2024 Kia Seltos 1.4 Turbo SX DCT

Good but pricey

When Kia first joined the crossover SUV market, they came up with the Sportage. The compact crossover competes with the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V which also came out in the mid-1990s. Through the years, however, the Sportage (along with its competitors) grew in size which meant there was a gap in Kia's lineup for something more... attainable.

Sure, there was the Kia Soul which used to be available in the country years ago but the automaker moved on from the funky-looking crossover SUV. When Ayala Corporation took over operations of Kia Philippines, they picked the Seltos to serve as the brand's new subcompact crossover SUV when it was launched in late 2019.

Fast forward several years later, the automaker introduced the refreshed Seltos. Not only does it get a restyled look but Kia was busy giving it plenty of upgrades inside & out. This isn’t our first outing with the refreshed Kia Seltos. We first got to drive the stylish crossover earlier this year for a day drive to Batangas. 

Fast forward several months later, Kia has handed us the keys to the Seltos SX. Impressive it may be with its turbocharged engine and a generous list of amenities, there were some issues we wish Kia was able to address like the dual-clutch transmission and the ride quality. Was Kia able to address the past issues? And is the sticker price of the top-of-the-line Seltos SX worth it?

When Kia refreshed the Seltos, we were surprised because they made it look like it was a full-model change. Thanks to the extensive facelift, the updated Seltos looks more daring and eye-catching compared to its predecessor. From the bold new grille that features distinct lighting elements to the stylish LED headlights, as well as the vertical foglights on the front bumper, Kia made sure it had a very discerning face.

The rear of the Seltos also received some noticeable changes like redesigned wraparound LED taillights, a faux skid plate, and a full-width LED light bar that connects the two taillights. Also worth mentioning are the S-shaped turn signal lights which somehow serve as a subtle reminder regarding its namesake. Rounding up the exterior features are the black body cladding, a panoramic sunroof, and the 17-inch two-tone diamond-cut alloy wheels unique only to the SX variant.

I have to give props to the designers at Kia for making the Seltos look even better despite only giving it a refresh. Kia could have only given it subtle revisions here and there but I'm glad that Kia thought otherwise and went beyond.

If we thought the exterior changes were great, Kia was also busy sprucing up the interior of the Seltos. Immediately grabbing attention inside the vehicle is a pair of high-definition screens that both measure 10.25 inches. One serves as the digital instrument cluster while the other is a touchscreen infotainment system.

The instrument panel has multiple view modes including a fully-digital readout of both the tachometer and speedometer. However, I chose the classic dial gauges as this is something more familiar. Over to the touchscreen, the system supports wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay which is always a welcome addition.

That means no more fumbling with cables when I need to pair a mobile device. I was surprised with how quickly the system recognized my phone and immediately paired. More importantly, both the phone and touchscreen never disconnected compared to other brands which can sometimes lose connection.

It may not have the tan leather seats of the Sonet, but the Seltos' black leather upholstery still delivered a high-quality look & finish. They are supple to the touch and feature contrast stitching which gives them a snazzier look. Acres of piano black accents and faux metal accents also cover the dashboard and center console of the Seltos which further complement the overall look of the crossover.

In an age where most automakers now put the climate control panel on the touchscreen, I'm glad Kia did not go in that direction as they opted to put physical buttons. Heck, they even put a separate panel for the infotainment system to allow users to select a particular menu without having to go through the touchscreen, depending on their preference.

Since this Seltos is the range-topping version, it comes with a 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder Smatstream engine. Not only does the engine benefit from forced induction but it also comes with direct injection - resulting in better acceleration while keeping the fuel bills down which we’ll get to later. Despite its small size, the 1.4L turbo makes an impressive 140 PS at 6000 rpm along with 242 Nm of torque between 1500 - 3200 rpm. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a 7-speed wet-type dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

With a push of a button, the turbocharged inline-four comes alive. While it may sound rough during a cold start, it quiets down once it reaches working temperature. Despite having a dual-clutch gearbox, Kia appears to have honed its skill in making such transmissions. In light city driving, the dual-clutch shifted through the gears smoothly - just like a typical torque converter automatic. At highway speeds, the DCT was also able to change cogs swiftly without breaking a sweat.

While having 140 PS is already impressive from such a small engine, do remember that it also makes more than 240 Nm of pull which it delivers in gobs at low revs. Set the transmission to Sport Mode and the Seltos delivers more than enough grunt to embarrass turbo-diesel SUVs and bigger-engined vehicles. On top of all that is the vehicle's agile handling. It's by no means a canyon carver but I was surprised by the Seltos' sharp handling. Combined with the tactile steering feel and the Seltos was quite a joy to drive.

When we first got to drive the Seltos back in February, we noticed the transmission wasn't able to deliver smooth downshifts. Fortunately, it looks like Kia was able to do something about it as the unit we tested was able to go down the gears seamlessly. Unfortunately, the gearbox struggled to be a smooth operator in bumper-to-bumper traffic as it tended to hang onto the first and second gears. With Metro Manila traffic sometimes at a standstill, drivers will have to get used to the gearbox's tendency to be clunky in heavy traffic. That's a common trait for DCTs in our conditions. 

As for its fuel consumption, the Seltos was able to average around 9 – 10 km/L in light city driving at speeds of up to 25 km/h. On the highway, the turbocharged crossover returned between 17 – 17.5 km/L at an average speed of 90 km/h. Paired with a 50-liter fuel tank, the Seltos can cover plenty of ground before needing to fill up. In fact, a full tank of gasoline on the Seltos will give you nearly 700 km of range. After five days of driving to and from work and going on a weekend road trip, the Seltos still had less than half of fuel in the tank.

I'm also happy to report that the Seltos SX now delivers a better ride quality. Unlike before when we first got to try it several months ago and experienced a harsh ride, this time it seems Kia was able to work out its dampers – resulting in a comfier and softer ride. It's no sedan, but it's acceptable and does not deliver a jarring ride when going over bumps and pock-marked roads.

While it seems I'm all praises for the Seltos SX, there are some improvements Kia could make. For starters, I hope Kia puts paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Not only does it make spirited driving more fun, but drivers can perform engine braking should they need to especially when going down steep hills. Another feature I wish the Seltos had is a 360-degree camera. At its current price point (which we'll get to later) I was expecting the crossover to have that feature already as standard.

Providing extra peace of mind to Seltos owners is a suite of intelligent driver-aids called DriveWise. Exclusive only to the SX variant, this gives the crossover smart driving features such as adaptive cruise control (AKA Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go ), lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, forward collision avoidance assist, high-beam assist, and driver attention warning.

While it’s great and all, I do wish Kia would tweak the system in a future update. For starters, the lane-keeping assist is a bit too sensitive for my liking as it tends to sound off if I ever so slightly veer off the lane. Then there’s the lane-following assist feature which can sometimes yank the wheel with force if the driver isn't paying attention. Yes, the intelligent driver aids are there to assist although sometimes they may also surprise or distract the driver.

So the Kia Seltos SX impressed us with its 1.4L turbocharged engine, its comfy ride, generous features, and intelligent driver aids. But with a price tag of PHP 1.688 million, it's quite an expensive B-SUV. The mid-range EX and entry-level LX don't have a turbocharged engine (only a normally aspirated 1.5L) and fewer features but they're selling for only PHP 1.198 million and PHP 1.288 million, respectively.

Side-by-side with other B-SUVs like the GAC Emzoom GS3, Changan CS35 Plus, MG ZS, and even the Hyundai Creta, the top-of-the-line Seltos SX has a high asking price indeed. Yes, it has plenty of amenities plus driver aids, but its other rivals in the segment also have those features for less.

The Kia Seltos SX is a punchy, fun, and feature-packed crossover, but the near PHP 1.69M price tag might give buyers a reason to look at what the rest of the brands have to offer before deciding.