The 2023 Kia Seltos is a great option if you're shopping for a subcompact SUV. Despite its small outward appearance, the Seltos boasts a tremendous amount of interior space for passengers and cargo. The cabin has an upscale look and feel, and occupants are treated to comfy seats, a user-friendly infotainment system and a host of standard safety features. The Seltos also rides and handles nicely, and Kia backs it with a lengthy warranty
If there is a hitch, it's that the Seltos' available dual-clutch transmission has a tendency to shudder at low speeds. We suggest sticking with the base engine and its smoother continuously variable automatic [CVT] even though this setup isn't as powerful
Should I Buy the 2023 Kia Seltos?
You should consider the 2023 Kia Seltos if you want a practical and premium-looking SUV that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The Seltos is a relative bargain at $23,000 and up, especially given its roomy and upmarket cabin, many tech and safety features and standard all-wheel drive. That said, the Seltos isn't the only standout SUV in this pint-sized class. Other fine picks include the Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona and Volkswagen Taos
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2022 so với. 2023 Kia Seltos. What's the Difference?
There aren't any major differences between the 2022 and 2023 Seltos models
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Here are the key changes for the Kia Seltos over the last few years
- 2023. no notable changes
- 2022. Nightfall Edition debuts; Kia Drive Wise assistance features [lane keep assist, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking and more] join standard features list
- 2021. all-new vehicle
If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2021 Seltos and 2022 Seltos reviews to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles
How Much Does the 2023 Kia Seltos Cost?
The 2023 Kia Seltos has a base MSRP of $22,840, which is a roughly average starting price for the subcompact SUV class. The price rises to $26,140 for the midrange EX trim, and it jumps to $28,340 for the range-topping SX. The Seltos is priced between the smaller Soul and larger Sportage in Kia's crossover SUV lineup
Check out our U. S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page
2023 Kia Seltos Versus the Competition
Kia Seltos vs. Kia SportageThe redesigned Kia Sportage sits just above the Seltos in the brand's SUV lineup, and it offers a few perks over its subcompact sibling. The Sportage is roomier, both for passengers and cargo, and it's rated to tow a trailer, which the Seltos is not. The Sportage also has a swankier cabin with upgrades that aren't available in the Seltos, like ventilated seats, a power liftgate and an all-digital gauge cluster. Its engine lineup is more diverse as well and includes gas, hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains
Simply put, the Sportage is more SUV than the Seltos, and its higher starting price of roughly $26,000 reflects that. If you have a tighter budget, stick with the Seltos. Otherwise, the Sportage may be the better pick for you, especially if you have a growing family
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The Hyundai Kona may look wildly different, but it's mechanically similar to the Kia Seltos. For instance, both SUVs share the same transmissions and engines [apart from the high-flying Kona N], and they return similar fuel economy ratings. Both also offer many of the same safety and infotainment features, and their interiors – though styled differently – feel suitably upscale. The Kona's main benefit over the Seltos is its lower starting price [roughly $1,500 less] and slightly sharper handling. The Seltos, on the other hand, has a much roomier back-seat and cargo area. All in all, both are great options in this segment
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Compare the Seltos, Sportage and Kona »
Seltos Interior. A Class Above
2023 Seltos Interior QualityThe Kia Seltos is a convincing impression of a much pricier vehicle thanks to its stylish and upscale cabin. The dashboard has a suave and almost BMW-like appearance, and the interior as a whole feels sturdy and well-constructed. Sure, there are numerous hard plastics throughout, but these surfaces don't feel cheap, and they're complemented by just as many soft-touch areas. Overall, it's an impressive cockpit with the only nitpick being elevated road noise, but that's par for the course in the small SUV segment
2023 Seltos Infotainment, Bluetooth and NavigationKia offers the Seltos with a standard 8-inch touch screen or an available 10. 2-inch version. These displays benefit from straightforward menus, snappy responses and crisp graphics. Both are easy to see and reach while driving as well, and they’re accompanied by physical buttons and knobs, which makes adjusting the climate and audio controls a cinch. It's a simple layout that simply works
- Standard infotainment features. an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a six-speaker stereo, Bluetooth and a USB port
- Available infotainment features. một số 10. 2-inch touch screen, navigation, satellite radio, an eight-speaker stereo, wireless device charging and two additional USB ports
- Additional standard features. remote keyless entry
- Other available features. automatic climate control with rear-seat vents, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, remote start and a sunroof
For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?
2023 Seltos Cargo SpaceThe Kia Seltos has one of the largest cargo areas of any subcompact SUV. There's 26. 6 cubic feet of room behind the rear seats and a sizable 62. 8 cubic feet with these seats folded. That's plenty of room for stowing a bike, camping gear, home improvement supplies or even the occasional piece of furniture like a coffee table. The square liftgate opening makes it easy to load and unload cargo as well
How Many People Does the 2023 Seltos Seat?The Kia Seltos is a two-row SUV with five seats. It may look small on the outside, but in reality, the Seltos offers a generous amount of seating space for adults. The front seats are supportive and well-cushioned, and the range of seating adjustments makes it easy to find a comfy driving position. The Seltos' large windows provide great visibility to the front, sides and rear of the SUV. The rear-seat cushions are a bit firmer than those in front, but reclining seatbacks and ample headroom and legroom make this an accommodating spot, even for 6-footers
Cloth upholstery and manually adjustable front seats are standard. Synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver’s seat are available
2023 Seltos and Child Car SeatsThe Seltos provides two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat
Read more about interior »
Seltos Performance. Bases Covered
2023 Seltos EngineKia offers the 2023 Seltos with two powertrain options. The LX, S, and EX trims have a 146-horsepower 2. 0-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission [CVT]. The SX and Nightfall Edition trims have a 175-horsepower turbocharged 1. 6-liter four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission. Both configurations come standard with all-wheel drive, except for the S trim, which is available with either front- or all-wheel drive
Each powertrain has its strong suits. The base engine is more than capable of zipping the SUV around town. Throttle response is swift, and the CVT swaps gear ratios quickly and smoothly, but the engine starts to feel gassed on the highway, and passing power is adequate at best. On the other hand, the turbocharged engine is noticeably more potent, and it easily hustles the Seltos off the line and up to highway speeds with ample passing power on tap. Its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission shifts promptly and seamlessly once underway, but it tends to shudder in stop-and-go traffic, which can be frustrating
The Kia Seltos gets an EPA-rated 29 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway when paired with its base 2. 0-liter engine and front-wheel drive. That's great fuel economy for a subcompact SUV and rivals that of the class-leading Nissan Kicks and Toyota Corolla Cross. These estimates dip to 27/31 mpg city/highway when upgrading to all-wheel drive, and they slide further to 25/30 mpg in models with the available turbocharged engine
2023 Seltos Ride and HandlingThe Kia Seltos may not be the sportiest SUV to drive in this segment, but it's no slouch either. The Seltos is a cinch to park and maneuver in tight areas, and it steers confidently around turns with minimal body lean and sway. The steering is responsive and sufficiently weighted, and the brakes provide reassuring stopping power
This Kia’s ride quality is also agreeable. Like most small SUVs, the Seltos tends to pitter-patter when driving on rough road surfaces, resulting in a somewhat jiggly ride, but the impacts from larger bumps and potholes are soaked up nicely. The ride is comfortable but not supple
2023 Seltos Towing CapacityThe Kia Seltos isn't rated to tow a trailer
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Seltos Reliability
Is the 2023 Kia Seltos Reliable?The 2023 Kia Seltos does not have a predicted reliability score at the time of writing
2023 Kia Seltos WarrantyKia covers the Seltos with a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty
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2023 Kia Seltos Safety
2023 Seltos Crash Test ResultsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2023 Kia Seltos an overall safety rating of four out of five stars. The Seltos received four stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests and five stars in the side crash test.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not crash tested the 2023 Seltos at the time of writing
2023 Seltos Safety FeaturesStandard driver-assistance features
- Rearview camera
- Driver-drowsiness monitoring
- Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection
- Forward automatic emergency braking
- Lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Rear-seat alert [helps to prevent children and pets from being left inside vehicle]
Available driver-assistance features
- Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
- Cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Highway driving assist [adaptive cruise control with lane centering]
- Safe exit warning [prevents rear-seat passengers from opening the doors if a vehicle is approaching]
2023 Seltos Dimensions and Weight
The Kia Seltos is 14. 3 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 2,948 to 3,317 pounds
Where Is the 2023 Kia Seltos Built?
Kia builds the Seltos in South Korea
Which 2023 Kia Seltos Model Is Right for Me?
The 2023 Kia Seltos comes in five trims. LX, S, EX, Nightfall Edition and SX. In general, each trim adds a few more features than the last, but the biggest difference is found under the hood. The LX, S and EX trims each have a 146-horsepower engine, while the Nightfall and SX trims have a punchier 175-horsepower turbo-four
Kia Seltos LXThe Seltos LX has a $22,840 starting price. Standard equipment includes a continuously variable automatic transmission [CVT], all-wheel drive, 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a six-speaker stereo, Bluetooth, a USB port, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, 60/40-split-folding rear seats, halogen headlights and a rearview camera
The Kia Drive Wise package is also included, and it bundles forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, forward automatic emergency braking, driver-drowsiness detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights and rear-seat alert
Kia Seltos SThe uplevel Seltos S starts at $22,890. This trim adds chrome exterior accents, fog lights, roof rails, heated side mirrors, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, remote start, automatic climate control with rear vents, two-tone cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, two additional USB ports, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
Notably, this is the only trim with front-wheel drive as standard. Upgrading to all-wheel drive costs an extra $1,500 and also adds heated front seats. Other options include a 10. 2-inch touch screen, navigation and satellite radio for $400
Kia Seltos EXThe midrange Seltos EX carries a $26,140 price tag. This trim adds synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 10. 2-inch touch screen, navigation, satellite radio, wireless device charging and a sunroof.
Kia Seltos Nightfall EditionThe Seltos Nightfall Edition starts at $27,040 and adds a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, 18-inch wheels and chunkier side sills and roof rails. Notably, this trim lacks the EX's power-adjustable driver’s seat, wireless device charging and sunroof
Kia Seltos SXThe high-end Seltos SX costs $28,340. This trim adds an eight-speaker stereo, wireless device charging, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist and cyclist detection. A sunroof is a $700 option
Check out our U. S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page
See 2023 Kia Seltos specs and trims »
Why You Can Trust Our ReviewsU. S. News & World Report has been ranking the best cars, trucks and SUVs since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years of combined experience in the auto industry.
This 2023 Seltos review combines 18 professional reviews with concrete data like performance specs, fuel economy estimates and safety ratings and incorporates applicable research for all models in this generation, which launched for 2021