The 2021 Kia Seltos

If there is one thing Kia is good at SUVs. Just look at their current lineup; the Sportage, Sorento, Soul, Telluride – and now we have a new addition, the 2021 Kia Seltos. The first thing we want to point out is that this is definitely Kia’s attempt to make headway in the “off-road” area of the driver demo, outfitting the Seltos with some pretty impressive looking off-road accessories for at least a photoshoot or two.

The 2021 Seltos is based on Kia’s sister brand’s top of the line SUV, the Hyundai Kona. The Seltos has similar handling feel to that of the Kona but takes its interior game to the next level by offering a taller ride height, a more spacious cabin, and quite a bit more technology for the driver (not while you’re driving) and passengers to play with.

One surprising thing to note is the driver-assistance features or a better way to put it, is the lack of standard driver-assistance features on the Seltos. This is kind of surprising. Kia is usually one to make not only driver-assistance features but also a host of infotainment attributes pretty common across all trim levels. Driver-assistance features, like adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, are still available, you just have to pay for them. From what we’ve seen so far and the word around the internet, Kia has another fantastic SUV to add to its already impressive lineup. The 2021 Kia Seltos is definitely worth learning more about.

Highs

• Spacious interior
• Pretty cool optional 10.3-inch infotainment screen
• Agile handling

Lows

• Firm ride
• &-speed auto transmission is hesitant at lower speeds
• Driver-assistance features are not standard

What’s New

In a word. Everything. This is a brand-new rig, so there isn’t a nut, bolt, stitch, button, tube, light bulb, etc. that isn’t new on the Seltos.

Pricing

• S – $23,110
• LX – $23,110
• EX – $26, 410
• SX – $29,010

The EX is probably the trim to go with here in this scenario. The SX model will definitely come with all the bells and whistles but the EX is pretty packed with features and tech too. But the EX is much cheaper than the SX. All-wheel drive is going to up the price a bit, but if you aren’t planning on off-roading up on Mt. Hood or traversing the Gorge anytime soon then you are probably safe sticking with the front-wheel-drive version to get you and the family around downtown PDX.

Performance

In terms of power you have two choices; a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 146hp or a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that can pump out 175hp. The 2.0-liter Seltos is paired with a continuously variable transmission to give it adequate power on the road but the turbo comes with a 7-speed auto transmission that delivers that extra boost of speed you are definitely going to appreciate. Like we said above, all-wheel drive is available, but for a price. Overall the 2021 Kia Seltos offers a very smooth ride with sharp handling not commonly found in an SUV. And from the sounds of it from some of our test drivers, way more fun to drive than some of its rivals like the Jeep Compass and Mitsu Outlander Sport.

On the fuel economy front, the EPA has estimated that the Kia Seltos will have pretty efficient MPG numbers, which isn’t all that surprising considering its… well… a Kia. The Seltos S rocks an estimated MPG of 29 city and 34 highway and the top trim SX AWD comes in just slightly less with 25 MPG city and 20 MPG highway.

Also, while we’re talking performance, here is a peek at the off-road build we talked about earlier in the post that Kia unveiled as a one-of-a-kind Seltos concept at the 2019 L.A. Auto Show.

X-Line Urban Concept

Ready for any road, the X-Line Urban Concept features a custom two-inch lift kit, 17×8-inch alloy wheels, and four high-powered Hella auxiliary lights.

X-Line Trail Attack Concept

A two-inch lift kit, off-road tires, and a winch behind the front valance make the X-Line Trail Attack Concept ready to leave the pavement behind.

Interior & Tech

Inside the Seltos continues to impress with a ton more space for both people and cargo compared to other SUVs in its class. Borrowing from Kia’s luxury full-size SUV, the Seltos’ interior materials are refined and well-chosen to add a sense of lavishness to the cabin. A cool feature for the SX model is the ability to set up the ambient lighting to pulse along with the music for those out on the town nights, similar to what the Soul has in it now.

Pretty standard across all makes and models of cars nowadays, the Kia Seltos has a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration standard across all trims. One thing to splurge on is the 10.3-inch touchscreen when you are building your rig. The infotainment system offers navigation complete with the ability to have a split-screen view mode so you can change your music and keep the nav up on the screen at the same time. Some more fun tech features that are optional and only available on some trims is a wireless charging pad for your phone, up to 3 USB ports, a heads-up display, and a 7-inch color display in the gauge cluster. Also, a big plus in our book, an eight-speaker Bose audio system is also optional.

Safety and Driver-Assistance

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Seltos an overall 4-star crash rating and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given Kia’s newest SUV top ratings for crashworthiness and front crash prevention. Like we said above, driver-assistance features are available but not standard on the Seltos, key features include:

• Available automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection

Available Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) uses a radar system, designed to help detect a potential collision and automatically apply the brakes in a variety of circumstances.

• Available blind-spot monitoring

If you try to change lanes while an object is detected in the blind spot, BCA-R can apply brake pressure to the front wheel of the opposite side to help maintain your previous course.

• Available lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist

Standard LKA works with the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system. If LDW detects you drifting outside your lane, LKA may intervene by applying steering input.

• Available Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance

Sensors are hidden in the corners of the rear bumper scan for passing cars, motorcycles, and/or other vehicles as you back up. If the system detects a potential hazard crossing into your intended path, audio and visual warnings and possible braking intervention are activated.

Warranty

Maintaining the standard, Kia’s warranty is the best in the industry and they continue to offer the 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty coverage on its models that we’ve all become so accustomed to over the course of Kia’s warranty reign.

• Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance

In Conclusion

The 2021 Kia Seltos is the perfect rig for someone who wants the luxury of the Telluride without the larger size and the rugged capabilities of a mid-size SUV from Jeep. The technology and interior materials are amazing and no matter where you take it, cruisin’ down I-5 or hitting the trails in Bend, the Seltos combines utility, luxury, and tech-savvy perfectly but still is still relatively inexpensive making it a ride available to the many rather than the few.