Kia Seltos vs Audi Q3
What's the difference?

Kia Seltos

$17,990 - $36,999

2023 price

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Audi Q3

$58,700 - $84,327

2026 price

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Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Summary

2023 Kia Seltos

2026 Audi Q3

By Laura Berry

By Stephen Ottley

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 1.5L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

6.9L/100km (combined)

5.8L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Roomy for a small SUV
1.6-litre turbo engine
New styling

Stylish, premium looks
Well-integrated technology
Good active safety calibration

Dislikes

LED headlights only on top grade
No hybrid version
CVT transmission with the 2.0-litre engine

No PHEV option (yet)
A few rattles in our test car
Small back seat

2023 Kia Seltos Summary

Looking for a small SUV that’s not tiny? The Kia Seltos could be that SUV, and it’s been updated for 2023.

This review covers the entire Seltos range and reviews this small SUV based on its safety, practicality, price and features, plus ownership costs, its fuel economy and what it’s like to drive.

So, if you’re thinking about a Honda HR-V, a Toyota Corolla Cross or something even as large as a Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage then you need to be thinking about a Kia Seltos, too.

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2026 Audi Q3 Summary

Replacing a popular model is fraught with danger. Existing customers will tell you they love it, while focus groups of non-customers will tell you why they hate it and sometimes carmakers get caught trying to appease both groups.

Sometimes they’ll make it too big or change too much in the search for more sales and ultimately end up removing the elements that made it popular in the first place.

Which is why Audi has been extra careful with some subtle evolution for this new-generation Q3 SUV and Sportback. This isn’t just a popular model for Audi Australia, it has been the best-selling model for the German brand for more than five years, so getting it wrong would be a disaster.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Kia Seltos 2026 Audi Q3

Verdict

Kia’s updated Seltos is more expensive than the previous version but it's better as well.

The entry grade no longer has hubcaps and gets alloy wheels, all grades have directional air vents in the second row, the jerky dual-clutch auto is gone and an excellent regular eight-speed auto has arrived, plus there’s more safety tech and modern displays screens.

What hasn’t changed is the Seltos’s size. It’s a big, small SUV, that’s easy to park in tight spaces but roomy inside even for tall, awkward humans like me.

The sweet spot in the range is the Sport+ with the 1.6-litre engine, if only it had the LED headlights that only come on the GT-Line.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Verdict

So is this new Q3 good enough to remain Audi’s number one choice? In a word, yes.

Audi has resisted the temptation that some brands fall into by making too many changes to a proven sales performer. This new Q3 isn’t radically different from the old Q3, but it has improved in almost every way.

It isn’t different enough to widely expand its appeal to a new wave of customers, but there’s no reason it won’t remain Audi’s most popular choice for the foreseeable future.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Kia Seltos vs Audi Q3 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Kia Seltos vs Audi Q3
What's the difference?