~ A DriveWays Review ~
by Frank A. Aukofer

It’s not often that small crossover sport utility vehicles receive raves for styling. That’s because most are fairly simple two-box structures oriented toward passenger and cargo usefulness, and fuel economy.

The 2024 Kia Seltos SX doesn’t ignore those virtues but manages also to combine them with flowing exterior styling that not only is easy on the eyes but deserving of enthusiastic favorable comment. In short, it’s a looker.

Anyone connected to the automobile industry knows that first impressions can often predict the continuing acceptance of a new model. Other attributes like performance, handling, ride quality and interior comfort await judgment by the reviewers who, like everyone else, are prone to comment first on the exterior design.

The tested 2024 Kia Seltos SX Turbo AWD from South Korea came with a new grille design, flowing lines and two-tone paint in “Pluton Blue,” accented by a black roof and stylish new 17-inch five-spoke machine-finished alloy wheels, all of it contributing to an appearance that belies its $31,885 bottom-line price.

The base price was $31,315, including the destination charge, indicating that the SX was a fully equipped top trim level with only two options: the two-tone paint and carpeted floor mats.

Inside, the tester was dressed in black upholstery made of perforated Syn Tex artificial leather, which delivered comfort and support for long hours of driving, along with prominent bolsters on the front seats to grip the torso on twisting roads. The headliner and other trim were colored in contrasting neutral gray.

In the Kia SUV lineup, the Seltos slots in between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage, which competes against the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Some reviewers refer to the Seltos as a subcompact crossover SUV, though there’s no official designation of its size, as there is for automobiles. The Environmental Protection Agency simply lists the Seltos as “small,” though it also applies that designation to other, larger vehicles. The only other label is “standard.”

The Seltos is 14 feet 5 inches long with a passenger volume of 99 cubic feet and cargo space behind the back seat of 27 cubic feet for a total of 126. If it were a sedan, the EPA would classify it as a large car, defined as one with 120 or more cubic feet of interior space, including the passenger cabin and trunk.

There’s space for five passengers, with solid comfort up front and in the outboard back seats. As usual in many vehicles, the center-rear passenger gets disrespected with a tight seating area and a floor hump. The rear seatbacks fold almost flat, to kick out any back seat occupants but boost the cargo area to 63 cubic feet.

SX Turbo power gets to all four wheels from a 195-horsepower, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 195 pound-feet of torque, or twisting force. That’s a bump of 20 horsepower above the previous model. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic with a manual shift mode, also up from the previous seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. There are three selectable drive modes: Normal, Smart and Sport.

Once you get past the eye candy styling and settle into the driver’s seat, the Seltos displays its basic personality, which amounts to a driving experience that, if not frightening as on some performance machines, has exciting moments. Most of that is provided by a marvelous melding of the automatic transmission with the four-cylinder engine.

It somewhat reminds a test driver of one of the Seltos sister models from the Kia-Hyundai garage: the luxury Genesis GV70 electric, which has a boost button on the steering wheel. Drive serenely and punch the boost button, and it feels as if the GV70 has been shot out of a cannon.

The sensation is not exactly the same with the gasoline Seltos. But punch the throttle at about 2,200 rpm and the tested Seltos SX leaps forward like a wolf on a rabbit. The zero to 60 miles an hour acceleration time is a respectable seven seconds.

Hyundai and Kia are sister companies, with Hyundai owning about one-third of Kia. They share some components, including drive trains, but do their own styling and other embellishments. Over the last decade, the two have worked diligently to up their game in the marketplace, with Kia winning awards for reliability, durability and performance

The effort makes the 2023 Seltos seem better, even parked.

Specifications

  • Model: 2024 Kia Seltos SX Turbo AWD four-door crossover sport utility vehicle.
  • Engine: 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, turbocharged; 195 hp, 195 lb-ft torque.
  • Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with manual-shift mode and all-wheel drive.
  • Overall length: 14 feet 5 inches
  • Height: 5 feet 4 inches.
  • EPA/SAE passenger/cargo volume: 99/27 cubic feet. (cargo 63 rear seatbacks folded).
  • Weight: 3, 295 pounds.
  • Towing capability: Not recommended.
  • EPA city/highway/combined fuel consumption: 25/27/26 mpg.
  • Base price, including destination charge: $31,315.
  • Price as tested: $31,885.

Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided the vehicle used to conduct this test drive and review. Photos ©Kia