By Khulekani Dumisa

The SUV segment is a booming business in almost all its sub-segments and it was surprising to not have a Kia representative in the compact SUV space, which has been showing healthy growth for a number of years now. Fans and consumers looking for a Kia contender do not have to worry any longer as the Seltos is here to represent the South Korean manufacturer. Recently, we spent time with the Kia Seltos 1.6 EX+ Automatic and we were impressed.

Looks and standard features

Slotting in below the Sportage, the Seltos offers decent leg and shoulder room throughout its cabin. You will not struggle to fit three grown teenagers at the back. Such is the space that the driver and front passenger enjoy a centre console armrest with an integrated storage box. Additional space is found in the decently sized door bins. The boot (at 433 litres) is decently sized as well. You can happily fit in two medium sized suitcases and a couple of smaller bags. Fitting in longer items won’t be a problem thanks to the rear bench that folds down which you can play around as it splits 60:40.

Over and above space, the other major selling point is the many standard features. Standard features such as 17-inch alloy wheels (with a full-sized spare wheel), LED daytime running lights, front fog lamps, auto-folding function, leather seats, 8-inch touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality) and a reverse camera, all of which make the Seltos EX+ hard to pass by. I must point out that Kia can make the reverse camera much clearer as the quality lets it down.

Safety

The Seltos scores high on the safety front as all models are equipped with six airbags as standard: one for the driver, one for the front passenger, two side airbags for the driver and front passenger, as well as two side curtain airbags that stretch across the length of the cabin. All Seltos models also feature ISOFIX child seat anchors, ABS brakes, and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) Drive. Central locking and an immobiliser are also standard across the range.

The EX+ model is also equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).

Drive

The Kia Seltos 1.6 EX+ is powered by a 1.6 naturally aspirated engine and makes 90 kW and 151 Nm and that is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Whilst not the quickest car you’ll drive, power seems adequate and delivered seamlessly thanks to the competent transmission. The downside is the fuel consumption. It’s rather on the high side. Kia claims an average fuel consumption of 7.2 L/100 km but we saw nothing less than 8.5 L/100 km during our test.

The new Kia Seltos may have been late in arriving in the segment but it’s easy to see why it’s found favour with many customers and become a bestseller in the local Kia range. It ticks all the right boxes. It’s practical with cabin and cargo space that leads most rivals. The drive isn’t the most entertaining but it does the job – predictable and comfortable. There are also a lot of standard features on offer. It’s a great value proposition, especially in our test 1.6 EX+ guise.

Pricing

The pricing for the new Seltos is as follows:

Kia Seltos 1.6 EX Manual                               R369,995

Kia Seltos 1.6 EX Automatic                          R387,995

Kia Seltos 1.6 EX+ Automatic                       R405,995

Kia Seltos 1.4 T-GDi GT-Line                            R 460,995

All Kia Seltos models are sold standard with Kia’s industry-leading Unlimited Kilometre, 5-year warranty (which is inclusive of roadside assistance), and a 5-year/90,000km Service Plan.