2022 Kia Seltos Road Test and Review

2022 Kia Seltos ・ Photo by Kia

Kia is one of several major automakers with vehicle lineups that have shifted in favor of SUVs. While its catalog still offers more cars than most, Kia’s SUV line has expanded in recent years and is now one of the most competitive in the industry. A few years ago, Kia debuted the Telluride, a massively popular mid-size SUV with three rows of usable seating and an upscale interior. Then, in 2021, the Seltos was unveiled. The subcompact SUV offers a scaled down take on Kia’s larger SUVs, which means standout styling, great tech, and solid safety equipment in a manageable, affordable package.

The Seltos competes in a crowded segment that also includes the Kia Soul, Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, and others.

Trims and Pricing

The 2022 Kia Seltos is available in five trims, all but one of which come standard with all-wheel drive. The LX AWD model starts at $23,665, including a $1,175 destination charge. The S trim is available with either front-wheel drive ($23,865) or all-wheel drive ($25,365), and the EX AWD starts at $26,965. The top two trims are the Nightfall Edition AWD, which starts at $27,865, and the SX AWD, which has a starting price of $29,165. The good news is that all Seltos trims deliver decent fuel economy; the bad news is that there’s no hybrid or plug-in hybrid option to ease fuel consumption.

Kia’s trim level structure is simple and straightforward, which means there are a handful of trims with only a few options. Standalone additions include cargo netting for the trunk, wheel locks, mud guards, and various other accessories.

Photo by Kia

Style and Design

Though smaller than its flagship SUVs, Kia gave the Seltos a grown-up look that mimics the larger and more expensive Sorento and Telluride SUVs. The Seltos features Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille with slim headlights and chrome accents. The Nightfall Edition adds blacked-out exterior accents, exclusive roof rack rails, grille, and door trim. Kia offers two-tone paint for the Seltos that features a black roof to accent the vehicle’s body color.

The Seltos’ interior will look immediately familiar to anyone who has spent time in a Hyundai Kona, as the two share much of their underlying engineering and tech. Their cabins also share similar layouts, though the Kia’s interior is more serious looking without the rounded shapes and light-hearted design of the Hyundai.

Photo by Kia

Powertrain

Kia offers two engines for the 2022 Seltos. The base mill is a 2.0-liter engine with 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. A turbocharged 1.6-liter engine is available that produces 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The base four-cylinder comes paired with a continuously variable transmission and the upgraded turbocharged engine comes with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Both engines return better-than-decent fuel economy, but the lack of a hybrid or PHEV powertrain option is notable.

With so much daylight between the specs and configurations of the two powertrains, it’s not surprising that there’s a gap between the driving experiences provided by the duo. The base engine is decently powerful and provides reasonable grunt for in-town driving, but reaching highway speeds and passing once there requires effort. The turbocharged engine is a better companion for the Seltos in all activities, but extra horsepower and a turbocharger can’t overcome the dual clutch transmission’s tendency to drag its feet with shifts.

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Ride and Handling

The Seltos manages a predictable, firm ride that remains mostly comfortable over a variety of road surfaces. Some drivers will find handling and ride quality to be sporty and engaging, while others may find it too stiff for everyday use. Steering feel is nonexistent, and there’s a good amount of body movement when cornering. There’s good brake pedal feel, and steering feels accurate, in spite of its lack of overall feedback. Road and wind noise are mostly well controlled, and the Seltos stays relatively quiet on longer trips, even at highway speeds.

Photo by Kia

Interior Comfort and Quality

There’s seating for up to five people in the Seltos’ simple but comfortable cabin. Most taller adults will be more comfortable in the front seats, but that’s not to say that the back seat is a penalty box. Kia built in useful features, such as reclining rear seats and nice cloth that give the Seltos a more premium feel, and the front cabin area is laid out intuitively for easy use of all controls and displays. There’s good visibility from the driver’s seat as well, which makes maneuvering the Seltos much easier in tight spaces.

Headroom measures 40 inches in front and 38.4 inches in back, while legroom measures 41.1 inches in front and 38 in back. Those figures are larger on paper than the Hyundai Kona, and work with the Seltos’ grown-up interior design to create a space that is a nice place to spend time.

Photo by Kia

Technology

The Seltos comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen that runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Bluetooth and voice commands. A 10.25-inch display is available with higher trims that brings navigation, SiriusXM radio, and more. The standard six-speaker stereo can be upgraded to a Bose 8-speaker system, and higher trim levels also get wireless smartphone charging.

Kia’s infotainment system is simple and intuitive, and it lacks fancy animations and menus. While it’s not as easy on the eyes as its rivals’ infotainment systems, the Seltos’ is easy to use, which makes interacting with the vehicle much less distracting while it’s in motion. Kia also did a great job with packaging here, as buyers can get many of the most desirable features without moving past the base trim level. That means that while navigation and other features are available for people who shell out more cash, the Seltos provides a good experience at all trim levels.

Photo by Kia

Safety

The 2022 Kia Seltos has not yet been crash tested by either major safety organization, but last year’s model picked up a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The award included “Good” scores in all crash test categories, a “Good” or “Poor” rating for headlights, “Superior” scores for both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention, and an “Acceptable” score for LATCH system ease of use.

Standard safety features include a rearview camera, rear occupant alerts, forward collision avoidance assist with vehicle and pedestrian detection, a driver attention warning system, lane keep assist, lane departure warnings, lane following assist, and automatic high beams. Available tech includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, a safe exit assist system, and Kia’s Highway Driving Assist system.

Photo by Kia

Fuel Economy

When equipped with the base engine and front-wheel drive, the Seltos returns an EPA-estimated 29/35/31 mpg city/highway/combined. All-wheel drive softens those numbers slightly to 27/31/29 mpg, respectively. The optional turbocharged engine pairs only with all-wheel drive and returns 25/30/27 mpg city/highway/combined. Those are competitive numbers for a small SUV, especially one with all-wheel drive.

Kia doesn’t offer a hybrid option for the Seltos, which admittedly isn’t common in its class. However, the Selto’s size and price may mean that buyers cross-shop it with larger compact SUVs, which is a segment with plenty of hybrid options.

Photo by Kia

Final Thoughts

The Kia Seltos offers a compelling mix of interior space, cargo capacity, and tech. That’s on top of the vehicle’s excellent safety scores and generous standard driver aids. There’s little else in the Seltos’ segment that can match up with it in those areas, but there are more engaging driver’s vehicles that may be a better choice for some. The Mazda CX-30 offers a better driving experience and similar price tag, for example. That said, few automakers offer a warranty that matches Kia’s, and few are able to match its value.

Photo by Kia