Kia Seltos vs. Sportage 2023
1. Introduction
This comparison also serves to help differentiate the two, as a common dilemma between consumers is determining whether a purchase of the Seltos will be a sufficient quality of life improvement from their current compact SUV. With the Sportage being a preferred option in trading in older Kia models, it's important to establish the capital value gained in upgrading, and what better way than to see how it compares to the newest line of compact SUV. Both the Seltos and Sportage are considered an excellent value so an analysis of how the two contrast is a buyer's best bet to acquiring the best Kia compact SUV for 2023. Please visit our Comprehensive Guide to Kia Model Comparisons to learn more about Kia Seltos vs Sportage 2023
When it comes to family-friendly vehicles that can consistently perform well in performance tests, the Kia Seltos and Sportage have been the go-to options for many consumers. It's likely no shock that the two are part of the automaker's more recent models, and with the Sportage already creating buzz as it heads into its 2023 version. Those comparing the two may immediately sense some challenges in making a decision with the inclusion of the significant updates in the Sportage which could signal changes in safety, cargo capacity, and overall improvements to performance for a convenient compact SUV.
2. Exterior Design
Unfortunately, there is no roof rail in this car. It must be the railing has become a characteristic of an adventurous car like this car. This car has 12 different colors, and it has a variety of two-tone roofs that can make the buyer create their own favorite Kia Seltos.
Tell me about the windows. There are some chrome accents above, and the size of the door itself is quite big. This is quite a contrast compared with the other modern cars that use streamlined windows. The lower side has a rugged trim that can make the impression of this car as a tough car stronger. And there are two-tone colored alloy wheels. For the rear, the tail lamps are designed in a simple but modern way, a skid plate that can be useful, but a little bit disappointing for the exhaust. It's not compliant with the rugged off-road impression because it's too hidden underneath. Thanks for the 8-inch ground clearance, this car can be classified into a crossover due to the height of this car being higher than the other cars in the same class. This is not a very stylish design, but this is not a very bad design either.
2.1 Kia Seltos If we talk about the Kia Seltos, the design still looks fresh and proportional between the height, the width, and the length. It's a boxy car and has a slightly narrowed front end of the hood. It's a car with a rugged impression. We can see it from the skid plate in the rear that helps to reduce damage from the road. The signature tiger nose grill from Kia is very uncomplicated and is flanked by thin LED headlamps that give a very modern impression for a car in this class. The C-pillar has a floating style and the roof can be mixed with a black or white color.
The compact SUV market is one of the automotive market segments with the most choices. One of the newcomers in the market is Kia that released Kia Seltos in 2020. This South Korean car manufacturer also plans to release the new model of Kia Sportage in 2021. In this article, we will give you some review about both car exterior design.
2.1. Kia Seltos
The car will be a smaller offering with similar lines and accents from the larger sibling. The Seltos offers a modern and bold design featuring a wide, long front end with a larger front grille, the signature Kia headlights, and a sporty-looking front fascia which adds to the charm of the car. From the side, the Seltos features a very boxy look which adds to the road presence and is the only car in the segment that has very square wheel arches. It sits on 17-inch wheels that fill the arches nicely. Step round to the rear and the back is very similar to the larger Sportage with a similar rear light design that spans the whole width of the car. The top spec GT Line will offer a dual-tone roof which adds to the sporty look of the vehicle. The two-tone color options will also help to make the Seltos stand out from the crowd. Overall, the design is intended to attract the young and young at heart with a sporty, modern, and sophisticated look. The design of the Seltos is up there with the best in the segment, and it also has a good ground clearance of 177mm. The Seltos offers 5 different body color options, with 7 two-tone options. These color options give the consumer plenty of variety to choose the color that suits their personality. The two-tone options include a black, grey, or white roof with a variety of body colors. The GT Line top spec offers a dual-tone look with a cherry black roof.
2.2. Kia Sportage 2023
The new Sportage will be the first Kia to be available in a new 'Steel Grey' paint, designed to give the car a high-tech appearance. The bold design direction is spearheaded by the adoption of the Sportage's new signature 'Nero' trim, a glossy black grille insert with matching side sill molding and bold black roof rails. The new Sportage will be offered with a choice of 17, 18, or 19-inch alloy wheels, shod with high-profile tires to allow greater ride comfort.
The exterior design of the new Sportage has a strong SUV character. The combination of the swept-back profile, short overhangs, and muscular stance give the Sportage a more dynamic and rounded stance. A longer wheelbase and short overhangs meant moving the A-pillar backwards to create a longer bonnet. This, in turn, allowed the front overhang to be extended, giving the car a more stable, SUV-like appearance. The pronounced shoulder line runs the length of the car, emphasizing the sculptural and three-dimensional quality of the surfaces.
The Kia Sportage is an attractive mid-size SUV with distinctive presence, innovative design, high-end premium features, and practical offerings. The new Sportage is recognizable as a Kia, yet the design has a confluence of sophistication and boldness on the exterior and interior. Craftsmanship of the fourth-generation Sportage is most evident in the interior, with meticulous attention to detail. The result is a high-quality ambiance and luxury feel, which is rare in the compact SUV segment. The new Sportage successfully pairs contemporary luxury with a technical ethos.
3. Interior Features
Kia Sportage 2023 also includes a range of modern interior features in all trim levels, with more options and a generally higher level of sophistication and luxury. All trim levels include such standard features as air conditioning with rear vents, tilt/telescoping wheel, power windows, and keyless entry. Common new options are a 12-speaker Bose audio system and heated rear seats. Unlike Kia Seltos, Kia Sportage 2023 also includes several luxury options such as leather interior, power panoramic sunroof, and a range of high-end driver, safety, and convenience aids such as blind spot view monitor, smart power liftgate, and smart cruise control with stop & go. Both vehicles have a long list of features and options, so the exact package and price of the vehicle will depend on the individual buyer's wishes.
For a small SUV, Kia Seltos provides an impressive array of standard interior features in all trim levels, such as air conditioning, power windows, remote keyless entry, and a six-speaker sound system with AM/FM/MP3/Sirius satellite radio. Upgrades and additional features are available throughout the three trim levels, such as cruise control, telescoping wheel, premium audio, Bluetooth, and Kia's UVO eServices suite that includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen display. Dual automatic air conditioning and a power sunroof are available in the top line SX Turbo. While Kia Seltos has no leather interior option, synthetic leather seats that are both heated and ventilated are available in the top line SX Turbo.
Examine the interior features of both vehicles in these sections of our Kia Seltos vs. Kia Sportage 2023 comparison. Each vehicle provides a comfortable interior and a host of standard interior features. Each also offers a range of options and upgrades, so the interior of each vehicle can be tailored individually to the specific desires of the buyer. Interior space is similar in both vehicles, with Kia Seltos providing a little more headroom and the optional third row of seats in Kia Sportage 2023 providing a little more passenger capacity. The type, style, and number of available interior features is the most significant difference between the two vehicles.
3.1. Kia Seltos
The Seltos also comes standard with a very nice 7-inch digital display if you get the SX, with an optional larger 10.25-inch display for the EX. Ambient LED lighting is also available for the EX and standard with the SX. Both displays look good and are easy to read, and there are also many different settings and whatnot for drivers to tinker with.
The cabin of the Kia Seltos comes with many premium features that are hard to find among its competitors. Right from the base trim, the Seltos comes standard with a very smooth and user-friendly 8-inch infotainment, which is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A larger 10.25-inch infotainment is optional on the mid-tier Seltos and is standard with the top-tier SX. The larger infotainment only becomes available with the Premium Package, which also blesses the Seltos with a more powerful Bose audio system.
3.2. Kia Sportage 2023
In addition to the many features listed above, the Sportage 2023 has integrated the latest safety technology into the vehicle. All models are equipped with 6 airbags and a host of active safety aids such as ESC, VSM, HAC, and DBC. The top of the range SX model employs Kia's latest safety innovation, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) package. ADAS incorporates technologies such as Lane Keep Assist, Smart Cruise Control, and High Beam Assist to enhance on-road safety and driver convenience.
The top of the range model includes luxury features such as a supervision cluster and an infotainment system with an 8-inch display and an integrated reversing camera. All models are fitted with a high level of standard interior features with the range starting MX model including features such as Bluetooth, power windows, and USB/AUX input. The mid-range EX model adds to this dual-zone climate control, smart key with push-button start, leather-appointed steering wheel and gear knob, and an electrochromic mirror.
The Sportage 2023 continues its leading-edge exterior with modern and sophisticated interior design. The cabin has been widened to offer generous space and is equipped with a large cargo area. No less attention has been placed on the finer details of the interior with a wide selection of interior colors and trim options.
3.3. Comparison of Interior Features
When it comes to equipment, this is an area where the Seltos shines. The latest Kia models are notable for high levels of standard kit, and the Seltos is no exception. It offers an extensive feature list compared to rivals and even to some more expensive compact SUVs. Key tech and comfort features such as a premium sound system, wireless smartphone charging, full leather trim, an electronic park brake, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat can be had on the top-spec models. These features are typically reserved for top-spec vehicles, and the Seltos is offering them on models lower down the range. And like all Kias, the Seltos comes with satisfactory safety features, but we'll cover that in more depth later.
However, the Seltos feels quite a bit smaller inside in practical terms. One striking example is the luggage space - the Seltos falls a long way short of the Sportage's impressively large 564-litre boot. A figure of 433 litres (VDA) is not bad by supermini-based compact SUV standards, so maybe the Seltos is not best compared with traditional small SUVs. But it pales against precious little on the market these days, and the Sportage is significantly larger.
Inside the Kia Seltos and the Sportage, there's a high-quality structure, layout, and functionality of the cabins. This applies to the infotainment system, which are almost identical eight-inch touchscreen setups, the clarity of the instruments, and the positioning of the key controls. In both cases, perceived design quality is good, ensuring a modern, stylish appearance to the cabins. On paper, there's actually very little to split the interior dimensions of the two cars, with front and rear headroom and legroom measurements coming out at very similar figures.
4. Performance and Engine Options
Sportage 2023 offers different engine and transmission options depending on the region. The European models are the first to offer the newly developed 'U3' 1.6-litre CRDi (Common-Rail Direct injection) diesel engine and a 2.0-litre 'Smartstream' mild-hybrid powertrain. These engines are designed to offer increased power and torque while lowering CO2 emissions. Specifics of these engines will be released near the EU launch date. The new Sportage also offers a 1.6L T-GDI with an 8-speed automatic or 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission, which replaces the previous 2.4L GDI engine. CO2 emissions and fuel economy are increased with a refined 1.6L Turbo engine, while acceleration and performance remain similar to the previous GDI engine.
Kia Seltos comes with two engine variants and three transmission options. The 1.4L Turbo GDI engine is paired with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission, whereas the second is a 2.0L engine that comes equipped with an Intelligent Variable Transmission all-wheel drive system. The 1.4L turbo engine provides 175 lb-ft of torque between 1500-4000 rpm. The Seltos is the most affordable Kia model to offer the all-wheel drive system and, combined with a choice of two well-packaged engines, it delivers acceptable performance. The on-demand all-wheel drive system is similar to the one found in the larger Kia Sportage. The system senses the available traction and the driver's input to distribute the power and torque to the wheels where it is needed.
4.1. Kia Seltos
While the design will vary based on the model, engine, and drivetrain option, all Seltos vehicles feature a fully independent suspension featuring MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link layout in the rear. The SUV is underpinned by the same platform as the smooth-driving Kia Soul but has been elongated for a longer wheelbase and scaled up slightly in size to best fit within the subcompact-crossover category as defined by the likes of the Toyota C-HR, Nissan Kicks, Honda HR-V, and Mazda CX-30. Kia is still considering an entry in the B-segment SUV category, populated by smaller vehicles such as the Ford EcoSport and Chevrolet Trax. But the Seltos is not one of them. At 172.0 inches long, it's just a few inches shorter than a Sportage.
Kia Seltos was launched in India with much fanfare, and both critics and fans were all praise for it. All took note of the Seltos' premium feel, a notable improvement over much of the brand's less expensive products. There is substantial engine and model variation, but smart crisp handling is a consistent feature. Base LX, EX, S, and SX models all use a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, available with front-wheel drive only on the LX. A 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is reserved for S and SX models, a noteworthy upgrade that's accompanied by all-wheel drive. In our recent test of a front-wheel-drive Seltos EX, we declared it to be a compelling value, a sentiment inspired by the comfortable ride, refined drivetrain, and reasonable price.
4.2. Kia Sportage 2023
The Sportage does not have a turbo option. It produces 170 horsepower at 6000 RPM and 175 pound-foot of torque at 4000 RPM. These figures are less than what is offered in the Seltos. The 2.5L engine in the Sportage provides 2 miles per gallon less than the Seltos' 2.4L engine, with 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. This powertrain arrangement seems to be inferior to the Seltos in every way and it is slightly odd that it would not be the other way around.
The Kia Sportage 2023 is slightly larger than the Seltos and as such only comes with a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine. As with the Seltos LX, the Sportage LX FWD comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic. The other trims (LX AWD and EX) come with a 6-speed automatic overdrive transmission with Sportmatic. Whereas the Seltos offers CVT with its non-AWD packages in the LX, EX, and SX Turbo. The absence of a continuously variable transmission may be viewed as a negative as many consumers look for improved fuel economy and a shiftless feel attained by the CVT.
4.3. Comparison of Performance and Engine Options
The engine options for the Seltos are a 2.0L 146 horsepower four-cylinder or a 1.6L 175 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder. All Seltos models are only available with all-wheel drive and are equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission except for the SX Turbo model which gets a 7-speed dual clutch automatic. This differs from the Sportage's availability of front-wheel or all-wheel drive and the option of a standard hybrid power with all models. A hybrid plug-in is also available with the Sportage which features a 13.8kWh battery and an estimated range up to 29 miles. Unlike the Seltos, which is not even available with a hybrid model, the Sportage has different outputs looking at the traditional 2.5L four-cylinder engine or the hybrid 2.5L four-cylinder. The traditional engine features 191 pound-feet of torque. The standard front-wheel drive SE, S, and LX models offer an estimated 28 combined MPG and an estimated 30 MPG HWY. The S and SX turbo models offer 25 MPG combined and an estimated 28 MPG highway. The Sportage hybrid is only available with all-wheel drive and offers a 37 MPG estimated combined and an impressive 39 MPG estimated highway and city.