helps even if you do not have AWD. A FWD vehicle with that much clearance has an advantage in the snow over an AWD vehicle with less clearance. All four wheels slipping doesn’t get you going. You can also tackle deeper standing water, etc.
It’s remarkable how many high-end features this entry-level Kia offers. The dual-LCD displays that span two-thirds of the upper dash; the flush-mounted/auto-opening Tesl-like door pulls. The panorama roof. The Lane Trace system that comes really close to steering the car for you (a safety nag prompts you to keep your hands on the wheel if you don’t keep your hands on the wheel). None of the latter were even available as options with the old Seltos. All of them were until fairly recently only available in much more expensive luxury-brand cars.
It begs the question: Why buy a luxury-brand car, if all you’re getting is a more expensive car?
The Rest
Next year – when we get to calendar year 2027 – Kia will be adding a hybrid iteration of the Seltos to the lineup. It will pair the 1.6 liter engine (augmented by a battery pack/electric motor) with a six-speed dual clutch automatic. No specs have been released yet about either fuel economy or price but it’ll probably sticker for around $28k to start and ought to tout about 10 MPG better gas mileage than a Sektos with the 2.0/CVT combo.
The Bottom Line
To say it’s nice hardly begins to tell the story.
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Too bad there is no way to avoid the CVT and the turbo.. You still get stuck with one or the other of the undesired features. Ugh…..
Any automaker trying to keep a new vehicle well under 30k should be applauded. Under 20k even more so. Too bad most aren’t listening.
I agree, Rich –
CVTs are – fundamentally – compliance transmissions. They allow for small but significant (in terms of compliance) mileage gains; about 3 MPG is typical vs. the same drivetrain with a six speed automatic. This would be fine if CVTs were as reliable (long term) as conventional automatics, but – generally – they are not. Also, the operating characteristics can be unpleasant. The real shame, in my view, is that you can’t get a manual in lower priced vehicles such as this one. They ought to be – as they were once called – standard.
My late wife had a Kia Sportage. It was comfortable but woefully underpowered.
OT: Your Old Truck is Worthless Now. They Won.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-gJm2-ylVA