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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.
By God, but hasn't Lexus come an awfully long way from what was undeniably a drab and dull past? The Japanese premium brand now routinely pumps out cars that are not just fun to drive, but are even *gasp* fun to look at, too.
And should you trace the genesis of all this new-found excitement, you'll find it was the Lexus RC that started it all. That car, unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2013, was an early sign that Lexus was going to start pushing the envelope with its passenger cars.
The two-door, four-seat RC has just been updated for 2018, with added technology, safety kit and even a particularly un-Lexus launch-control system in the most powerful models.
High time we took a closer look then, no?
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.
Still a rock-solid option in the (admittedly not massive) premium-coupe space, the Lexus RC looks and feels like a quality product. The 2018 update has addressed any safety shortcomings, even if the interior technology still feels a touch behind the times.
But an out-and-out performance car this ain't. Even in cars fitted with the big V8 engine, the RC behaves more like an effortless grand tourer than it does a performance coupe. But if we're being really honest with each other, that only serves to make it much easier to live with.
This updated Seltos has had a few styling tweaks, too. The grille is taller and there’s a new headlight design which on the GT-Line is stunning with its LED running lights.
The rear of the Seltos has been restyled as well, with a new tail-light design and again on the GT-Line there’s an LED strip which runs between them.
The Seltos is pretty big for a small SUV. At 4.4m long it’s bigger than a Hyundai Kona and a Honda HR-V and about the same size as a Nissan Qashqai and Corolla Cross.
What’s good about that is you’re getting more space inside with a package that’s still smallish on the outside.
If you think the Seltos’ look is familiar, then I agree. The Honda HR-V and Haval Jolion have very similar tail-light designs and the profile follows many of the same styling cues of the Toyota Corolla Cross.
To my eyes, though, I think the Seltos is the more refined looking of its peers with a more modern and interesting interior.
Speaking of which, keep in mind that the top-of-the-range GT-Line’s cabin is far more fancy than the interior of the entry grade S. The GT-line’s large double digital displays are impressive and the buttons around the shifter for seat heating and ventilation are replaced with blank plastic panels in the S.
Hard plastic armrests were another of my gripes about the previous entry grade Seltos, too.
Still all cabins have a premium look even if the feel isn’t luxurious throughout on all grades.
Yes, yes - eye of the beholder and all that business. But for mine, the RC looks terrific. We cycled through two models, the RC350 and the performance-focused F Sport, and both cut a fine and athletic figure on the road.
Front on, the pincered grille dominates the view, sweeping back into bonnet, and stretching to the lowest corners of the front end, while a flared-lip body kit runs the length of the body. Special mention also goes to the cat-claw swipes that live behind the rear wheels.
The regular RC models make do with twin exhaust tips, while the F Sport range scores quad pipes, separated by a slinky rear diffuser, and the rear spoiler is an integrated lip that forms part of the boot. Cooler still, the Carbon Edition adds lightweight elements, like a carbon-fibre roof panel and an active rear wing - with about 6.6kg shaved off the kerb weight.
Climb inside, and you'll find a quality - if slightly dated interior - with soft leather seats, carbon-effect trim elements and a new, 10.3-inch screen in the centre of the dash.
As you can see from our interior photos, though, some elements do now feel a little behind the times. The door panels feel harder than I'd like, almost as if a thin-piece of leather has been stretched over hard plastic, and the control unit in the middle of the cabin is awash with hard black plastic, and the knobs mounted on it feel a touch cheap and non-premium, too.
Some small SUVs are seriously small, which might be fine for some, but if you’re hoping to also have enough space for passengers in the back seats, and a boot which can carry plenty of luggage then the Seltos is a good choice.
Even at 191cm tall I had more than enough room to sit behind my driving position with good headroom back there, too.
Cabin storage is also good with door pockets front and rear, and a deep centre console box. As for cupholders there are two up front on all grades, while the Sport+ and GT-Line get two more in the second row fold-down armrest.
Boot capacity depends on if you’ve requested a full-sized spare wheel or the space-saver spare. With the space-saver you’ll have more room at 469 litres, while the full-sized wheel under the boot floor will leave you with 433 litres. That’s still decent for the class.
The new Seltos has directional air vents for back seat passengers which is a win (motoring journalists had been complaining about the lack of them for years) and there are also two USB ports (Type-C) for the second row along with another two for those in the front, plus a 12V outlet.
Now look, if you see a future filled with trips to Bunnings or ferrying the troops to soccer training, the RC is not for you. It's a two-door, four-seat coupe - and those two rear seats couldn't be less helpful for adult-sized humans if they'd been painted on.
Its dimensions measure 4695mm in length, 1840mm in width and 1395mm in height, but most of that space is focused on the front-seat riders, where your surrounds feel sporty-snug, but not claustrophobic.
Up front, that cursed mousepad control system is still in full flight, but the screen it controls is now bigger. There are two cupholders to be shared between front-seat folks, as well as the usual compliment of USB and 'aux' connections. And even a CD player, for that matter.
Climb into the back, which is no easy task in and of itself, and you'll find the space cramped for anyone but kids. But while it's tiny, it's clever. Deep cut-outs in the rear of the front seats mean more room for your legs. Headroom, however, is a problem, and my (I'm 176cm) head was touching the roof.
There are two cupholders, at least, but - surprisingly - little in the way of entertainment connections. You will find an ISOFIX attachment point in both of the rear seats.
The boot opens to reveal a fixed 423 litres of space, which is handy enough for weekends away. Predictably, though, extra practical accessories are fairly limited - you can forget optional roof racks.
The price of the Kia Seltos has increased by about $2000 across the range, but you are getting more in the way of features. Let me take you through the model line-up.
There are four grades: the entry grade S, then the Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line. Those are all available with the 2.0-litre petrol engine and front-wheel drive.
The Sport+ and GT-Line can also be had with a more powerful engine which is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with all-wheel drive.
So, the list prices for the 2.0-litre engine start at $29,500 for the S, then step up to $32,700 for the Sport, $35,800 for the Sport+, and $41,500 for the GT-Line.
The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a more expensive proposition and in the Sport+ you’ll pay $39,300, and to pair it with the GT-Line grade you’ll need to hand over $44,900, before on-road costs.
Kia was also doing drive-away pricing at the launch of the new Seltos. So check with your dealership to ensure that the offer is still available.
Coming standard on the S grade for the first time are alloy wheels, they’re small at 16-inches but better than hubcaps, and there’s also roof rails.
Inside, there are cloth seats, an 8.0-inch media display, digital driver’s display, air-conditioning, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.
The Sport grade adds 17-inch alloy wheels, auto headlights, a 10.25-inch media screen and matching 10.25-inch driver display, digital radio, sat nav, climate control, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Sport+ has all the Sport’s features but brings a proximity key with push-button start, privacy glass, power driver’s seat, synthetic leather upholstery and extra safety tech which we’ll get to soon.
The top-of-the-range GT-Line has all the Sport+ features but adds a power front passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, sunroof and a power tailgate.
The GT-Line also comes with the option of two-tone body paint - that is a black roof with 'Clear White' or 'Pluton Blue' body colours. Be advised that this combination is not available with the sun roof.
The value is good, but I don’t agree with Kia’s decision to keep the LED headlights for the GT-Line only and leaving all other grades stuck with dim Halogen headlights.
Being able to seem clearly on dark Australian country roads at night shouldn’t be a luxury. Toyota offers LED headlights across the Corolla Cross range from the entry grade up.
As it is with most of the Lexus range, the RC model comparison is pretty straightforward. You need to pick your engine (300 or 350) and then choose your trim level (how much you want to pay), be it Luxury, F Sport or Sports Luxury. Only the RC F model line differs, because here you can choose from the base RC F trim, or the more expensive RC F Carbon.
Engine and kit aside, the RC family is the same basic set-up; four seats, two doors and coupe styling. The rest, then, depends on your intended price range.
Entry-level Luxury cars - $65,400 for the 300, $68,400 for the 350 - arrive with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and fog lights, leather trim, standard navigation, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate and keyless entry with push-button start.
Step up to the F Sport Trim - $74,700 for the 300, $77,700 for the 350 - and you'll get bigger 19-inch alloys, a better Mark Levinson stereo and rain-sensing wipers.
Finally, the Sports Luxury models - $84,900 for the 300, $87,900 for the 350 - get better seats, some fancier cabin furniture and a moonroof. All the RC models get a new 10.3-inch screen (but no Apple Car Play/Android Auto).
Step up to the the V8-powered RC F models - $138,100 for the base model, $152,300 for the RC F Carbon - and you'll add adaptive variable suspension and an improved safety package that we'll come back to under the Safety sub-heading. The Carbon variant - predictably - gets a carbon-fibre roof panel, active rear wing and some carbon-fibre interior trim elements.
On the colour palette, the regular RC range is available in 'Sonic Quartz' (white), 'Mercury Grey', 'Premium Silver', 'Sonic Titanium' (another silver), 'Onyx' (black), 'Graphite Black' and 'Infrared' (red). The performance-flavoured RC F cars nab some extra choices, including 'Cobalt Mica' (blue), 'Lava Mica' (orange) and the brand's new hero colour, 'Zinnia Yellow'.
A moonroof (or sunroof) is standard fit on the RC F models, as well as the Sports Luxury trim, while it's a cost option on the cheaper cars. Speaking of which, you'll find all sorts of goodies in the accessories catalogue, including unique floor mats.
Each price listed is the RRP, of course, so you'll be paying more in on-road expenses. But you knew that already, right?
The Seltos range has two engines to choose from: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 110kW/180Nm and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine producing even more grunt at 146kW/265Nm.
The 2.0-litre engine comes with a CVT which is a type of automatic transmission and the 1.6-litre engine has an eight-speed auto.
CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission and some people (me included) find the droning they cause the engine to make to be annoying. They also come with a feeling of less acceleration.
The good news is the eight-speed auto that comes with the 1.6-litre is a great transmission with smooth shifts and a sporty nature that matches the punchy engine.
This eight-speed auto is welcome because it also replaces the jerky dual-clutch transmission that had been paired with the 1.6-litre engine in the previous Seltos.
All-wheel drive is only available with the 1.6-litre engine while front-wheel drive comes solely with the 2.0-litre.
So, if you’re after great acceleration and better traction then the 1.6-litre is the way to go. If you’re not after a sporty driving experience then the 2.0-litre engine will suit you, and it costs less.
The more you spend, the more you get. Spring for the 300, and you'll find a 2.0-litre turbo engine nestled under the bonnet, good for 180kW at 5800rpm and 350Nm at 1650rpm. It pairs with an eight-speed automatic, and shuffles power to the rear wheels.
Step up to the 350-badged cars and your engine specs improve accordingly. You'll now find a 3.5-litre V6 motor providing the horsepower, good for 232kW at 6400rpm and 380Nm at 4800rpm. The gearbox (eight-speed auto) remains the same, and the power is still sent to the rear axle.
The pick of the power bunch, though, is the 5.0-litre V8 engine nestled in the RC F cars. It'll fire 351kW at 7100rpm and 530Nm at 4800rpm toward the rear wheels - more than enough to shift the 1820kg (tare) weight. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic, or what the Lexus spec sheet refers to as a "Sports Automatic".
There is no AWD or manual transmission option anywhere in the range, and for specific oil type etc, consult your owner's manual.
The smaller engine actually uses more fuel, but not a great deal more. Kia says the 1.6-litre engine with all-wheel drive uses 7.4L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads. The 2.0-litre engine according to Kia will use half a litre less at 6.9L/100km.
Both engines only need 'standard' 91 RON petrol, too - that’s the cheap one.
Where is the hybrid variant? Good question. The answer is, there isn’t one. And neither is one coming, I’ve asked. That’s disappointing considering the Corolla Cross comes with a hybrid version of each grade in its line-up.
It’s for this reason the Seltos range scores a lower mark for fuel efficiency.
Let's start from the top, shall we? There is a price to pay for power, and the V8-powered Lexus arrives with its claimed 10.9L/100km on the combined cycle. That's quite a lot, and it's a number that will surely only worsen if you drive the RC F the way that you really should drive it.
Things improve with the 3.5-litre capacity engine, recording 9.1L/100km on the same cycle, while the 2.0-litre engine will return 7.3L/100km.
There is no diesel engine anywhere in the range, and the fuel-tank capacity across the board is 66 litres, with 95RON fuel required.
The Kia Seltos has two personalities. The laid back Seltos with a 2.0-litre engine and the enthusiastic sporty Seltos with the 1.6-litre engine.
Regardless of which Seltos you pick, the ride is comfortable, the handling is good, and the steering is excellent.
Kia says it's worked to make the Seltos’s cabin more insulated from road noise, but having driven it on country roads for hours I think it could do with more sound dampening.
If you’re considering the Sport+ grade and are not sure if the $3500 premium for the 1.6-litre engine is worth it, my answer would be absolutely, if you can afford it.
That 1.6-litre turbo petrol is a great engine and the new eight-speed transmission is excellent. Even as a daily driver I think anybody would enjoy driving this version of the Seltos more, and for those who like sporty driving then it’s definitely the powerplant for you.
Having now spent a fair chunk of time behind the wheel of the V6 and V8-powered cars, we're ready to make a pretty bold claim: the six-cylinder engine is - and there's no other way to put it - simply more fun.
Shocking, I know, but there it is. There's effortless power on offer in the RC F models, of course, but it's the way that power is delivered that makes it feel like more of a loping grand tourer than a fire-breathing performance coupe.
For one, both the power and exhaust notes arrive in stages. So if you're gentle with the throttle - like you almost always are in the CBD or suburbs - it wafts around in near silence, the engine feeling anaesthetised, and like it's only using a tiny proportion of its available oomph.
The V6 engine just feels sportier. It's still not super emotional, but I think it reacts to inputs quicker.
Leave your foot buried, however, and the character transforms, the exhaust booming into life and that big V8 finally unlocking its prodigious power. With the adaptive dampers (no air suspension) set to the sportiest setting, it sits flat in corners, with nary a roll through the body. And while there isn't an intimate connection with the road below, nor masses of feedback through the steering, it does acquit itself well on the bends.
But... the V6 engine just feels sportier. It's still not super emotional, but I think it reacts to inputs quicker, and comes alive a little lower in the rev range than the big V8. It doesn't really matter if you're in Normal, Sport or Sport+, it just feels more vibrant. Hell, you can even get the traction light flashing if you're particularly silly with the accelerator.
And as such, it's our pick of the bunch. Sure, it can't match the outright performance of the V8, nor the speed of its 0-100km/h acceleration time, but it puts a bigger smile on your face in normal, day-to-day driving. And let's face it, that'll be 90 per cent of the time you spend behind the wheel.
The Seltos has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but that’s from 2019. Still, the advanced safety tech is excellent. All grades come with AEB, blind spot warning, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.
All grades also come with the rear occupant alert, which is great for sleep-deprived parents, and there’s also the safe exit feature which will let you and the kids know if a car or cyclist is approaching before you open the door and ruin everybody’s day.
The Sport+ and GT-Line both come with AEB that works at intersections.
It’s good to see front and rear parking sensors standard across the range.
Standard safety across the RC includes dual front and front-side airbags, as well as front airbags for the second row. You'll also find a knee airbag for both driver and front-seat passenger. Forward-collision warning with AEB (and pedestrian protection) is standard fit, too, and so are front and rear parking sensors and a parking camera.
F Sport and Sports Luxury-badged cars add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, along with lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist. The RC F and RC F Carbon both get radar cruise control and an active lane-departure system included in the standard offering.
The Lexus RC range is yet to be crash-tested by ANCAP, and so is yet to receive an Australian safety rating.
The Seltos is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Servicing differs between the two engines.
A Seltos with a 1.6-litre engine needs to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000km and over seven years the average service cost comes to $497 per year.
A Seltos with the 2.0-litre engine needs to be serviced every 12 months or 15,000km and over seven years the average service costs comes to $434 per year.
Capped price servicing is good, but the prices can get higher than $600 for some visits.
The RC range is covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty, with service intervals pegged at 12 months/15000km. There is no capped-price servicing program on offer, but Lexus will guarantee you a loan car every time your vehicle is in the shop, and will even come to your house or workplace to collect - and drop-off - your car.
For any owner-reported reliability problems, keep and eye on our Lexus ownership page.