2024 Kia Seltos offers efficiency and capability in lower trims

Article content

With the refreshed 2024 Kia Seltos, Kia has added even more value to its best-selling nameplate in the country. At the same time, there are now even more reasons to skip the powertrain upgrade and stick with a lower-cost model.

Article content

Now entering its fourth model year, this subcompact SUV is getting its facelift right on schedule. And it comes amid a surge in Canadian interest in these pint-sized utility vehicles. Over the next three years, sales in this segment are projected to increase by 120 per cent over current volumes.

Article content

Available powertrain options in the 2024 Kia Seltos

This is an important update, and Kia has brought a lot to the table. Since we’ve already brought up powertrains, let’s start there. In Canada, the base trim for 2024 is the LX, offered with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). From there, you can step up to EX, EX Premium, SX Turbo, or the new-for-2024 X-Line. This top trim is an appearance package that adds more rugged looks via a prominent roof rack, 18-inch black alloy wheels, and gunmetal exterior accents.

The base powertrain is unchanged: a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, tuned for efficiency, makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. It’s matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT, or IVT in Kia speak) and standard AWD on every grade but LX.

Article content

With the SX Turbo and X-Line grades, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder carries over from 2023 with a 20-hp bump. This brings the horsepower figure up 11 per cent to a total of 195, matching the 195 lb-ft of torque. The seven-speed DCT has been dropped in favour of an eight-speed automatic transmission Kia says is better suited to the engine. With this one, all-wheel drive is standard.

Which Kia Seltos trim is right for you?

There are three reasons why we feel you should skip the upgrade unless you’re really attached to the features or looks of the SX Turbo or X-Line.

Article content

This refinement is helped by upgrades to the suspension for 2024, which smooths over bumps and bruises in the road without being overly compliant. The added soundproofing also goes a long way, accomplished through additional foam, a layer of acoustic film on the windshield, and some exhaust tuning.

Exterior updates in the 2024 Kia Seltos

Looking to the exterior updates, the 2024 Kia Seltos now comes in nine different paint colours. Beginning from the EX grade, a new lighting signature is applied with LED headlights and fog lights, including an accent bar that cuts into the grille in a pattern Kia calls its “star map.” The taillights are LEDs as well for the EX grade and higher and also newly extend across the tailgate.

Article content

The reversing lamps and reflectors have been dropped onto the rear bumper, a change Kia says will improve visibility when backing up. The front and rear bumpers have been redesigned along with the integrated skid plates. On the EX Premium trim and higher, a power liftgate is added with an auto-open function when the key fob is detected at the rear of the vehicle. For wheels, 17-inch alloys are newly standard, and the 17- or 18-inch wheels have been redesigned across the entire line-up.

Article content

Interior updates in the 2024 Kia Seltos

On the inside, a black interior is standard, and a brown colourway is available with certain exterior colours and trims. But the biggest change is the pair of 10.25-inch screens that are now standard in the EX Premium grade and higher, one for the infotainment system and a second for the digital instrument cluster. This looks much like the twin-screen layout seen in many other recent Kia designs. And it shares one more trait in common with those other Kias: this configuration doesn’t offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

But you can get wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Where? You guessed it: in the EX grade, where an eight-inch infotainment system and a 4.2-inch driver information centre are equipped. The latter is surrounded by a pair of digital displays for the speedometer and tachometer, giving it a very similar appearance to the larger screen on higher trims.

Article content

All versions of the 2024 Seltos receive an updated climate control panel. Unlike the fancier (and arguably less user-friendly) alternating touchscreen seen in some higher-priced Kia models, this one comes with buttons and simpler digital readouts.

A few more technology upgrades of note: every trim from EX up comes with a pair of USB-C ports for the second row. In EX Premium and higher, a driver memory seat system is added. And if you do opt for the SX Turbo or X-Line, you can now access Kia’s digital key function, which lets you use your smartphone to access your vehicle instead of the key fob. This feature is part of the subscription-based Kia Connect system, and new Seltos vehicles come with a three-year trial.

Standard safety features

Article content

Kia has also added some new standard safety to the mix here. Every 2024 Seltos comes with standard blind spot collision avoidance assist. This isn’t simply a warning system: it will actively attempt to steer you away from an impeding collision. Forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, and lane follow assist are also newly standard.

What’s not standard is automatic high beams, a feature offered on the base trims of several competitors.

Compare the specs of similar subcompact SUVs, including the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, and more

Canadian pricing for the 2024 Kia Seltos

The 2024 Kia Seltos is beginning to arrive at Canadian dealerships now. Pricing starts at $27,095 for the LX FWD, including a $1,900 destination charge. (Dealer fees vary and are extra.) An LX with AWD is priced at $25,295 with delivery fees, while the EX costs $32,095 and the EX Premium is priced at $35,395. All of these trims come with the base 2.0-litre engine.

Article content

The top two trims each come with the 1.6-litre turbo and standard AWD. For the SX Turbo, you’re looking at a cost of $37,695. The new-for-2024 X-Line grade tops the price sheet at $40,295.

For our money, we’d take the EX. As much as the upgrades to the 1.6-litre turbo powertrain are interesting, the 2.0-litre with AWD offers the best balance of efficiency and capability. Plus, the equipment mix of heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a sunroof, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and rear USB-C ports is a fantastic value.

While the power liftgate, smart cruise control, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and wireless phone charger in the EX Premium would be great additions, it’s up to you whether those features are worth spending $3,300 more to lose wireless smartphone functionality. As it stands, the 2024 Kia Seltos EX is among the best value propositions in the segment. It’s very likely to keep Kia at the top end of the subcompact SUV sales charts.

Check out the latest Kia Seltos model.