Kia Seltos (2019-2026)

DO NOT BUY!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!! KIA treats their customers with UTTER CONTEMPT!!! Bought this car for my wife and overall it is great, HOWEVER Kia refuses to fix the annoying and dangerous speed limit BEEPING! One KM over the limit and it BEEPS loudly incessantly, which is dangerously distracting. Other warnings can have the volume… Read more

reduced but not the speed warning. While the feature can be turned off manually, the more concerning issue that Kia Management treats their customers with CONTEMPT and refuses to fix the issue. It is now more than 2 years and 6 months since buying the car and multiple software updates that do nothing to resolve the issue. Many media reports and social media posts and direct emails to Kia are completely ignored. They are treating their customers with CONTEMPT! Meanwhile our daughter has purchased a Toyota with the same feature that does NOT BEEP at all, let alone FIVE TIMES LOUDLY and on REPEAT! KIA management is a DISGRACE!

The rugged cousin of the Kia Soul. AWD and practicality are the best things about this compact SUV – This car came at exactly the right time in my week. I managed to witness our $210,000 Range Rover Sport that we were reviewing be struck by a careless delivery driver. That meant the most expensive car I’ve ever reviewed had to be returned less than 48 hours into our review period. With my head down low, I swapped the Kia Sorento PHEV for a… Read more

bright yellowish-green Kia Seltos AWD. I’m going to be honest, going from a $200,000 SUV to a Kia Seltos wasn’t exactly the most exciting jump.

However, I was more than pleasantly surprised with this small SUV.

Kia’s taking all the right steps to make it harder than ever to say you bought a bottom-of-the-range Audi for the ‘build quality’.

The doors are well-weighted, with a very solid ‘thump’ when shut. On the inside, there are less soft touch plastics than a European alternative, however it’s all constructed beyond my expectations here.

Priced from $44,290 drive away, it’s ideal for either an individual, a couple or even a small family. The way this thing has been designed makes it comfortable in the second row, and it has plenty of space in the boot, considering it’s a small SUV.

Personally, if you’re choosing between this and a Hyundai Kona, I’d opt for the Seltos. It’s more SUV-like than many cars in this segment, and it’s cheaper than the new Honda Civic. It’s the pocket-sized adventure vehicle you could take camping, without being worried about getting stuck in a little bit of gravel.

With 7 years warranty and 7 years of capped price servicing, it’s the industry leading manufacturer support program - and you get it when you purchase a Kia Seltos. Total servicing costs arrive at $3,214 over 7 years or up to 70,000km of driving.

The 1.6L motor isn’t the best sounding petrol motor, but it at least sounds better here than it did in the Sorento PHEV. It’s not all that intrusive, but it does make itself known to occupants when under hard acceleration.

What really blew me away was the BOSE audio system fitted in the GT-Line. The 3D geometric patterns on the speaker grilles and flashing multi colour lights aren’t just entertaining visually, but they also provide an excellent sound stage for the price.

I’d never think a Kia could produce a sound like this, with plenty of power through the mid-range and little distortion as you raise the volume. Okay, so it’s nowhere near the $14,000 system fitted to the Range Rover I was SUPPOSED to have this week, with high volume levels increasing sound rather than just power.

However, if you’re looking for one of the best OEM sound systems in a small SUV, the Seltos hands down has the best system in this category.

Weighing in at just 1,470kg, there’s not a lot to stop in the Seltos. I would have liked a little more bite from the larger 305mm front brakes and 284mm rear brakes (up from 280mm and 262mm from the S and Sport models). With three people in the car, braking suddenly still required a little more squeeze, resulting in that force being translated to the cabin.

Torrential rain is no obstacle to just how capable the Seltos is. Normally, I’d expect a car at this price point with a turbocharged motor to lurch the front wheels and cause a bit of wheel spin, however I was met with the complete opposite effect.

Using all 130kW at 6,000rpm and 265Nm at 1,500 - 4,500rpm is no problem when translated through to all four wheels. It’s an active AWD system, meaning the front wheels never have the chance to slip before AWD is engaged.

Dual-clutch transmissions aren’t the ideal transmission of choice for comfortable drives. They’re usually jerky and are busy shuffling between gears at variable speeds. Luckily, the Seltos manage to iron out most of those characteristics, however those negative elements occasionally become very obvious.

The most obvious mistakes from the transmission occur when soft footing the accelerator at the top of the rev range, and manoeuvring at low speeds when reversing.

Throwing the Seltos through the urban jungle is plenty of fun. It’s easy to coast over coarse sections of road and then quickly veer into a hairpin corner. Steering could feel a little quicker, but it’s nothing too egregious.

It’s easy to let your passengers feel comfortable when driving around in a Seltos. The upgraded rear multi-link suspension is a fantastic mechanical upgrade, vs the cheaper models in the range.

That turbo motor demands a combined 7.6L per 100km of petrol. I saw figures reach as high as 10L per 100km, and that’s the reality of a more punchy petrol motor.

Initially, the Seltos just feels like a slightly boxy Kia interior, but as you start to interact with it, you begin to appreciate its quirks and features.

Starting with the driver's display, it’s larger than most, but not entirely digital. Flanked by two analogue dials, there’s plenty of information to be consumed by the driver via this interface. It’s well integrated and feels modern, with an excellent blend between analogue and digital.

The centre 10.25-inch display is typical Hyundai/Kia. It uses an Android-style app layout, which is one of the best screens in the industry. Responsive and clear, it’s easy to navigate and an excellent display for Apple CarPlay.

There’s 433L minimum and 1,393L of boot space available in the Seltos, as this one was fitted with the full-size spare tyre option. This is an underrated option until you need it.

A boxy and level boot floor makes this more than practical for daily use, and the integrated roof rails allow you to transform the Seltos into a snow-bound vehicle by using a roof box.

Looking for a small SUV that actually can do the light off-road stuff? The Seltos GT-Line has you covered. It’s comfortable, it’s impressive and it’s fun. It really is the successor to the iconic Kia Soul here in Australia.

It's worth noting updated versions of the Seltos get Kia's VERY annoying speed warning beeps. That happen when the car thinks you've exceeded the posted speed limit (regardless if that speed limit the car has read was on the back of a bus or a speed limit sign from a car park you've just exited). It requires you to turn it off every time you start the car via the screen and it's a major annoyance that needs to be updated soon.

However, if you want to get serious about off-roading, I'd opt for the new Subaru Crosstrek instead.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Well never owner a kia .....15 years ago I would not have been caught dead in one .Now best car ever driven . The lane warning is so good it keeps you on your toes to drive safely . The sport mode ........Its a firecracker .Vale for money 10/10 Show reply

Dissapointment – The Kia Seltos is honestly a disappointment. It feels sluggish, and even with a bit of turbo boost, there’s this weird battling noise coming from the engine or turbo that just doesn’t sound right. The build quality is cheap — hard plastics everywhere, thin windows that barely block outside noise, and rattling seatbelts that drive you insane. The… Read more

cabin space is tight, especially in the back, and for a so-called SUV, you’d expect better. The so-called “safety features” are the most annoying part — every time you start the car, you have to go back into settings to turn off things like the speed limit warning. It’s a waste of time and patience. For the price of this car, you can definitely get better options, even second-hand ones like an Audi, which would give you better quality, comfort, and a much more enjoyable drive. Honestly, it feels like Kia cut every possible corner to make this car, and it shows.

Speed Warning System – Like other reviewers regarding the speed warning system. I dislike it intensely because of the beeping noise that occurs every time the speed limit (according to the cars computer) is exceeded. In city driving the speed warning beeping device seems to beep continuously. I can put up with the visual warnings of the system (in fact I think it's a… Read more

good idea) but the noise is something else. The noise turns pleasant driving into nothing short of a nightmare. I've now opted to turn it off every time I get into the driver's seat. Unfortunately this negates what i like about it, that is seeing the speed limit on the HUD or map function. Is KIA going to issue an updated software version to fix the problem? If so when? Let's having the warning system without the horrible noise please.

Love the extra roomy interior – I have had my seltos and 18 months and am enjoying it. The safety features make this car very easy to drive and the lane assist keeps me driving between the lines. But the worst part of this car is ….. no automatic wipers!!! Show details

Unbelievably annoying safety features – Whilst the car itself is quite good and the 1.6 Turbo quite punchy, we dread getting into this car because of the incredibly annoying speed alerts and safety features that completely negate any safety aspects they intend to fix. This damn car constantly beeps for every tiny thing, go 1km/h over the limit and it beeps, for some reason it thinks… Read more

our street is a school zone (no school within 2km of us) so it keeps hammering us to slow down to 25km/h. It beeps every single time it sees a road speed sign, it freaks out if you dare exceed 5km/h in a carpark - God forbid you ever do 6km/h and risk the lives of everyone:( It constantly distracts you from driving, the opposite of driver safety, with never-ending beeps, dings and blinking lights often for things that just don't exist. We have to go through a whole procedure in our driveway before driving off to go through all the settings and disable a number of features, all of which turn themselves back on automatically next time the car starts. Its turning whatever joy we had buying a new car into regret. Kia MUST fix this as it will be costing them sales. I have been actively showing everyone I know who is interested in buying a new car just how frustrating this vehicle is, and I have seen quite a number of reviews and forums stating the same. It is an easy software fix, Kia, just get it sorted.

Pacific Ford KIA – This car has a vibration at 100 ks Pacific KIA will not make any communications about my warranty claims they even block my calls and texts.the service manager is a bully and even threatened me,these people are the most arrogant childish people on the planet,if you look at reviews about them it is just the Pitts.i just do not understand how a… Read more

business can be run like that,I called Kia Australia tree times and there is nothing done about these neanderthals.if i had known before i would have run a mile to get away from them,I am $44 grand down as i cannot go on any long distance drives.

can't use a bike rack on a tow bar – Kia Australia is completely behind with the times. In other countries (US, NL, DE, UK. BE), you can have tow bars that are suitable for bike racks, even the Kiwi's have them. But not here. I asked the dealership before buying and they said it wasn't a problem. Unfortunately, it's too late now as I don't have it in writing. I wouldn't have… Read more

bought the car. And I don't understand, if the tow bar can't handle a bike rack, the tow bar won't be able to handle a normal tow as the bike rack is much lighter. A sub standard tow bar that will break. Unfortunately, customer services were not able to give enough detail what exactly the issue was.

Annoying – I suggest holding off buying this car until Kia get their act together and modify the Speed Alert Alarm. I was only permitted a very short test drive in this car before ordering it. Thoroughly test drive this car before you purchase it, paying particular attention to the speed alert alarm which is activated every time you go 1 klm/hr over the… Read more

limit. It also beeps going through a school zone at midnight or any other time of the day. When coming out of a car park with a 5 klm/hr limit, it will continue beeping until it sees the next speed sign which might be a few minutes later. It has to be de-activated every time you restart the car by a 5 stage process in the settings. It should be able to be de-activated on a semi permanent basis or by using the * button on the steering wheel as a direct on/off for this alarm. Kia say they are aware of the problem but refuse to say if and when it will be fixed. This the most annoying car I have ever owned. I anxiously await Kia's response.

Great car but for one major issue – 2022 Seltos Sport. For the most part I love the car, but this is wearing thin! If I'm using cruise, and re-engage it (say after stopping at a trafic light) and I'm on a decline the car will accelerate normally up to a point, then hold a low gear and the revs just climb (up to 4000-4500rpm) while it gets to the set speed, and it will not change up… Read more

even if the road levels out - engine just screams. This can happen at urban or highway speeds, Dealership (Berwick KIA) tell me it's a "Characteristic" of the CVT transmission. Only way to rectify is to cancel (button on steering wheel) and then push the resume button or tap the brakes or accelerator. I took the service manager for a drive to show the issue as it's rather hard to explain. When it did it he said "that's not right" or words to that effect. When I collected the car I was told that this issue is a "characteristic" and that if I didn't like their determination I could take it up with KIA Aus. The applicable number was pointed out on the service report. I'm taking it up with KIA Aus, Berwick's response is nonsense. (Also - I know that the CVT doesn't actually have gears, but using that as an analogy is the easiest way to explain the issue.)

Information System a complete let down – Car drives and handles OK but the childish software and lack of functionality must have been designed by a high school kid. Flashing theme lights do nothing about providing what is needed by the driver. No memory settings in profiles other than a change in icon. No seat or mirror memory settings, lacks even the same selection of display each time… Read more

it is started, The mapping is disgraceful and way out of date, and having to manually retract the heads up display to allow for a sun shade when parking is a joke. Kia Australia keeps passing the buck back to the dealer who can't help. Wake up and get with the latest trends in info systems and provide upgrades!.

Serious faults with the Safety Pack – There is a serious safety issue with the 'Safety Pack'. The Speed Limiter activates incorrectly and will disable the accelerator and autonomously slow the car to 30ks per hour in certain circumstances ie by pressing the res+ button the first time in a trip. This is dangerous. This option has been removed from the latest version and should be a recall on the 2021 model. Show details

Exceptional car! Love it! – I drive the car daily to work and weekend outings which are relatively low klms daily. I get the usual service as per the service manual. Being a fairly new car with 13000klm on the speedometer, it’s only had two services so far. I love the car. It’s a great looking car, with fantastic safety features and other great gadgets. It’s got plenty of power and is great on fuel. It’s extremely comfortable and should stand the test of time. Show details

Good but not great, excellent customer service – We bought a 2020 Seltos LX+, which in NZ is the base model but with the better media unit, all the safety software and smart cruise control. We added the nicer 18” rims, monsoons and full tints. While the car is comfortable and quite competent on the road with remarkable fuel economy, the safety software can get confused, with cross-traffic… Read more

alerts and collision avoidance coming on in situations that don’t always warrant them. I also keep the lane departure system off as it is easily confused by NZ’s road markings.

The build quality is acceptable, although the paint is a bit rough in places. The interior plastics are quite hard as well, and not up to Japanese standards. I suppose that both are from the car being built to a price (it IS $10k cheaper than an equivalent RAV4 or CRV.

The biggest problem happened just after the first annual service. Within a couple of days of the service, the engine started making a ticking noise, not unlike an exhaust leak. I checked the oil and found it just above LOW, which was surprising considering it had just been serviced. I took it to the local Kia dealer and they told me straight away it was a manufacturing problem (a faulty batch of piston rings) and the car would need a new engine.

To their credit, Kia servicing was right onto it - I drove away in a loan car and they had my car repaired in two days flat. It even came back fully detailed and fueled up as a ‘sorry’ gesture.

We’re going to stick with the Seltos, at least for the rest of the 5 year warranty. Whilst it’s an annoying situation, I can’t really fault the backup from Kia in admitting to the problem and then setting it right straight away.

Great car, pity about the after sales service at the dealer – Great little car, modern looks, way up there with the technology and safety features. Factory paint finish very substandard and damage by dealer on 3 month inspection, awaiting warranty respray .8 months after purchasing still messing around with dealer for repairs and the latest is the rear door panels on the inside have bowed like a banana and corner trims have fallen off. Show details