Kia Seltos 2019 review: GT Line

How does it look?

Kia's gone for a funky vibe with the Seltos, with lots of angled edges and sloping lines to give it a sporty look that’s also quite futuristic.

The GT Line comes in a two-tone paint job which seems to be gaining popularity with car companies now, and has a very wide black grille at the front, which is also a modern twist. 

The interior continues the cool theme and everything is well placed. On this top model there are 'premium' seats in a faux leather which are also heated and cooled, and a premium steering wheel and gearshift - both feel great to touch and I particularly like the wide, flat design of the shifter. 

The centre console looks stylish with a few high gloss accents and everything is functional as well as slick, especially with the 10.25-inch multimedia screen which feels huge in this car. 

There are a fair amount of man-made materials used on the dash and doors but the overall finish doesn’t feel cheap. In fact, it felt good to drive all week.

How does it drive?

The driving is good in the Seltos, even if the steering does feel heavy for a small SUV - it’s not as agile as it could be but as the week wore on, I got used to the steering and didn’t notice it as much.

There’s a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine in the model I drove which gets up hills easily and cruised along highways perfectly fine. 

This car also comes with all-wheel drive, which will give you better traction on slippery and loose surfaces like gravel, dirt and snow. It always makes me feel more confident driving the car even if I’m just driving through suburbia. 

Parking the Seltos is good as the car is well sized and there is a large, high definition reverse parking camera to help you out. 

How spacious is it?

I was quite surprised when I found out the Seltos was considered a 'small' SUV because it doesn’t feel as small as some others in the category.

Leg and head space in the front is ample and the space between front passenger and driver is also large enough that you don’t feel cramped or like you’re going to rub shoulders. It’s good for a small SUV. 

My two children, aged six and eight, had plenty of space in the back this week. They were comfortable and not close enough to encourage bickering (always a bonus).

I could fit neatly at 161cm and even CarsGuide's resident tall guy, Richard Berry, says he has enough leg room in the back of the Seltos which means almost anyone will be able to fit in there! 

The boot is large, too - 433L means it’s one of the biggest in the class and it fits the bulky CarsGuide pram without any trouble.

The lower you go in the range, the bigger the boot gets because the GT Line has a full-size spare tyre which takes up more room, but lower grades get a space saver spare which means more boot space (but also more annoying if you get a flat tyre). 

How easy is it to use every day?

There are quite a few things included in the Seltos GT Line's price. The driver’s seat is 10-way adjustable and there is an optional sunroof (it’s either the two-tone paint job or the sunroof, not both).

There are three USB points in the car and storage is good with two cupholders in the front, a large centre storage bin, a spot for keys and a phone in the front and bottle holders in each door. 

Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest, a pocket on the back of the front passenger seat, and in the GT Line you’ll also get rear air vents which is a rarity in this category. 

It’s a good height off the ground for young children to be able to climb into and it’s a convenient size to park every day, and also do U-turns which you’re often unable to do in a larger car. 

How safe is it?

In the top-spec GT Line everything comes standard, but that's not the case for all the other models, so again, choose what is important to you and your family. 

In this version, you’ll get airbags to cover driver and front passenger, and side curtain airbags that extend to the back row. 

Then you’ve got features like auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control and rear cross traffic alert. These are optional on lower models. 

You’ll also get two ISOFIX points and three top tether points to fix kids car seats in safely. 

The 2020 model hasn’t been tested for ANCAP safety yet but this model is expected to get a maximum five stars.

What’s the tech like?

Plug your phone in to activate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which turns the screen into a large version of your phone. You can use maps to navigate and Spotify to listen to music and podcasts. 

This model is also the only one fitted with Bose speakers so turn the sound up to enjoy them. 

One thing that does get tired with Kia is all the road rules and safety warnings that interrupt the audio as you’re listening. It can be turned off (though I've never managed to work that out) and means you can miss vital seconds on the podcast you’re listening to because the car is warning you about an upcoming speed camera. But the tech, itself, is great. 

How much does it cost to own?

The Kia Seltos GT Line costs $41,990 drive-away, so you won’t get any surprise costs at the dealer.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 7.6L/100km on the combined cycle and the best it did for me this week was 9.6L/100km. 

It’s covered by Kia’s excellent seven year/unlimited km warranty with a seven-year capped-price service plan, with maintenance recommended every 12 months/10,000km.

Verdict