Kia Seltos X-Line SX

The Kia Seltos X-Line SX is the latest version of the brand’s very popular subcompact Sport Ute. Extremely affordable, it is a perfect first, second and third car for the family. We at Napleton News are all about affordability. So be cheap with us and check it out.

What is the Seltos all about?

Offering space, comfort and value, the Kia Seltos is everything you need in a subcompact package. It’s a first car for college, an around-town runabout and the perfect car for those on a budget.

The Seltos is powered by a pair of engine choices. The LX, S, and EX (With the AWD option) get the 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. It mates to a continuously-variable automatic transmission.

The SX model checks in with a smaller but more potent 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It makes 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Instead of the CVT, it is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Our tester is the Kia Seltos X-Line SX AWD.

Looks? The Seltos has them!

Looking like a case of “honey, I shrunk the Telluride!,” the new Kia Seltos bears a frontal resemblance to its larger sibling. And that’s a good thing. Now in Generation-two, the new 2027 Seltos is boxy and more brutish than ever. Our SX X-Line example rides higher at 8.3 inches compared to the 7.2 on the non-SX mod

A floating style roof is part of the design language for the new Kia Seltos and gives it the appearance that is a bigger car than we thought. But maybe it really is! Larger and roomier than before, the new Seltos has a larger footprint and a roomier floorplan that yields more space inside for people and their things. It’s all here, and more.

What about inside the Seltos?

Full of technology including ambient lighting, a fully-digitized gauge cluster featuring a pair 12.3 digital displays and more, the Seltos is chockful of everything you could want in a modern Sport Utility Vehicle.

The dashboard is thinner than most with the air conditioning vents located along the lower edge. Adjusting them requires a bit of a learning curve but eventually you can handle it without looking. The A/C controls are located below the center-mounted infotainment screen, but some controls are located alongside the screen too. It’s a bit confusing, especially when trying to adjust the controls while your eyes are on the road.

Thanks to the longer wheelbase of the 2027 Kia Seltos, the interior space is more plentiful than before. Front seaters up to six and a half feet tall will feel comfortable in the first row but don’t try that in the second!

Behind the Wheel of the Kia Seltos.

The Kia Seltos X-Line SX AWD is a good-looking sport utility vehicle with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It pumps out nearly 195 horsepower, but honestly, we think it needs more.

In normal drive situations, the Seltos gets along well enough. It gets off the line in a normal fashion, behaving and not making a ruckus. That’s, as we said, under normal conditions.

It’s when you need to stand on the gas that the Seltos raises its voice. Think of those times when you are merging onto the highway in heavy traffic. Planting your foot firmly on the skinny pedal will raise the decibels in and around the vehicle with a howl that lets you know the hamsters inside are working overtime.

Handling is well-controlled with very little in the way of sloppiness or side-to-side wobble. In other words it handles well, with good road manners overall. Besides, it’s quite comfortable too.

The new Seltos could be your next second car. Or even your first. It’s up to you to decide.

Kia Seltos X-Line SX AWD Specifications