2023 Kia Seltos

All models bar the entry-level S – which feature a full-size spare – get 433 litres of volume with the rear seats in play, while the base model with its space-saver spare gets 468L.

Fold the rear seats down and that figure expands to 1428 litres in the Seltos S, and 1393 litres for everything else. 

The Kia Seltos was crash tested by ANCAP in 2019 and it received a five-star safety rating.

It received an adult occupant protection score of 85 per cent, child occupant protection score of 83 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 61 per cent, and a safety assist score of 70 per cent.

All 2023 Kia Seltos models come standard with the following safety features:

• Front, front-side and curtain airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Car
  • Pedestrian
• Blind-spot assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe Exit Warning
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
• Driver Attention Alert
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear-view camera
• Tyre-pressure monitoring system

Sport+ and GT-Line models receive AEB with cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist, as well as adaptive cruise control and lead-vehicle departure alert.

The 2023 Kia Seltos, when equipped with the standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder, consumes 6.9L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle.

The turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder uses 7.4L/100km on the ADR combined city and highway cycle.

Both engines need 91RON regular unleaded fuel and can run on E10 with a 50L fuel tank.

The Seltos 2.0 MPi will set you back $288, $494, $352, $614, $324, $624 and $344 for the first seven visits ($3040),

The Kia Seotos 1.6 T-GDi costs $308, $500, $373, $651, $346, $630 and $671 ($3479).

Both cost just over $2000 over five years, which is competitive with most brands other than Honda and Toyota.

The Seltos continues to be covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with capped-price servicing for the same period and roadside assistance for up to right years. Kia Connect is complementary for seven years also.

Kia will also give you free map updates for your satellite navigation system (where applicable) for up to 10 years,

Scheduled maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km for the 2.0 MPi, or slightly shorter 10,000km intervals for the 1.6 T-GDi. Kia Australia says it’s global policy for its turbo models to have shorter intervals.

The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine carries over from the pre-update model and produces 110kW of power and 180Nm of torque. It’s available across the entire range.

The engine is mated to a continuously-variable transmission (CVT), with drive sent to the front wheels only.

For the 2023 Kia Seltos, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is carried over from the original Seltos but now produces 146kW and 265Nm, which is 16kW more than the outgoing model. It’s available only on Sport+ and GT-Line trim levels.

The turbocharged engine is now mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission instead of the outgoing dual-clutch, with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

For the turbo model 0-100km/h takes 8.4 seconds while 80-120km/h takes 5.7 seconds. A less relevant metric is top speed, which has increased by 10km/h to 210km/h.

The Seltos strikes a nice balance between comfort and engagement across all trim levels. The steering is accurate and lightly weighted for everyday use, while the pliant ride doesn’t come at the expense of handling.

The new Seltos also offers impressive body control and cornering abilities. This isn’t a proper corner-carving crossover trying to be a hot hatch, but the Seltos is definitely one of the more connected vehicles in the segment.

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) also received attention in this update, and while the pre-facelift model was already good for the class, the new one is more refined again.

Kia says it added more sound-absorbing materials in the floor carpet, door trims, wheel guards and C-pillars to mitigate road noise. As a result, the new Seltos claims to be 0.3dBA quieter with road noise than the old model.

Further, the exhaust system has been retuned for reduced acceleration noise, which contributes to a 1dBA claimed improvement for 2.0 MPi models. In a segment where some rivals can get quite noisy on anything but perfect bitumen, these attributes make the Seltos a good choice if you want a compact SUV that can do the odd road trip.

Seven colours are offered across the line-up, including a new Pluton Blue finish. The outgoing models’ Starlight Yellow has been dropped, while Clear White and Pluton Blue are available with a contrast Fusion Black roof exclusively on the Seltos GT-Line.

The other single colours include Neptune blue, Mars orange, Steel grey, Gravity grey, Cherry black and Snow White pearl.

• Mars Orange
• Pluton Blue*
• Snow White Pearl*
• Steel Grey*
• Gravity Grey*
• Fusion Black*
• Neptune Blue*
• Pluton Blue & Fusion Black roof^
• Clear White & Fusion Black roof^

Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing in addition to its seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty for the Seltos.

The 2023 Kia Seltos 2.0-litre requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, while the Kia Seltos 1.6T requires servicing every 12 months or 10,000km.

When equipped with the 2.0-litre four cylinder naturally-aspirate engine, the Seltos has an average cost per service of $402 while Seltos models with the turbocharged 1.6-litre have an average service cost of $466.

The Kia Seltos is our favourite small SUV, it presents a very clean package with more room than one might expect from a small SUV. It comes feature packed with a modern interior and all the latest technological gadgets one could ask for in the price point.

It unfortunately misses out on some great features such as automatic boot (tailgate), but other than that, it’s a pretty good package overall and should be very high on your consideration list.