The 2024 Kia Seltos makes its debut!

The revised Kia Seltos, laced with several exterior and interior updates, has arrived in Mzansi. In a segment where almost every brand offers a model, does the Seltos still stand out sufficiently? We drove the updated compact family car in the Western Cape.

Korean car brands tend to update models about 3 years after they’re introduced to the market, before replacing them with all-new versions 2 years after that. It used to happen like clockwork, until it didn’t – because of Covid-19, which delayed many things. The truncated story is that the facelifted Kia Seltos has arrived, but a year later than expected. The 2024 model includes visual tweaks to the front bumper, as well as redesigned LED head- and tail lamps, the latter of which incorporate a tailgate-spanning lightbar.

Meanwhile, the Indian-made compact family car’s interior has undergone a much more comprehensive update, replete with updated graphics and a skateboard-style screen that’s perched atop the dashboard. The new GT-Line version gets bigger displays for the infotainment system and digital instrument cluster.

On the powertrain side, the Seltos has 2 new engines: a naturally aspirated 84 kW/144 Nm 1.5-litre petrol (paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission) and a 118 kW/253 Nm 1.5-litre turbopetrol (in conjunction with a 7-speed automatic dual-clutch ‘box), which is exclusive to the GT-Line flagship.

There is also a 1.5-litre turbodiesel auto, which is carried over. It produces 85 kW and 250 Nm of torque.

You can check out the full range of Seltos derivatives and specifications in our specs & price article, but suffice it to say, my pick of the range would be either the EX or EX Plus in turbodiesel guise.

I do believe that no other small crossover model in South Africa (and there are so many of them) offers a turbodiesel option, but a few brands do offer a hybrid, such as Toyota (Corolla Cross) and Haval (Jolion). Kia South Africa views this as an area in which the turbodiesel motor at its disposal can provide value for buyers looking to save on fuel costs without having to worry about the perceived complexity of a hybrid.

We drove a turbodiesel derivative from the centre of Cape Town on around 140 km of winding roads to the small town of Greyton in the Overberg. The indicated average fuel consumption for the trip was 5.0 L/100 km, which was especially impressive considering the route included quite a few hill ascents. 

Overtaking at freeway speeds is perhaps not the turbodiesel’s strong point (it requires some convincing to accelerate much beyond 100 kph), but it will sit confidently at 120 kph… while using very little fuel.

The other engine we got to sample was the new turbopetrol that serves in the elaborately named 1.5 T-GDi GT-Line DCT. It accelerates eagerly and, when you utilise the wheel-mounted shift paddles, even exhibits “a sporty attitude”. By the end of the trip back from Greyton, I was impressed with the GT-Line’s indicated 7.0 L/100 km, although the figure was perhaps flattered by the “downhill run to Cape Town”.

The top-of-the-range turbopetrol derivative is an expensive proposition at R630 000, but it does come fitted with all the bells and whistles that Kia can offer in the Seltos, including red brake callipers, a head-up display and the Smart Cruise system, which is adaptive cruise control but includes a “follow mode” for when you’re sitting in traffic, plus blind-spot detection, lane-keep assist and forward-collision avoidance.

One of Kia’s biggest selling points, apart from offering turbodiesel derivatives in its Seltos range, is the admirable quality that its products exude. The revised Seltos feels so well put together; even when we drove it in strong crosswinds, it still felt planted and inspired confidence through the wheel. It’s an easy-to-drive crossover devoid of the few annoying quirks that you might find in a Chinese-made contender.

The infotainment system, for example, is easy to figure out, the dials are clearly marked and the trip computer menus are instantly familiar and, even if you’ve never used it before, intuitive. The only gripe I have with the Seltos’ cabin is that the driver’s seat wouldn’t go quite low enough for me (admittedly, I tend to lower the seat to its bottom-most position in every car I drive), but the seat itself was comfy.

Even the entry-level LX trim grade includes a sufficient number of features. Yes, you have to settle for cloth upholstery, but you get 2 USB ports up front and 2 in the rear, as well as aircon, a 6-speaker audio system, Apple Carplay and Android Auto (via cable connection), plus a reverse-view camera with PDC.

As for practicality, Kia’s middle crossover (it sits between the Sonet and Sportage) is quite capacious. The Seltos’ rear legroom is fair and even with a full-size spare wheel stored below the floor, the load bay is claimed to hold 433 litres. Yes, it’s one of the largest bays in the segment and even features a hook on the right side for securing a shopping bag, if necessary. The rear seats can also fold flat in a 60/40 split.