New Kia Seltos: In an increasingly crowded compact SUV marketplace, standing out requires a delicate balance of style, functionality, technology, and value.
The 2025 Kia Seltos manages this balancing act with remarkable poise, building upon its successful foundation while introducing subtle refinements that keep it competitive in one of the automotive industry’s most fiercely contested segments.
As Kia’s entry between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage, the Seltos occupies a strategic position in the Korean automaker’s lineup, offering consumers a compelling blend of urban maneuverability and practical versatility.
New Kia Seltos: Design Evolution: Subtle Refinement
The 2025 Seltos carries forward the substantial visual updates introduced in the previous model year, maintaining a modern and distinctive presence on the road.
Kia’s design team has crafted an SUV that manages to look both sophisticated and youthful, with clean lines and purposeful proportions that avoid the excessive styling flourishes that can plague some competitors.
At the front, the Seltos wears a bold interpretation of Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille, flanked by sleek LED headlights on higher trims that incorporate distinctive daytime running lights.
The front fascia presents a confident and slightly aggressive stance, with carefully sculpted bumpers and angular fog light housings that add visual interest without appearing busy or overdone.
The profile view reveals a well-proportioned silhouette with a gently sloping roofline that maintains generous headroom for all occupants.
Character lines along the doors provide visual tension and reduce the appearance of bulk, while the optional two-tone roof treatment (available on select trims) adds a touch of urban sophistication. Standard roof rails enhance both the vehicle’s utility and its adventure-ready aesthetic.
At the rear, connected LED taillights span the width of the tailgate on upper trims, creating a modern and premium appearance, especially at night.
The rear bumper features integrated reflectors and a skid plate-style lower section that reinforces the Seltos’s SUV credentials while maintaining a clean overall design.
For 2025, Kia has focused on refining the Seltos rather than reinventing it. Interior materials have been upgraded across all trim levels, addressing one of the few criticisms of earlier models.
The S trim now receives attractive two-tone 17-inch wheels as standard equipment, enhancing its visual appeal, while new color options allow for greater personalization.
Interior Experience: Surprisingly Spacious and Tech-Forward
Step inside the 2025 Seltos, and you’re greeted by an interior that feels a class above its price point. The dashboard design is clean and driver-focused, with an emphasis on horizontal lines that enhance the perception of width.
Material quality has been improved for 2025, with more soft-touch surfaces in key contact areas and better overall fit and finish.
What truly sets the Seltos apart in its segment is its remarkable space utilization. Despite its compact exterior dimensions, the cabin offers generous accommodations for both front and rear passengers. The driving position is commanding yet comfortable, with excellent visibility in all directions.
Rear seat passengers enjoy surprising legroom and headroom, making the Seltos a legitimate option for families with growing children or adults who regularly transport friends.
Cargo capacity remains a Seltos strong suit, with 26.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 62.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded – figures that put it near the top of its class.
A dual-level cargo floor adds versatility, allowing owners to prioritize either maximum space or a flat load floor depending on their needs.
The technology story is where the Seltos truly shines for 2025. All but the base LX trim receive Kia’s impressive dual 10.25-inch display setup, with one screen serving as a customizable digital instrument cluster and the other housing the infotainment system.
This arrangement, which debuted in more expensive Kia models, creates a premium, tech-forward ambiance that impresses passengers and enhances functionality.
The infotainment system itself is intuitive and responsive, with crisp graphics and well-organized menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration is standard across all trims, with wireless connectivity on higher specifications.
The available Bose premium audio system with eight speakers delivers impressive sound quality, enhancing the overall cabin experience.
Other notable interior features include available ventilated front seats, heated front seats, a wireless charging pad, and ambient lighting that can be synchronized with music on top-tier models.
The optional panoramic sunroof floods the cabin with natural light, enhancing the already spacious feel.
For 2025, the S trim benefits from a new 4.3-inch screen in the gauge cluster, improving information display, while the EX and SX trims now come standard with rear parking sensors.
All-wheel-drive variants of these upper trims also receive a power liftgate – a convenience feature that’s increasingly expected in this segment.
Performance and Dynamics: Two Distinct Personalities
The 2025 Seltos offers buyers a choice of two powertrains that create distinctly different driving experiences, allowing consumers to prioritize either efficiency or performance based on their preferences and budget.
The standard engine for LX, S, and EX trims is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that Kia calls an “Intelligent Variable Transmission.”
While not particularly exciting in terms of acceleration (0-60 mph takes about 9.6 seconds), this powertrain delivers smooth and predictable performance for everyday driving, with excellent fuel economy ratings of up to 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway with front-wheel drive.
For those seeking more vigorous performance, the X-Line and SX trims come standard with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing a much more substantial 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. This powerplant is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that provides quick, smooth shifts.
The turbocharged Seltos offers significantly more spirited acceleration, with 0-60 mph times in the low 7-second range, making highway merging and passing maneuvers much more confidence-inspiring.
Both engines can be paired with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, though the base LX trim comes standard with all-wheel drive – a rarity at this price point.
The all-wheel-drive system includes a center locking differential that can split power 50/50 between the front and rear axles at the push of a button, enhancing traction in slippery conditions.
The Seltos’s ride and handling balance is well-judged for its intended purpose. The suspension tuning leans toward comfort but maintains enough body control to feel composed on winding roads.
Steering is nicely weighted and reasonably communicative by class standards, while noise isolation is impressive at highway speeds – another area where the Seltos feels more premium than its price point would suggest.
Braking performance is confident and predictable, with good pedal feel that makes smooth stops easy to execute.
Overall, the driving experience is refined and mature, particularly with the turbocharged engine, which elevates the Seltos beyond mere transportation into something genuinely enjoyable to drive.
Technology and Safety: Comprehensive Protection
Kia has built a reputation for offering generous technology packages, and the 2025 Seltos continues this tradition.
Even the base LX trim comes well-equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic headlights, and a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features.
These safety systems include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, and driver attention monitoring. This level of standard safety equipment is impressive at the Seltos’s price point and contributes to its appeal for safety-conscious buyers.
Moving up the trim ladder adds increasingly sophisticated technology features. The S trim gains blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe exit warning. The EX adds the dual 10.25-inch displays, wireless phone charging, and remote start functionality.
The X-Line brings unique styling elements and standard all-wheel drive, while the top-tier SX includes Highway Driving Assist (combining adaptive cruise control with lane-centering), navigation-based smart cruise control, and the premium Bose audio system.
The SX trim also offers Kia’s Digital Key feature, which allows owners to use their compatible smartphone as a vehicle key, and even share digital access with family and friends – a convenience that appeals particularly to younger buyers.
For 2025, Kia has strategically redistributed certain features to more affordable trim levels, addressing feedback from consumers and maintaining the Seltos’s reputation for value.
The aforementioned rear parking sensors on EX and SX trims enhance safety during low-speed maneuvering, while the power liftgate on all-wheel-drive versions of these trims adds everyday convenience.
Trim Structure and Value Proposition
The 2025 Seltos is available in five distinct trim levels: LX, S, EX, X-Line, and SX. This carefully calibrated lineup allows Kia to target different buyer priorities while maintaining clear differentiation between models.
The base LX, starting around $24,590 (including destination charges), comes standard with all-wheel drive and the 2.0-liter engine.
Despite being the entry point to the range, it offers impressive standard equipment including the full safety suite, 17-inch alloy wheels, and an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone integration.
The S trim, starting at approximately $25,090, switches to front-wheel drive as standard (with all-wheel drive optional) but adds numerous features including the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, automatic climate control, and additional safety systems like blind-spot monitoring.
The EX trim, positioned at about $26,090, represents perhaps the sweet spot in the lineup for many buyers. It adds synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a wireless phone charger, and the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, creating a premium feel without the higher cost of the turbocharged models.
The X-Line, starting around $29,290, introduces the more powerful turbocharged engine along with unique styling elements like exclusive 18-inch wheels, special exterior trim, and all-wheel drive as standard equipment.
At the top of the range, the SX trim commands approximately $31,090 and includes virtually every available feature, including the Bose audio system, highway driving assist, and ventilated front seats.
Even at this price point, the Seltos SX represents strong value compared to similarly equipped compact SUVs from other manufacturers.
Price increases for 2025 are modest, with the base LX rising just $100 from the previous year. Individual trims see adjustments of up to $1,000, with the SX experiencing the largest increase, reflecting its expanded feature set.
Kia’s industry-leading warranty coverage remains a significant value-add for the Seltos, with 5-year/60,000-mile basic coverage and an extraordinary 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty that provides long-term peace of mind for buyers.
Competition and Market Position
The compact SUV segment has become increasingly crowded and competitive, with virtually every mainstream manufacturer offering at least one entry.
The Seltos faces off against established rivals like the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, and Chevrolet Trax, among others.
Compared to this competitive set, the Seltos offers several distinctive advantages. Its interior space utilization is among the best in class, particularly for rear passengers and cargo capacity.
The availability of a powerful turbocharged engine option sets it apart from competitors like the Honda HR-V, which offers only a single, modest powertrain.
The comprehensive technology package, especially on mid and upper trims, meets or exceeds what’s available from most rivals at similar price points.
The Seltos’s closest competitor might be its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Kona, which shares some underlying engineering but presents a more overtly stylish and youthful personality.
The Mazda CX-30 offers more premium interior materials and more engaging handling but can’t match the Seltos’s passenger and cargo space.
The Subaru Crosstrek brings standard all-wheel drive across all trims and more off-road capability but lacks the turbocharged engine option that makes higher-trim Seltos models so enjoyable.
The Honda HR-V trades on Honda’s reputation for reliability and resale value but offers less power and fewer features at comparable price points.
The Chevrolet Trax provides impressive value but lacks the refinement and feature breadth of the Seltos.
Within Kia’s own lineup, the Seltos is positioned above the more budget-oriented Soul (which lacks an all-wheel-drive option) and below the larger, more expensive Sportage.
This strategic positioning allows Kia to capture buyers seeking the practicality of an SUV at various price points and size requirements.
Driving Experience: Balanced and Refined
Behind the wheel, the 2025 Seltos presents a driving experience that balances comfort, utility, and engagement in a way that should appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers.
The elevated seating position provides good visibility in all directions, contributing to confidence in urban environments where awareness of surrounding traffic is essential.
With the standard 2.0-liter engine, the Seltos delivers adequate acceleration for most situations, though passing on highways requires some planning.
The CVT does a commendable job of keeping engine noise at bay during normal driving, though hard acceleration reveals its presence with a characteristic drone.
Overall efficiency is a strong point, with real-world fuel economy typically matching or exceeding EPA estimates.
Opting for the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine transforms the driving experience considerably. Acceleration becomes brisk rather than merely adequate, with strong mid-range torque providing confident passing power.
The eight-speed automatic transmission delivers quick, smooth shifts and keeps the engine in its optimal power band.
Despite the performance upgrade, fuel economy remains reasonable, with EPA estimates of 25/30 mpg city/highway with all-wheel drive.
Ride quality is another Seltos strength, with the suspension absorbing road imperfections effectively while maintaining good body control through corners.
Some impact harshness can be felt on particularly rough roads, especially with the larger 18-inch wheels, but overall comfort levels are impressive for the class.
The available all-wheel-drive system adds confidence in inclement weather and on loose surfaces, though the Seltos’s modest ground clearance (7.3 inches) and road-oriented tires limit true off-road capability. For the occasional dirt road or snowy commute, however, the system provides valuable peace of mind.
New Kia Seltos: A Well-Rounded Contender
The 2025 Kia Seltos continues to represent one of the most well-rounded packages in the compact SUV segment.
Its thoughtful blend of style, technology, practicality, and value addresses the core needs of consumers in this competitive market while offering enough distinctive qualities to stand out from the crowd.
For 2025, Kia has wisely focused on refining the Seltos formula rather than making dramatic changes. Improved interior materials, redistribution of popular features to more affordable trim levels, and strategic equipment additions enhance the ownership experience without fundamentally altering what made the Seltos successful in the first place.
Particular strengths include the spacious and versatile interior, comprehensive technology and safety features, the availability of a potent turbocharged engine option, and Kia’s exceptional warranty coverage.
The few weaknesses – modest performance from the base engine and some road noise on coarse surfaces – are minor considering the vehicle’s price point and overall competence.
For buyers seeking a right-sized SUV that balances urban maneuverability with family practicality, the 2025 Kia Seltos deserves a prominent place on the shopping list.
Its blend of virtues makes it not just a logical choice but a genuinely satisfying one – something that can’t be said for all vehicles in this often compromise-filled segment.
In a marketplace where standing out is increasingly difficult, the Seltos manages to shine through thoughtful execution rather than gimmickry, cementing Kia’s reputation for delivering vehicles that exceed expectations.