Toyota C-HR vs Kia Seltos

What's the difference?

There’s not much in terms of practicalities that are going to convince you the C-HR is a better option than Toyota’s other small SUV, the Corolla Cross.

Even other ‘stylish’ small SUVs like the Mazda CX-30, fuel savers like the electric MG ZS EV, or performance small SUVs like the Hyundai Kona N are more affordable than the GR Sport version of the C-HR.

In the case of this car, unlike most of its Toyota stablemates, buyers will likely be making a decision from the heart based on exterior styling and its interior rather than value or practicality.

And who would anyone be to tell you not to buy a car you like for its styling?

Sure, it can feel expensive compared to some of its Chinese rivals, but there is a lot to like about this all-new Kia Seltos. It is a small SUV that really doesn't feel that small. Plus, it is a hoot to drive on the right twisting road, and that is not something you can say about all vehicles in this category.

Is that enough to win back shoppers who are buying only with their wallets? Only time will tell.

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

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

There’s a fair bit going on here compared to most of Toyota’s other products, much like the first generation, but being designed with Europe as the key market and Australia as a secondary means the styling team needed to take on some fairly fashionable brands.

All three variants of the C-HR are relatively close in aesthetics, with major differences being two-tone paint or specific trim elements for the top-spec GR Sport.

It uses new Toyota design elements that have been seen on some models already, the ‘c-shape’ lights have been used on the new Prius, which we no longer get in Australia, for example.

The black roof was also available on the previous generation, where this car has carried over the ‘egg-like’ silhouette from.

The overall relatively aquatic styling and shape must be for aerodynamic advantage - its chief engineer told us the drag coefficient is just 0.318Cd - but the removal of the rear wiper to lower drag might have been unnecessary for a city-focused small SUV.

The cabin isn’t as wild as the outside, which may be a let-down in some ways, though it’s still a little more visually interesting than its more mainstream stablemates.

The 64-colour ambient lighting changes based on settings including time of day or drive mode, but can be set to a specific single colour if you wish.

The centre stack on the dash is gently angled towards the driver with a small separation between it and the passenger, creating a slight ‘cockpit’ feeling.

Seats are made from different materials depending on the grade, though no real leather is used even in the GR Sport, where synthetic suede and leather are the main upholstery.

The cloth textiles are made from entirely recycled materials, while the synthetic suede is made from a little less than half recycled materials.

They don’t look cheap, but they also don’t look particularly luxurious.

Kia has been on something of a tear with its designs lately, and I reckon the Seltos continues that form. While our roads are filled to bursting with amorphous, anonymous blobs, the Seltos taps into the brand’s broader EV design language to deliver a small SUV with detail, shape and sharpness in its look.

Is it too busy in places? Probably. But it’s also not boring, which is a step in the right direction. 

The top-spec GT-Line looks the best of the bunch, with its unique front-end treatment and 3D-effect grille. But honestly they all look pretty sharp, helped by the decision to integrate the lights into the front grille, giving a sense of width and presence to what is still a small SUV. At the back, that impression of width continues, with a thin LED line that frames the boot.

I’m not as sold on the cabin experience, though. The decision to fit the same twin-screen multimedia display to all models was the right one – otherwise it would look miles off the pace compared to the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink Chinese brands – but it still doesn’t feel overly special in places, and especially in the cheaper grades.

I do love the two-tone interior treatment, and I praise the button Gods that Kia continues to include physical buttons in its cabins, rather than have everything controlled through the screen.

When it comes to interior layout and ergonomics, there’s never much to criticise in a Toyota, unless playing it safe is a downside for you.

The buttons you’re most likely to use regularly, across the climate control, centre console and steering wheel, are all very obvious and easy to find, if a little uninspiring, as is wheel design itself - form definitely doesn’t sacrifice function here.

Welcome are the two large screens, the multimedia touchscreen a large 12.3-inch unit and the driver display either 7.0-inch or another 12.3-inch version depending on variant.

Toyota’s software is simple and accessible, using a few main menu sections, though many will likely bypass this with wireless phone mirroring.

Everything’s in a sensible place: a tall bottle in the cupholders won’t block access to anything, the phone charging pad is tucked away to minimise distraction, and Toyota has kept things like the gear selector and stalks behind the steering wheel relatively traditional.

While the interior feels a little dated by its many buttons and some of its simple graphics, there’s certainly something to be said for a welcome change from distracting screens and menus - if the aim was to not exclude Toyota’s older market, it seems like mission accomplished.

In terms of comfort and space, the C-HR makes pretty good use of its interior from the front, the seats are relatively comfortable and visibility is fine, though the back seat starts to feel a bit cramped.

While cupholders and door bottle storage is plentiful in the front, there’s no armrest and no bottle storage in the rear, only relatively shallow cupholders on the armrests in the doors.

Visibility is also relatively poor with high windows, a narrow rear window, and not a lot of light unless there’s a sunroof.

Behind that, with the seats up, the C-HR’s boot has a claimed VDA capacity of 388 litres in the GXL and Koba, or 362L in the GR Sport. Total volume with the seats down is 1154L and 1490L respectively.

This new Kia Seltos has grown in every meaningful dimension, with length now 4430mm (was 4385mm) and width now 1830mm (was 1800mm), although height is now 1600mm (was 1630mm). And that means more room for people and stuff, with Kia’s small SUV pushing closer towards mid-size SUV territory.

The brand reports increases in head, leg and shoulder room as a result, and it’s true that the backseat definitely feels spacious for an SUV in this category. I'm 175 centimetres and I had plenty of room to stretch out.

There are also twin cup holders in the pull-down seat divider, and USB-C connection points in the rear of the front seats. The back seat also reclines slightly so you can get a bit more comfy.

Boot space has also improved, now 483 litres VDA with the rear seats in place, and growing to 1441L with them folded. The boot also has an adjustable floor so you can store taller items if you need to.

Most models in the Seltos line-up get a space-saver spare wheel, but not the GT-Line, which is stuck with a repair kit.

Despite all this new competition in Australia, the new Seltos’ price tag has gone up, not down. The new four-grade range kicks off with the Seltos S, which is now $37,990 before on-road costs, and a fair climb from the old model’s $31,250 starting point. 

In Kia’s defence, the old range began with a petrol-only engine, while this new model introduces hybrid power range-wide. And there are drive-away deals across the range at the moment.

In the world of legacy makers, the pricing looks sharp enough – it is cheaper than a Toyota Corolla Cross ($39,990 drive-away versus $41,652 drive-away), for example – but in a brave new world of Chinese brands, you can definitely get more for less. 

The new Seltos range then climbs to $40,150 before on roads for the S Plus Safety Pack, which adds some active safety stuff missing from the entry-level car, before stepping to $41,910 for the Sport, $44,970 for the Sport+ and $49,870 for the GT-Line with front-wheel drive, and $52,870 for the GT-Line with a second electric motor and all-wheel drive.

Standard equipment in the S includes:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Roof rails
• Flush door handles and
• LED lighting
• Two-tone seats are fabric
• Dual-zone climate control
• Smart key for remote engine start
• Twin 12.3-inch screens
• 5.0-inch climate panel in the middle
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

There’s no wireless charge pad, however, which kind of defeats the purpose of the latter.

Step up to the Sport and you’ll find 18-inch alloys and a gloss black treatment on the grille and mirrors, and a boost in standard safety. 

The Sport+ feels like a bit of a sweet spot as it adds:

• Cloth and artificial leather seats
• Heated front seats
• Powered driver's seat
• Rain-sensing wipers
• A more premium leather steering wheel

Finally, the GT-Line flagship is available in two- or all-wheel drive, and it gets a pretty stacked equipment list:

• 19-inch wheels
• Unique front end with signature LEDs
• Artificial leather seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Panoramic sunroof
• Ambient cabin lighting

It’s also the only trim that gets wireless charging and a powered boot.

The fact that a wireless charging pad only appears in the $50k-plus model is wild, as is the fact that every model below the GT-Line has at least part cloth seats.

But the GT-Line is also the only one to make do with tyre repair kit, rather than the temporary spare all other grades feature. And trust me, temp spares are way better than a repair kit should you get a flat.

The difference in boot space is likely because the hybrid-only C-HR comes with two drivetrain options, depending on which variant you have.

The GXL and Koba both use Toyota’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine aided by a front-mounted electric motor to produce a 103kW output at the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.

The GR Sport, however, gains a rear electric motor (taking up some boot space) and a more powerful front motor, helping a larger 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine make a total 146kW - still via a CVT.

Don’t expect to be getting to 100km/h from a standstill in any less than 8.0 seconds in either variant, but both have a claimed top speed of 170km/h.

The Seltos' hybrid powertrain pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine and six-speed dual-clutch transmission with one (S, Sport, Sport+ GT-Line FWD) or two (GT-Line AWD) electric motors.

Most model grades are front-wheel drive with a front-mounted electric motor, making a total of 112KW and 265Nm. Only the GT-Line all-wheel drive adds a rear electric motor, upping the grunt to 126kW, but keeping the torque the same at 265Nm. 

Kia doesn’t quote a zero-to-100km/h time, but it’s not fast. 

In an interesting touch behind the wheel, though, the flappy paddles that would normally control the gearbox actually control the level of regenerative braking on offer, just like you might find in an EV. However, if you activate Sport mode, they go back to changing the gears.

Toyota says the C-HR uses just 4.0L/100km on the combined cycle test, which is 0.3L less than the previous generation’s claim, but it should be noted the 2.0-litre in the GR Sport drinks a claimed 4.1L/100km.

During testing on the launch drive, but without being able to measure properly from fill to fill, one quite spirited leg of driving netted a 6.9L/100km reading on the trip computer, while a more sedate drive returned 5.4L/100km.

The new Seltos drinks the cheapest 91 Ron or even E10 fuel, which is good news when prices at the pump are through the roof.

In terms of efficiency, the brand reckons between 5.1 and 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres in most of the models on the WLTP cycle. The all-wheel-drive GT-Line ups that to 5.8L.

We were averaging between 6.5 and 6.9 litres in the AWD trim, but we were also definitely not trying to drive efficiently.

There’s a 38-litre fuel tank, which – using the brand’s best claim – should deliver a total driving range of around 750km. 

There’s nothing particularly offensive about the way the new C-HR drives, but there’s nothing riveting either.

If you’ve driven anything on the Toyota TNGA platform, this will feel familiar to you - and that’s not a bad thing, it’s generally pretty stable, comfortable and controlled.

The modified Corolla platform it rides on is a very good thing, but the C-HR doesn’t have anything in the way of sporting tendencies its styling might suggest.

The hybrid drivetrain in the two 1.8-litre versions of the small SUV don’t offer up a whole lot in terms of keen acceleration, but even the GR Sport and its 146kW drivetrain need a push to get things feeling properly quick on a twisty road.

The added stability of the all-wheel drive in the top variant is noticeable, the front-drive variants feeling a little less planted when pushed.

Steering is on the slightly lighter side of still being well-weighted - it doesn’t wow, but Toyota’s engineers know what they’re doing and it does everything it needs to in terms of communicating feeling to the driver.

Some particularly rough roads on the test drive showed the suspension to handle short, sharp bumps well and not feel crashy over larger imperfections.

The suspension has been retuned in this TNGA-C platform to be stiffer for more control but also more compliant in terms of comfort.

But it’s around urban and suburban streets where the C-HR will spend most of its time, and neglected streets, speed bumps, or tram lines won’t shake you too much from in the cabin.

I feel a bit like a broken record here, but there is a stark difference between something that feels tuned and tested for our tastes and conditions, and something that doesn't, and few are doing it better than Kia and Hyundai at the moment, despite the two sister brands taking very different approaches.

For Kia, it means testing on the ground in Australia in the pursuit of a balance between comfort and composure, with a sprinkling of driving fun thrown in for good measure.

And so it is in the new Seltos, which, on paper, has absolutely no right to be as fun as it is on the right twisting road. It has the power outputs of an electric leaf blower, its run to 100km/h feels more like a walk, and its 'Sport' mode drive setting changes very little. 

And yet, get the Seltos flowing through the right twisting section, and it is a genuine good time. The ride and steering feel natural and connected, and the body control encourages you to carry more and more speed through corners, too.

The trade-off is a slightly firmer ride over some of our bumpier streets, and really sharp road imperfections can send the occasional crash through the cabin. But for the most part, the Seltos glides along comfortably and smoothly.

Ok, so it's less fun on overtaking manoeuvres, where flat-footed acceleration starts perky before fading as you climb further up the speedo. But such is life.

It is also clever feeling in the way it delivers its power, too. Most Seltos owners will be in and around the city, and the little Kia does its best acceleration work between zero and 40km/h, where the electric motor boost removes any lag, giving you near-instant, EV-like shove off the line.

There are a couple of downsides to the driving experience, though.

The first is road noise. On certain surfaces, particularly coarse-chip bitumen, there's a fair bit of tyre roar that makes its way into the cabin. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's certainly noticeable.

The second is the powertrain itself. While the electric assistance makes it feel responsive around town, it's still a relatively small petrol engine with modest outputs, and you do notice that when asking for urgent acceleration. Thankfully, the Seltos benefits from a conventional dual-clutch automatic rather than a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which would drone endlessly if fitted here.

Interestingly, Kia is aiming for a two-stage ANCAP rating here, with the entry-level S likely to get four stars, and the rest shooting for the full five. 

The brand didn’t go into much detail, but it didn't take a detective to figure out it was trying to get the starting price of the Seltos as low as possible, and so stripping out some active safety tech allowed them to do it.

Now normally I’m not a fan of tiered safety equipment – cashed-up buyers shouldn't be safer than those shopping at the entry level – but I’m beginning to get on board, and I wish more brands would do it across more trims.

Remember, we’re not talking about airbags or crash cells. We’re talking the chimes and bongs that most people turn off as soon as they start the car. So you’re effectively paying for something you either don’t use, or get annoyed by when you do. And your car is no more or less safe in a crash.

Where Kia has gone wrong, in my opinion, is that while the entry-level S still gets all the airbags, including a centre bag, along with a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, it also gets the bing-and-bong repeat offenders, like lane keeping assist, a driver-facing camera and the overspeed warning. 

Adding the Safety Pack gives you a surround-view camera, blind-spot monitoring, autonomous braking reverse when parking, and side parking sensors, which largely mirrors the safety offering across the rest of the range.

Toyota has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty which covers the C-HR, as well as capped-price servicing for the first five years or 75,000km, whichever comes first, with each 12-month/15,000km service costing $250.

The C-HR also comes with a 12-month subscription to Toyota Connected Services, with features accessible through the myToyota Connect smartphone app.

Kia’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is on board here, as is capped-price servicing. The brand says intervals have been increased to 12 months and 15,000km for the new Seltos, but there are a couple of whopping services in the program, like a $900 hit at 60,000km, or an $850 whack at 90,000km. All up, five years of ownership should cost you around $2600, while the full seven is more like $3800.