2024 Kia Seltos gets a new look, more power, still feels tinny

2023 Jeep Compass High Altitude 4x4 vs. 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport vs. 2024 Kia Seltos SX AWD Turbo: Battle of three extra small SUVs.

This week: Kia Seltos

Price: $31,885 as tested. The Pluton blue and black roof color scheme added $395; carpeting floor mats added another $175.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes that it’s “roomier than most subcompact crossovers,” that the “dual-screen infotainment system is worth the upgrade,” and that it has a “nicely balanced ride and handling.” Still, “some may find the ride a bit stiff, base power train won’t satisfy speed demons, entry-level model lacks desirable features.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Ready for the road less traveled.”

Reality: A nice package, but still missing some details.

What’s new: The Kia Seltos gets a refreshed look for the 2024 model year, and looking even more like a shrunken clone of big brother Sportage and Telluride now. It’s a fantastic look, but how does the operation measure up?

The measuring was fairly easy because the Crosstrek and the Seltos landed in the Sturgis family driveway for back-to-back weeks.

Competition: In addition to the Compass and the Crosstrek, there’s the Volkswagen Taos, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Mazda CX-30, Buick Encore, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade. And more. It’s a huge category.

Up to speed: The 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine creates 195 horsepower, a boost of 20 horses from 2023 and now just slightly behind the Compass’ 200. It allows the Seltos to win the three-way time trial, moving to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

Power delivery seems mostly sedate until the little vehicle is pushed, and then it can motor to high speeds with some momentum. Sport mode definitely feels the most sprightly in everyday driving.

Shifty: The 8-speed automatic transmission does have shift capability. This can help capture the power best, but the Seltos didn’t really have any trouble in automatic mode.

On the road: Sport mode is the best for handling as well, but that’s not saying a lot. The vehicle always felt like a rigid box, so cornering and turning happened with no fun flow and no joyful experience.

Highway travel was dodgy. When I released the steering wheel, the car seemed to aim for the ditch — this could have been an issue with the test vehicle, so definitely worth checking if you are considering the Seltos, but not enough to make you rethink the purchase.

I’m always waxing poetic about Subarus feeling competent, but part of the feeling is sturdiness. The Crosstrek felt solidly built while the Seltos transmitted a tin-can feeling.

Driver’s Seat: The seat left me feeling uncomfortable. The lumbar support remained strong even when in the most released position; a similar knuckle also pressed against the seat bottom as well, a rare feat.

The clear gauges sat in an odd position. My gaze naturally headed straight to the right, at the tachometer, while the speedometer seemed way off to the left.

Plenty of information is available in between, and it’s easy to sort through.

Friends and stuff: Sturgis Kid 4.0 christened the backseat “nice.” I found it roomy for head, feet, and legs, and the seat itself not uncomfortable. It reclines a bit as well.

Cargo space is 26.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 62.8 with the seat folded, ahead of the Compass for the latter number but behind for the former. The Crosstrek’s smaller quarters would mean leaving behind a few packages that would fit in the others.

Play some tunes: The stereo is controlled by the usual Kia buttons and knobs just beneath a generously sized 10.25-inch touchscreen, and it functions nicely. Bonus: The crazy media-HVAC that used the same controls for both features in previous iterations is left out of this model; perhaps it’s actually gone for good, and good riddance.

Keeping warm and cool: Toggles control the temperature and buttons handle everything else. Not the smoothest system but not the worst, either. See above.

Fuel economy: I averaged just under 24 mpg in the usual Mr. Driver’s Seat round of testing from Chester County to King of Prussia a couple times, and then mainly country road driving.

Where it’s built: Gwangju, South Korea

How it’s built: Uh-oh, Consumer Reports went and revamped its numeric rating system, and this vehicle gets a 51 out of 100. But that puts it in the middle range, apparently above the 2 out of 5 Compass and below the 4 out of 5 Crosstrek.

In the end: Kia has its work cut out for it, fighting the four-wheel-drive champion Jeep and its all-wheel-drive counterpart Subaru.

Still, the Seltos managed to take the middle spot, behind the agreeable Crosstrek and above the expensive and somewhat disappointing Compass.