2020 Kia SELTOS

We’re looking at the new 2020 Kia Seltos.  This is a brand new product model from Kia and it tees off well as it sets new standards in the compact SUV segment.  Potential customers will be impressed with the amount of technical equipment, safety features and infotainment options you’ll find in a new Kia Seltos SUV; and it’s these things, particularly, that get the Kia Seltos hitting the ground running.  Buyers on the lookout for a practical, compact SUV will be drawn to the Seltos’s modern and up-to-date way of life.  For those of you who have been immersed with modern technology, it’s understandable why the Kia Seltos might just appeal to you the most.  Let’s see why.

First of all there are heaps of variants in the range to choose from.  Two trim levels basically set the standard, while many options are available to get you into the SELTOS that’s right for you.  The Kia Seltos essentially comes in the Tech-Line and the GT-Line – the GT-Line being the Seltos that offers more in the way of sporty overtones, hence it has special GT badging, red detailing, red brake callipers, and a different two-tone wheel alloy pattern.  Some of the Seltos variants even get a twin sunroof, roof rails, BOSE sound systems and two tone roof colouring.  Exterior colours come in eight varieties, with the option of a black or white contrasting roof looking pretty cool.

Quite a chunky and upright stance is what greets you as you walk up the Kia Seltos.  Initially, I thought the styling was a bit nose heavy but it has grown on me with its nice modern styling and roomy compact SUV dimensions.  There is a nice use of chrome trimmings on the exterior, and the Seltos gets a bold grille and very modern headlamps with LED technology.  The park light is a very long and thin lighting band that runs underneath the bonnet lip for quite some distance before wrapping around the corner toward the front wheel arch.  The DRLs are shorter and follow the same horizontal line of the parking lights, only they’re shorter.  They also include a nice flick of light at the outer edges where the line does a small heart blip for a nice bit of styling flare.

2020 Kia SELTOS Interior Tech-Line

Hop inside a new high-end SELTOS and, WOW, the compact SUV segment now gets the new benchmark ideals.  Kia has gone for gold and given the top of the range Seltos SUV a very classy and upmarket interior with rippled leather, accented stitching and excellent infotainment technology that includes Kia’s latest UVO systems.  A nice digital display for the climate control system underlines the large 10.25-inch digital touchscreen display that is the face of the new UVO brains system – where lies many of the car’s clever features.  Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard.  You can listen to Spotify, talk handsfree on the phone, connect to your own Smartphone apps, figure out where in the world you are via satellite mapping, detect the best route to take with live traffic updates, and breathe better with a world-first air filtering system that monitors the outside air contamination rates.  Rear seat passengers also get a rear digital display screen.  A pop-up 8-inch Head-Up Display screen is a superb compact SUV feature.  Data stats like the engine torque and turbo output, a compass, tyre pressures and a trip computer are just some of the neat functions you’ll find are part of the new digital driver’s display.

Some models offer a Qi wireless smartphone charging pad, the flip-up heads-up display, digital instrument readout and ambient cabin lighting that changes hue and pulses to your music – funky!  GT-Line interiors boast lovely leather seats with red accent stitching and GT-Line badging.  Top of the range Tech Line models get equally-as- gorgeous leather seats and luxury trimmings.  All models enjoy close to 500 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place.

In Australia, Kia is likely offering the new 2020 SELTOS with the 2.0-litre petrol engine matched up to a new fuel-saving CVT automatic and front-wheel drive.  It creates 110 kW of peak power and generates a maximum of 180 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm.  This package can hustle the Seltos from 0-100 km/h in less than ten seconds.

The other petrol engine offered to the Australian Seltos buyer will be the gutsier turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine making 130 kW and 265 Nm.  This is the engine for the GT-Line and the buyer who wants the AWD sportier drive.

While the dual-clutch gearbox is nice, Kia’s CVTs are also considered to be among the best in the business at linking smooth engine torque a bit like a traditional auto.  It looks like Australia won’t be getting any diesel options just yet, but Seltos drivers can have the option to choose from ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ mode.

Practically big for a compact SUV, the new Kia Seltos sits at 4,270 mm long, and this is 200 mm longer than a Kia Kona and 100 mm longer than a rival Mazda CX-3.  Kia claims that this length helps give it the largest cabin and boot space in this particular class of SUV/car.

2020 Kia SELTOS

The 2020 Kia Seltos a class leader in technology, and that’s why we see the addition of features like an 8.0-inch heads-up display, a state of the art 10.25-inch HD touchscreen with Navigation and UVO connected car technology.  UVO technology improves the convenience and safety in the car while at the same time adding to the interior style and elegance.  UVO has some smart features that include: a 3-year free subscription, available for Android and iOS platforms, Smart Pure Air (In-car air quality monitoring), remote engine start with AC control, emergency assistance 24/7, live traffic information, live car tracking and a ‘Dude where’s my car” feature.  UVO Smartphone connection enables owners to be able to totally immobilize the car if it gets stolen, widen the interior Voice Command options, as well as organise trip information and maintenance tasks.

So, the Kia SELTOS base models will look a bit like this: a 2.0-litre engine, FWD and CVT, 16-inch alloy wheels, Halogen DRLs, reversing camera and sensors, AEB below 60 km/h with cars and pedestrians, lane-keeping assist, cruise control, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a temporary spare wheel.

The Kia SELTOS Sport models boast the 2.0-litre engine, FWD and CVT, 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, a ‘Premium’ steering wheel and shifter, the 10.25-inch touchscreen, climate control and a full-size spare wheel.

The Kia SELTOS Sport + FWD adds more goodies and thus features the 2.0-litre engine, FWD and CVT, expanded AEB Fusion II with cyclist detection, an electronic park brake, electric folding/heated side mirrors, cloth/fake leather seat trim, seat heating, steering wheel heating, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front parking sensors, privacy glass, and proximity key and button start.

The Kia SELTOS Sport + AWD model adds the more powerful 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine, AWD and the slick 7-DCT gearbox.

The top of the range Kia SELTOS GT-Line AWD has all the bells and whistles and looks a bit like this: a 1.6-litre turbo engine, AWD and 7-DCT, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and DRLs, LED front fog lights, artifical leather seats, cabin mood lighting, a wireless phone charger, a 7.0-inch instrument display, head-up display, electric front seats, ventilated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, and a sunroof.

The all-new Kia SELTOS comes with a market leading seven-year and unlimited kilometre program with roadside assistance as long as you use Kia dealer servicing.  Seltos rivals include the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Qashqai, Mitsubishi ASX and Hond HR-V, and in all fairness the Seltos has them beat – not to mention some more expensive European rivals.

2020 Kia SELTOS

The 2020 Kia SELTOS models include the:

• Kia SELTOS Tech-Line
• Kia SELTOS GT-Line

For any more information on the 2020 Kia SELTOS or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!