By Sam Charlwood, carsales.com.au
The Kia Seltos has only been on sale in Australia for a few years but has already come in for a major refresh.
First introduced in 2019, the small SUV has received a mid-life facelift that brings revised styling, additional safety features, an uprated turbo petrol engine and moderate price increases.
Does it do enough to keep pace with rivals from Mazda, Hyundai and Toyota? There’s only one way to find out…
Four times
The 2022 Kia Seltos (MY23) is available in four model grades, starting at from $29,500 plus on-road costs for the entry-level S model, which equates to a $2210 increase over its predecessor.
Similar price rises have been applied across the Seltos range (from $2010 to $2710, depending on model), with the line-up topping out at a lofty $44,900 plus ORCs for the GT-Line 1.6T AWD tested here.
The pricing increases are offset with more safety and equipment as standard, Kia says.
The regular engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol driving the front wheels, but top-grade Sport+ and GT-Line models can be had with an optional 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and all-wheel drive underpinnings, which imposes a $3500 premium.
As before, the Seltos is backed by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty and roadside assist.
Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first) for the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol ($1989 for five years/50,000km), while the 2.0-litre gets 12-month/15,000km intervals ($1914 for five years/75,000km) (whichever comes first).
Rising to the occasion
The entry-level 2022 Kia Seltos S is fitted standard with cruise control, a six-speaker sound system, power-folding mirrors, air-conditioning and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Stepping up to the Sport (from $32,700 plus ORCs) brings larger 17-inch alloys and a full-size spare wheel (up from a space-saver) as well as a premium steering wheel, auto up/down driver’s window, climate control and solar glass.
The Sport+ (from $35,800 plus ORCs) ups the ante with an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless entry/start, synthetic leather-accented upholstery, sliding centre arm rest, adaptive cruise control and illuminated vanity mirrors.
At the top of the range, the GT-Line (from $41,500 plus ORCs) comes loaded with full LED exterior lighting, 18-inch wheels, heated and ventilated front seats (with power adjustment and memory function for the driver), an eight-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, a head-up display, heated flat-bottom steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, smart rear tailgate, powered sunroof and full synthetic leather upholstery.
More safety
The biggest improvements across the Seltos range are in terms of standard safety equipment.
All models are now fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring and collision assist, rear cross traffic alert, safe exit warning, lane keeping system, driver attention alert, automatic high beam, front and rear parking sensors and intelligent speed limit assist.
However, the way some of those systems intervene and often detract from the driving experience. More on that in the sections below.
There’s also a full suite of airbags and the Seltos retains a five-star ANCAP safety rating from when it was first tested in 2019.
New tech
Even at the entry level, the Kia Seltos has a decent level of standard technology with a new 8.0-inch infotainment display and 4.2-inch digital display in between the analogue dials in the instrument cluster, as well as wireless smartphone mirroring and Bluetooth connectivity.
From the Sport variant upwards, there’s a fully digital instrument cluster and a bigger 10.25-inch infotainment interface with sat nav, digital radio and the introduction of Kia Connect, which allows owners to control a range of vehicle functions from a smartphone app.
Oddly enough, the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen display only offers a corded Apple CarPlay connection, whereas the lesser system gives you the option of wireless connection.
Space for all Australian families will appreciate the 2022 Kia Seltos’ surprisingly roomy cabin, which is well presented and offers plenty of storage options.
The driver is set low in the cabin, with adequate outward vision to the front and rear and easy access to the key controls.
Similarly, the infotainment display is crisp with menus that are easy to navigate and auxiliary functions such as the air conditioning and simple to use. There’s something simple about just pressing a button. And we welcome that.
However, the fancy dual digital screens in our GT-Line test car still can’t hide the fact the cabin still has a budget feel, with cheaper, hard plastics comprising most of the dashboard real estate.
The back seat offers ample space for a couple of adults or little ones alike, the latter facilitated by ISOFIX attachment points on the outboard pews and three top-tether points. Rear air vents and a separate power outlet are also provided.
Meanwhile, the 433-litre boot space has a flat floor and will happily accommodate a full-size suitcase or two, or a designer pram. And in a boon for practicality, a full-size alloy spare wheel is slung underneath!
Automatic choice
As before, all four Seltos models come standard with a 110kW/180Nm 2.0-litre normally aspirated petrol engine, driving the front wheels through a CVT transmission.
For the Sport+ and GT-Line variants, Kia has introduced an updated 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with a newly matched eight-speed torque-converter transmission that drives all four wheels.
The turbo-petrol engine is the one driven here and offers a claimed 12 per cent increase in power at 146kW while maximum torque remains the same at 265Nm.
Additionally, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has been replaced by Kia’s eight-speed torque-converter automatic (8AT), a move which should give way to smoother low-speed passage.
It also improves the 0-100km/h acceleration time marginally, to 8.4sec.
All Kia Seltos models are underpinned by a MacPherson strut front suspension configuration. Front-drive models couple this with a torsion beam rear axle while the all-wheel drive variants score a more advanced multi-link set-up.
More for less
Despite the increase in power, the updated 1.6-litre turbo petrol is more efficient than before with a claimed average fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km.
The front-driven 2.0-litre petrol Seltos offers a fuel consumption claim of 6.9L/100km on the combined cycle.
New tech gets in the way
There’s a lot to like about the way the 2022 Kia Seltos drives.
With a relatively small footprint and a nippy 10.6-metre turning circle, it facilitates easy, stress-free passage through tighter car spaces and in inner-city driving, while the suspension compliance and cabin acoustics are generally kept to tolerable levels. It’s a civilised and family-friendly compact SUV.
The Seltos boasts a decent ride and handling mix without reaching the lofty, polished heights of other recent Kia products, including the larger Sportage and Sorento SUVs.
Much of that is owed to the Seltos’ shorter 2630mm wheelbase, which makes it more susceptible to jiggling over bumps and slower to recover from larger hits in the road.
Dynamically, the all-wheel drive Seltos changes direction confidently and shakes off mid-corner bumps without fuss.
Ultimately, we found the updated 1.6-litre turbo-petrol to be much smoother with its new eight-speed automatic transmission. It accelerates swiftly and no longer lurches or hesitates from a standstill, making it more comfortable to live with in urban traffic conditions.
The engine ultimately lacks a degree of refinement that Kia has introduced to other models in recent years; it leans hard on the gearbox to keep it in the optimum rev bandwidth and tends towards thrashy as you approach higher engine speeds.
The engine’s insistence on maximising that narrow rev bandwidth leads to heavier fuel consumption as we averaged 8.8L/100km in a mix of conditions.
While the mechanical elements are well tuned, the new safety technology can detract from the driving experience, and we have reservations about how some of the driver aids intervene.
The focal point, in particular, is the speed sign recognition function. It’s both a potential deal-breaker and a distraction, chiming in every time you change speed zone and sounding an alarm each time you exceed the speed limit – even if it’s by 1km/h.
Some might rightly argue you shouldn’t speed, but we’d suggest driving the Seltos on a busy Australian road with constant speed zone changes before delivering judgement. The other problem is the system picks up school zone postings even outside the specified times.
The issue is so bad that Kia even left a form in our test car explaining how to turn the function off. Sadly, you’ll need to do this every time you start the car.
Moving on…
A bit more polish
The 2022 Kia Seltos is another demonstration of how progressive and reactive Kia has become in the last five years.
Despite the increase in purchase price, the upgrades (mostly) combine to elevate the Seltos closer to the best in class.
But the cheaper-feeling interior and annoying safety intervention are still marks against this small SUV, while the languid engine and smaller footprint lose it some points where dynamics are concerned.
Interior packaging and general passenger amenities are both noteworthy.
It’s a safe and competent SUV suitable for small families. But the Seltos lacks some of the award-winning polish that we’ve come to expect from Kia in recent years.
2022 Kia Seltos GT-Line 1.6T AWD at a glance:
| Price: $44,900 (plus on-road costs) |
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic |
| Available: Now |
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined) |
| Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol |
CO2: 175g/km (ADR Combined) |
| Output: 146kW/265Nm |
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019) |
Disclaimer: Images supplied by Kia Australia.
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