Kia Seltos: Small SUV that's one of the most practical in its class

• Price: $30,050 plus on-road costs
• Engine: 1999cc naturally aspirated or 1598cc turbocharged four-cylinder DOHC petrol
• Max power and torque: 114kW (@ 6000rpm)/200Nm (@ 4000rpm) – 146kW (@6000rpm)/265Nm
• (between 1600rpm and 4500rpm)
• Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive or eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
• Fuel consumption (claimed): 6.9L/100km – 7.4L/100km
• Fuel type/tank size: 91RON, 50L
• L/W/H/WB: 4385/1800/1635/2630mm
• Kerb weight: 1375kg (2.0L) – 1495kg (1.6T AWD)
• Boot: 433L-468L seats up/1393L-1428L seats folded
• 0-100km/h: 10 seconds (2.0L – est), 7.5 seconds (1.6T – est)

Kia’s fortunes in Australia continue to rise, from an obscure brand even in the early 2000s to sitting comfortably in the top five of Australian sales every month is astounding, and it’s likely to grow again later this year with the introduction of the Tasman ute.

One of the bigger sellers in the Kia range for now, however, is the Seltos small SUV, which sits above
the smaller Stonic but below the larger Sportage. Priced from just $30,050 plus on-road costs, the
Seltos is excellent value for money but what about the rest of its overall package?

Price and equipment

There are four models in the Kia Seltos range in Australia, available in either front-drive 2.0-litre or
in the case of Sport+ and GT-Line, all-wheel drive 1.6-litre turbo forms.

2025 Kia Seltos pricing (plus on-road costs):

Kia Seltos S standard equipment:

• 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Dusk-sensing automatic halogen headlights with halogen daytime running lights
• Remote keyless entry
• Roof rails
• Auto-folding mirrors
• Manual air-conditioning with rear air vents
• Cloth upholstery
• 8.0-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired/wireless Android Auto
• Six-speaker sound system
• 3x USB charging ports
• Cruise control

Seltos S safety equipment:

• Six airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian avoidance
• Lane keeping assistance with lane departure warning
• Auto high beam
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (with braking)
• Intelligent speed limit assist
• Driver attention monitoring
• Rear occupant alert
• Safe exit warning
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Alarm
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Seltos Sport model adds:

• 17-inch alloy wheels with a full-size alloy spare wheel
• Projector front fog lights
• Synthetic leather steering wheel and gearknob
• Auto up/down driver’s window
• 10.25-inch touchscreen
• Kia Connect live services
• Sat-nav with 10 years of live traffic information
• Single-zone automatic climate control with auto defog functionality

Seltos Sport+ model adds:

• Upgraded AEB system with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assistance
• Adaptive cruise control
• Driver attention alert with lead vehicle departure alert
• Keyless entry and push button start with remote engine start
• Cloth and artificial leather upholstery
• Sliding front centre console
• Heated exterior mirrors
• 10.25-inch digital driver’s display
• Multi-link rear suspension (AWD only)
• Electronic hand brake

Seltos GT-Line model adds:

• LED headlights, taillights and front fog lights
• 18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size alloy spare
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 10-way electric driver’s seat with memory
• 8-way electric front passenger seat
• Sunroof (not with two-tone paint)
• Electric tailgate with smart opening
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Eight-speaker Bose sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Head-up display
• Ambient cabin lighting
  

Performance and economy

The Kia Seltos is available with either a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated or 1.6-litre turbocharged four-
cylinder petrol engine, with the former mated to a CVT automatic and sending power to the front
wheels only – the latter uses an eight-speed auto and is all-wheel drive. The 2.0L makes 110kW of
power and 180Nm of torque with the 1.6T making 146kW/265Nm.

Kia claims fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km for the 2.0L and 7.4L/100km for the 1.6T, with claimed
CO2 emissions of between 157g/km for the 2.0L and 175g/km for the 1.6T. Both engines can use
91RON regular unleaded fuel and feature a 50-litre fuel tank.

Interior comfort, practicality and boot space

Inside the Kia Seltos is one of the most practical interiors you’ll find in the small SUV segment with
ample storage and room for passengers and their luggage. The door bins are big, as is the bin
underneath the central armrest and the cupholders are healthily-sized too.

While the Seltos’ cabin is quite practical, it could be better quality with hard plastics used all over
the dashboard and door trims. They’re hard wearing, but make it feel a bit cheap inside. Thankfully,
seat comfort and visibility are excellent across the range – especially in the GT-Line and its
electrically adjustable front seats.

Centre of the cabin is either an 8.0- (S) or 10.25-inch (Sport and above) touchscreen. Neither
system uses the brand’s latest ‘ccNc’ infotainment software, but they’re both still very easy to use.
Curiously, only the smaller screen features wireless smartphone mirroring – the larger one is wired-
only.

The rear seat of the Seltos is big for the segment, with ample leg- and headroom for even taller
adults, and the big windows make it feel airier than most competitors too. Even the base S features
two USB-C charging ports and air vents for passengers to use, with the Sport+ and GT-Line further
adding a rear central armrest with cupholders.

The Seltos’ boot measures between 433 litres for the Sport and above and 468L for the S thanks
to its smaller space-saver spare wheel – folding the rear seats opens up 1393L in the Sport and
above, and 1428L in the S. The boot is nice and square, with a low lip opening, and the seats fold
flat as well.

On the road

As we’ve come to expect from Kia’s products in Australia, the Seltos’ locally tuned suspension set
up is excellent and does well in ironing out our rubbish road surfaces. Put simply, the Seltos is one of the best-riding options in the small SUV segment, and it handles nicely as well – it’s no Mazda CX-30 for fun, but it is also more comfortable.

Where the CX-30 has the Seltos beaten is in road noise as the Seltos can be reasonably loud at highway speeds. However, its well-tuned active safety features make up for that – though, we find it strange that buyers must upgrade to the Sport+ to get adaptive cruise control when many rivals offer it as standard across the range.

Both engine options in the Seltos range are more than ample for urban use, with even the 2.0L getting along on motorways just fine. The 2.0L’s CVT transmission is also more intuitive than most with its stepped ratios making it feel like a regular auto most of the time. The 2.0L engine can be a bit loud at higher revs but when you’re not caning it, it’s quiet and refined.

The 1.6-litre turbo’s extra grunt is appreciated however, and it makes most of the great chassis. Its full 265Nm of torque hits at just 1600rpm and stays until 4500rpm, giving you its grunt most of the time in the real world. Kia doesn’t claim a 0-100km/h time, but we’d wager it to be in the seven-second range, making it one of the quickest non-performance small SUVs.

Service and warranty

The Seltos is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty with up to eight years of roadside assistance if serviced through a Kia dealership. The 2.0-litre engine has longer service intervals at 15,000km versus the 1.6T’s shorter 10,000km intervals.

Five years of servicing costs $2,082 for the 2.0L and slightly more at $2,187 for the 1.6T, though that’s to 75,000km for the 2.0L and only 50,000km for the 1.6T.

Verdict: Should I buy a 2025 Kia Seltos?

Overall, while the 2025 Kia Seltos doesn’t offer a hybrid drivetrain option and its interior quality could be better, it’s still a great option in the small SUV segment. It’s roomy, drives quite well thanks to its local tuning program, offers a wide range of models and features two willing engine options. It’s no surprise that the Seltos still manages to sell well, even at almost six years of age.

Kia Seltos rivals

• Hyundai Kona
• Mazda CX-30
• Nissan Qashqai