2024 Kia Seltos Makes Life a Little Simpler

Average new-car transaction prices are still sky-high, but there are several small entry-level crossovers that seek to maximize bang for your buck. The Kia Seltos has shined in this spot, with sales up 30 percent year over year and a buying cohort that’s among the youngest in the segment. Appealing to the youths isn’t easy, as anyone making TikToks can tell you, but the refreshed 2024 Seltos has all the right stuff for the job.

From the front, the 2024 Seltos doesn’t look much different, although the grille is wider, the headlights are altered, and there’s some beefier-looking trim at the bottom. The rear features a much more intensive glow-up, with new taillights that look far more modern. If you want to take it a step further, the new X-Line model—which replaces the Nightfall Edition—gussies up the Seltos with a special grille, different wheels, a black roof rack, and gloss-black trim.

The most notable change comes by way of the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder in the X-Line and SX trims. Horsepower is up by 20, to 195 horses, while torque remains unchanged at 195 pound-feet. This all new engine features a smaller bore and longer stroke than the previous 1.6-liter and is equipped with a larger turbocharger, revised camshafts, new injectors, and tweaks to thermal management and the cylinder head. (The 2.0-liter inline-four on lower trims remains unchanged, delivering the same 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet.)

Kia also ditched the Seltos 1.6-liter’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in favor of a more traditional eight-speed with a good ol’ torque converter. Sure, the turbo engine’s newfound power is both immediately noticeable and much appreciated, but it’s the new transmission’s more polished behavior that makes the biggest difference in the Seltos’s on-road demeanor. Taking off and stopping are both much smoother.

However, this new powertrain does lower EPA-estimated fuel economy. With the 1.6-liter and all-wheel drive (front-drive is only offered on 2.0-liter units), the feds have the 2024 Seltos pegged at 27 mpg highway, 3 mpg lower than the 2023 model. Combined economy is down from 27 mpg to 26, while the city figure remains at 25.

The 2024 Seltos’s suspension remains unchanged, which is good, because we dig the ride just as much as we did back when we reviewed a 2021 model. Body motions are nicely controlled, and brake-based torque vectoring gives this little ute plenty of composure in more aggressive maneuvers. Acoustic front glass—new last year and still a welcome addition—keeps the cabin surprisingly quiet for a budget crossover, with only a little bit of wind noise from around the side mirrors. The steering is precise enough to avoid spoiling the suspension’s fun, and the pedals are plenty easy to modulate.

If your commute is more stop-and-go than switchbacks, the 2024 Seltos’s revised cabin should make those doldrums a little more pleasant. A new single-piece frame surrounds and visually combines the infotainment screen and gauge cluster; all but the base LX are treated to a pair of 10.3-inch displays. Physical controls remain for both climate control and infotainment, which we’re always happy to see. A pair of USB ports is now standard in the back, while smartphone mirroring still requires a wired connection. On the safety front, cyclist detection is now included across the lineup as part of the Seltos’s forward-collision-warning tech.

Despite these changes, the refreshed Seltos remains an affordable choice for young buyers and growing families. The base LX pairs the 2.0-liter engine and all-wheel drive (yes, it’s standard on the bottom rung) for $25,715. The $26,315 S and $27,115 EX trims are offered with front-wheel drive; adding all-wheel drive bumps those prices by $1500 and $2200, respectively. If you want the potency of the turbocharged 1.6-liter, the X-Line will set you back $30,015, while the SX with all its bells and whistles is the dearest Seltos at $31,315.

The 2024 Kia Seltos’s refined formula should only boost its appeal. It’s quieter, it’s loaded with more technology, and splurging for the faster one feels more rewarding than before. With competitors such as the Chevrolet Trax picking up some steam this year, Kia’s entry-level crossover is better positioned to put up a good fight.