Kia Seltos Sport 2021 Review

The 2021 Kia Seltos Sport is a small five-seat SUV that sits in the popular Korean manufacturer’s range above the Kia Stonic and below the just-launched new-generation Kia Sportage.

Launched in Australia in October 2019, the boxy Seltos is the second most popular Kia and the sixth most popular small SUV in a segment that has more than 20 contenders.

Its key rivals are its technical close relation, the Hyundai Kona (both Hyundai and Kia are owned by the over-arching Hyundai Motor Group), the Mazda CX-30, Mitsubishi ASX, MG ZS, Subaru XV, Toyota C-HR and Nissan QASHQAI.

There are four Seltos model grades and the Sport is the first step up from the entry-level S. Above it are the Sport+ and the GT-Line.

The Kia Seltos Sport is powered by a 110kW/180Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that mates standard with a seven-step CVT (continuously variable transmission) and front-wheel drive.

A 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder and seven-speed dual clutch are available with S+ and GT-Line.

The 2021 Kia Seltos Sport will set you back $29,790 plus on-road costs, a $3000 step up from the base S model.

However, a $1000 safety option pack in the test car included a more sophisticated autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, adaptive cruise control and bigger rear brakes (among other things).

It’s a box definitely worth ticking. The pack comes on top of six airbags, driver attention alert and two ISOFIX child seat attachment points (plus three top tether strap points).

Other standard Seltos Sport equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, single-zone climate control, cloth seat trim, cruise control, a 10.25-inch colour touch-screen, satellite navigation, six-speaker audio with a digital radio, Bluetooth, two USB plug-in points and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

One intriguing feature is ‘sounds of nature’, which pipes out soothing audio such as ‘calm ocean waves’, ‘rainy day’, ‘warm fireplace’ and so on. One is the sound of feet crunching through snow.

More practical in quelling angst, the spare tyre is full-size on an alloy wheel, which is pretty impressive at this affordable end of the market.

The Kia Seltos Sport is covered by a transferrable seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is scheduled every 15,000km or 12 months (whichever comes first) and totals $2818 via a capped-price scheme.

One great asset of the 2021 Kia Seltos Sport is rear seat space. It’s doubtful any small SUV could do a much better job of accommodating adults as well as kids back there.

On top of that, the luggage space is a generous 433 litres in the boot, expanding to 1393 litres with the rear seat split-folded.

A Hyundai Kona owner would notice the difference. While closely related to the Seltos, the Kona has a 30mm shorter wheelbase and is 205mm shorter overall. An owner of a Mazda CX-3, meanwhile, would be stunned by how much more generous the Kia is from the B-pillar back.

They’ll be more familiar with the lack of amenities for rear seat passengers; no pockets, no string nets, no adjustable air-con vents, no fold-down arm rest. It’s all a bit stingy.

There are some little luxuries missing elsewhere too. No front parking sensors, no push-button start, no power seats. Apart from the big touch-screen it’s fair to say the interior lacks any wow factor.

There’s nothing particularly special about the way the Seltos Sport drives either. Powertrain and chassis do their jobs in a user-friendly, amiable, set-and-forget sort of way.

It is classified as an SUV, but really it’s a front-wheel drive small car with a little extra ground clearance.

The CVT helps disguise the engine’s lack of low-down pulling power, avoiding rapid-fire gear changes on hill climbs. Driver-selectable Sport mode also helps liven the engine up when necessary.

Fuel consumption on test averaged around 8.0L/100km, which is in the ballpark for this segment.

The cabin doesn’t get too noisy and the ride is usually not too jarring or thumping despite the torsion beam rear suspension, which is fitted rather than the independent rear end that Seltos models with the turbo engine get.

Its small size (4.37m long) and light electric-assist steering make it an easy car to manoeuvre in tighter spaces such as car parks. But it’s here where you miss those front parking sensors.

The user-friendliness and spaciousness of the 2021 Kia Seltos Sport makes it suitable for families, couples and singles.

The Seltos would undoubtedly excel as a family second car and urban runabout.

The transferrable seven-year warranty also adds to its value as a second-hand sale when you want to move on to another car.

But forget about the Seltos Sport if you want to go off-road, tow (1100kg braked maximum), fancy some luxury or have more than four people you want to transport comfortably.

The 2021 Kia Seltos Sport is an honest effort from a brand that is doing consistently good work.

The Seltos Sport isn’t about to win any prizes for sexy styling or sporting driving capabilities, but it is right up there when it comes to doing a proficient transportation job at an affordable price.

Just remember to tick the box on the safety options pack. It’s $1000 well worth spending.

How much does the 2021 Kia Seltos Sport cost?
Price: $29,790 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 110kW/180Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 6.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 157g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)