2024 Kia Seltos: 4 things we like about the refreshed B-SUV

First Drive: Kia wants to stand out with the 2024 Seltos facelift

When the Kia Seltos first arrived in the country in late 2019, we were expecting it to cause a stir in the B-segment crossover market. With the likes of the Geely Coolray, Honda HR-V, and the Hyundai Kona (at the time) at its sights, Kia was looking to make a statement with their new subcompact crossover that delivered value for money.

Then the pandemic happened which slowed down sales and ultimately affected the Seltos' momentum in the Philippines. Then came its smaller sibling, the Kia Stonic which stole the Seltos' thunder in late 2020 and became a more common sight on Philippine roads thanks to its more compact size and more affordable price tag. In fact, during the pandemic, I actually saw more Stonics than Seltos units on the road.

Fast forward to 2024 and we now have the refreshed Kia Seltos. With the Stonic needing a refresh soon, the facelifted Seltos is poised to overtake its smaller sibling thanks to its multitude of upgrades, features, and sleeker looks.

Kia recently invited us for a day drive of the 2024 Seltos to get a better look and feel of the updated crossover. After covering plenty of kilometers covering different kinds of roads, we listed down some of the features we liked about Kia's updated B-SUV.

1. The Looks – This may only be a facelift but Kia gave the Seltos an extensive one at that. Heck, when the automaker first revealed the crossover late last year, I initially thought it was all-new from the ground up. Immediately catching my attention are the bold new grille, sharper LED headlights (halogen on lower models) & lighting signatures, vertical LED foglights, and a new skid plate on the front bumper.

Even the rear of the 2024 Seltos was given attention and looks different from the pre-facelift version. It gets new wraparound LED units, a new full-width LED lightbar, and a faux skid plate which gives it a more rugged appearance. Speaking of rugged, the Seltos also comes with black body cladding which serves as a nice contrast against the crossover's sleek new look.

Overall, I have to commend the designers at Kia for giving the Seltos more than just a simple nip & tuck. The changes give the vehicle a breath of fresh air which it badly needed after it first arrived in the country back in late 2019.

2. Smooth & efficient 1.5L & 1.4L turbo engines – Unlike the pre-updated Seltos which was only available with a 2.0-liter under the hood, the refreshed crossover is now available with two engine options. First is the 1.5-liter naturally aspirated Smartstream four-cylinder that puts out 115 PS at 6300 rpm and 144 Nm at 4500 rpm. The other engine is the more powerful 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four that generates 140 PS at 6000 rpm and a generous 242 Nm of pull between 1500 to 3200 rpm.

Getting behind the wheel of the 1.5-liter Seltos first, I immediately noticed that it felt just like the Hyundai Creta. Since both vehicles are platform siblings, I was not entirely surprised. Despite the 0.5-liter deficit over the 2.0-liter engine from before, the Smartstream engine felt smooth and delivered sufficient pep thanks to the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT).

But since we were four in the car complete with some luggage, you do sometimes feel the engine struggle a bit when faced with steep hills or inclines. Still, I was surprised to see that the 1.5-liter engine was easily able to average around 9 km/L in city driving and around 17 km/L on the highway. We'll hold another fuel economy test when we do a proper review of the Kia Seltos in the future.

Over to the 1.4-liter turbo, this particular engine is more zippy and is quicker off the line. Paired with a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox, the turbocharged Seltos can easily reach triple-digit speeds and perhaps surprise other vehicles on the road.

When it comes to fuel economy, the 1.4-liter turbo was able to sip fuel at around 10 km/L in the city. On the highway, it was easily able to average around 17 to 18 km/L. All well and good but we will hold another round of fuel economy tests once we get to test drive it soon to find out if the figures will be similar.

3. Sleek-looking cabin – If you thought Kia was only busy changing up the Seltos' exterior, you have to check out its interior. Just like the outside, the interior of the 2024 Seltos was also given a makeover. While not as drastic as the exterior, Kia made sure to make the cabin more ergonomic and at the same more pleasing to the senses. Despite being billed as a budget crossover, the look and feel of the updated Seltos is upmarket. They made clever use of soft-touch materials, gloss black accents, and high-quality fabric/leather upholstery.

Kia Seltos EX Dashboard

Don't expect to find analog gauges inside the Seltos as both the EX and SX come with a pair of digital displays. Both variants get a 10.25-inch instrument cluster along with a touchscreen infotainment system. The EX gets a smaller 8-inch infotainment display while the SX features a bigger 10.25-inch screen that complements the instrument panel display. The result is a futuristic-looking cabin that is a treat for the eyes.

Kia Seltos SX Dashboard

Automatic climate control comes as standard in all variants of the 2024 Seltos. The EX gets dual-zones while the EX and LX only get a single-zone system. And in case you haven't noticed it yet, it gets a rather unique gear selector that comes with a digital display to show you exactly what gear you're in – a nice touch if I do say so myself. Although I have to wonder how much will it cost to replace that small screen in case it breaks.

4. Wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay – While having Bluetooth connectivity in your car is always a must-have, most drivers nowadays also make use of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. With its ability to mirror apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, and Waze, it's no longer surprising manufacturers are making it a standard feature on almost every vehicle.

So how do you make something that's convenient even better? By allowing users to pair their devices without needing a cable. That's right, the 2024 Seltos comes with wireless connectivity for both Apple CarPlay & Android Auto. Even better is the fact that all variants come with this nifty feature.

Points for improvement

While it seems like I'm all praises for the 2024 Kia Seltos, I did notice that certain aspects of the vehicle could be improved or changed. For starters, the ride quality of the non-turbo EX is soft and comfy without being too floaty. There's a degree of stiffness but it's there to allow the Stonic to carry heavy loads if needed.

However, when I got to ride in the turbocharged SX version, the ride quality was harsher as if the vehicle had been tuned for handling. While I do get that a stiffer suspension setup is better for handling, this is still a family crossover that will see daily use. Perhaps Kia can do something to change its dampers to make the ride a little more tame.

There's also the matter of the dual-clutch transmission. While it was able to deliver smooth upshifts, the same cannot be said when it comes to downshifting. The transmission appears to get confused when it has to go down several gears as the vehicle sometimes heaves when it has to slow down. Perhaps Kia can do something about the transmission logic for the system to avoid fumbling between gears while downshifting.

Last but not least, I was surprised to learn that the Seltos doesn't come with a manual mode for either the IVT or 7-speed DCT. This comes as a surprise since its Hyundai sibling, the Creta, has it as standard. I would prefer the option of having a manual mode for the transmission, especially when going down steep hills or inclines so I can engage engine braking. Maybe Kia can put paddle shifters as an option for those who like to have a manual function for the IVT or DCT.

Is it worth it?

All in all, the 2024 Kia Seltos surely impressed us with its level of features, more stylish exterior, and upgraded powertrains. While I wished we could have also tried the entry-level LX (retails for PHP 1.198 million), getting behind the wheel of the EX and SX versions of the Seltos has given us a good impression of the refreshed crossover.

Price-wise, the EX is available for PHP 1.288 million which makes it bang for the buck. However, if you want the turbocharged SX version, that costs PHP 1.688 million which makes it quite expensive compared to your typical B-segment crossover. I won't be surprised if more people will become interested in the Seltos EX given its more affordable price tag.