Kia Seltos 2019 Review – Australia

Small SUVs have become big business in Australia, overtaking large SUVs and rapidly approaching small cars, 4x4 utes and the most popular new vehicle type, medium SUVs.

So it’s no surprise Kia and its equally ambitious sister brand Hyundai are keen to get in on the act, with the latter recently launching its second small SUV in as many years and Kia introducing its first on October 25 – just three months after its Korean release.

Thus far there’s no sign of a smaller and cheaper SUV based on the Hyundai Venue from Kia, and nor is it likely the Kia Seltos will follow the Hyundai Kona on which it’s based in offering all-electric and hot N versions.

What the Kia Seltos does offer, however, is a longer wheelbase and overall length than the Kona, more rear occupant space and cargo capacity than anything in its class, and a broad model range spanning $25,990-$41,990 drive-away.

There are class-leading technologies within the practical, high-quality cabin, plus the choice of four equipment grades (S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line) and two petrol powertrains – both with an automatic transmission as standard – all wrapped up in a reasonably stylish exterior.

Kia believes the offer is so compelling it expects the Seltos to reduce Cerato sales by five per cent and Sportage sales by 15 per cent, despite the mid-size SUV range being updated and repriced from $31,990 drive-away last year.

But it also concedes that because Australian vehicles will be sourced from Kia’s Gwangju factory in Korea, which will soon also supply the US market, sales will be limited to just 650 a month.

That would rank the Seltos eighth in its class behind the ASX, QASHQAI, CX-3, Kona, XV, HR-V and C-HR, and also well behind the Sportage and Kia’s top-selling Cerato.

A quick drive of the range-topping Kia Seltos GT-Line is enough to explain why Kia is so unhappy with its relatively paltry production allocation from Korea. In top-spec guise the brand’s first small SUV has enough space and technology to please everyone from young singles to small families and empty-nesters.

Riding on a 30mm-longer (2630mm) wheelbase and measuring 205mm longer overall (4370mm) than the Kona, Kia says the five-seat Seltos offers more rear passenger space than any other B-segment SUV.

Although it’s the same width as the Kona, there’s more rear legroom, headroom and shoulder space, and the 60/40-split rear seatback reclines over a bigger range (26 to 32 degrees) and folds completely flat to expand the huge 433 litres of boot space – extending to a massive 498 litres in the base model without a full-size spare.

There are also big cup/bottle holders in the doors and centre console, plus a sliding centre armrest and storage tray at the bottom of the centre stack.

Vision is good in all directions, the Kia Seltos is one of the quieter models in its class and the well presented cabin is lined with mostly soft-touch materials and packed with high-end features.

The $42K GT-Line is distinguished by LED headlights, tail-lights, DRLs and fog lights, 18-inch alloys, Aeroblade wipers, a sunroof and the no-cost two-tone paint option of a Cherry Black roof with either Clear White or Starbright Yellow body colours.

The only problem is it can’t be had with a sunroof and yellow is the only standard paint colour (premium hues including Neptune Blue, Gravity Grey, Mars Orange, Snow White Pearl, Steel Grey and Cherry Black cost $520 extra).

Inside, exclusive GT-Line features include Lane Following Assist, Safe Exit Alert, eight-speaker premium BOSE sound, fast wireless phone charger, 7.0-inch colour driver’s instrument cluster, 8.0-inch head-up display, premium artificial leather seats, rear USB outlet and air-vents and powered, heated and ventilated front seats.

There’s also Interior Sound Mood Lighting, which emits ambient illumination via 3D-patterned panels in the doors and dashboard that pulses in time to the beat of music and can be customised via eight colours and six themes.

Sadly, all other variants miss out on these features – the most glaring omission being rear USB power and air-vents – and the 26K entry-level S grade also lacks the $29,490 Sport variant’s 17-inch alloy wheels, premium steering wheel and gear shifter, climate-control, power-folding mirrors, auto up/down driver’s window, fog lights, solar glass and a full-size spare.

Apart from 16-inch steel wheels, the most obvious cost-cutting measure in the base S is the lack of the class-leading widescreen 10.25-inch tablet-style colour touch-screen infotainment system in all other models, bringing split-screen capability, 720p resolution, sat-nav with SUNA Traffic and 10-year MapCare updates.

Instead it makes do with an 8.0-inch mono touch-screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity and six speakers, but still scores cruise control, rear parking sensors, auto headlights and halogen daytime running lights.

Range-wide standard safety features extend to a camera-based low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning system with car and pedestrian detection (operational between 10 and 60km/h), plus lane keeping assist, driver attention alert, reversing camera with dynamic guidelines and six airbags including full-length side curtains but rear lower-side bags.

For $1000, an optional safety pack brings a camera/radar-based AEB system that works up to 85km/h and adds cyclist detection, without which the base Seltos S is unlikely to get a full five-star ANCAP safety rating, plus Advanced Smart Cruise Control with Stop&Go, Driver Attention Alert+, an electric park brake, power-folding mirrors, auto up/down driver’s window and 15-inch rear disc brakes.

The Sport gets many of those features as standard, but buyers must still pay an extra $1000 for a safety pack including the ‘Fusion II’ AEB system and radar cruise.

And in turn, it misses out on equipment that’s standard in the Sport+ (from $33K), including the safety pack plus Blind Spot Detection/Avoidance, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist (RCCA), cloth and artificial leather seat trim, smart key with push-button start, remote start, LED interior lights, electrochromic rear-view mirror, front parking sensors and a parcel shelf.

It comes as no surprise that the most compelling powertrain in the Kia Seltos is the 130kW/265Nm 1.6-litre T-GDI turbo-petrol engine matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto and all-wheel drive, which commands a $3500 price premium in the Sport+ and is standard in GT-Line.

A detuned version of the engine in the Cerato GT warm hatch, it sounds good, offers strong mid-range torque and combines with the quick-shifting DCT auto to deliver pleasingly flexible performance at any speed. Kia claims a 0-100km/h time of eight seconds and 80-120km/h overtaking in 5.3, making it reasonably brisk.

The 1.6T is certainly more engaging than the 110kW/180Nm four-cylinder 2.0-litre MPi Nu Atkinson-cycle engine fitted to front-wheel drive S, Sport and Sport+ variants, which also come standard with Kia’s first CVT auto (not the 2.0-litre Kona’s eight-speed torque converter auto) and are expected to account for 80 per cent of sales.

Thankfully it’s one of the better CVTs we’ve sampled; you’d be hard pressed distinguishing it from a conventional automatic and it comes with the same Normal, Eco and Sport drive modes as DCT models, the latter increasing steering, throttle and transmission response.

One thing that is obvious in front-drive models is the firmer ride – despite high-profile 205/60 R16 or 215/55 R17 rubber (versus 235/45 R18 in the GT-Line) – presumably due to the lack of independent rear suspension as fitted to AWD models.

When it came to local steering and suspension tuning, Kia says it benchmarked the Seltos against the Kona and premium small SUVs including the BMW X2 and XC40, but the torsion-beam rear axle in entry grades makes for less compliant bump absorption and more head shake.

But that’s hardly a deal-breaker and there’s little doubt that with all this practicality, technology and value – including generous seven-year aftersales back-up -- demand for the Kia Seltos will far outstrip supply.

How much does the 2019 Kia Seltos cost?
Price: From $25,990 drive-away
Engine: 2.0-litre petrol (2WD), 1.6-litre turbo-petrol (AWD)
Output: 110kW/180Nm, 130kW/265Nm
Transmission: CVT, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.8L/100km, 7.6L/100km
CO2: 157g/km, 175g/km
Safety rating: Not tested