Gilbert’s Garage

Kia stable adds impressive Seltos to stable

GILBERT’S GARAGE

JOHN GILBERT

Startling in bright yellow, the 2021 KIia Seltos SX brightened up Lake Superior’s North Shore.

Photos by John Gilbert

The relationship between South Korean partners Kia and Hyundai has been interesting, if a bit confusing in the decade or so they’ve been united in a move by which Hyundai took in the struggling Kia operation.

For awhile, it seemed that Kia simply got its own version of various Hyundai vehicles, but in recent years, Kia has boldly stepped out onto its own path.

There is no better example than the new Kia Seltos, a compact SUV that seems to be about the same size as Hyundai’s award-winning Kona. The Kona was named 2019 New Car Pick of the Year by newcarpicks.com, as well as numerous other evaluating sources.

We are still evaluating our long-term Kona, which made it handy when a Neptune Blue 2021 Kia Seltos S Turbo showed up at our Duluth-area home for a week’s test.

Side-by-side, there are distinct differences, an objective the companies made a few years ago to use styling to differentiate, rather than copy.

The Seltos is about 5 inches longer and about 2.5 inches taller, with those 2.5 inches used up by giving the Seltos about 7 inches of ground clearance, 2 more than the Kona.

The Seltos also has the unique Kia grille, under which is a very noticeable skid-plate, offering protection if you decide to do a little light off-roading.

We were both impressed and puzzled by the Seltos S. Impressive was the sticker price, $26,740 with all options included, and also impressive was the Seltos S had a lot of punch from its 1.6-liter turbocharged 4 – the same engine that we got in the Kona. It has 175 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs, and a whopping 195 foot-pounds of torque at only 1,500 RPMs – a very good balance between the torque’s low-end punch and the horsepower’s cruising credits.

The all-wheel-drive system has a mode knob on the console, right next to the shift lever that governs the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, and you can set it for normal, sport or eco.

Enormously impressive is a switch that engages a downhill control, causing the engine to stay in a lower gear and aid you when descending hills without using only your brakes. In Duluth, where every avenue is a mile-high hill climb, meaning also a mile-down grade, that switch was eminently useful.

The full array of safety gizmos are there, including a lane-departure system that includes lane-following, which keeps you centered in your lane, although not obtrusively.

With gadgetry like that, it seemed curious that the Seltos S did not have keyless entry, or keyless ignition, which mostly proves how spoiled we’ve become with all those pushbutton start systems.

Still, for $26,000, the Seltos S seemed quite the bargain.

A few weeks later, we got a surprise visit from another Seltos, this one an SX Turbo, also with all-wheel drive, and also with the upgraded luxury features lacking on the Seltos S. It was

Starbright Yellow, with black molding Kona, Bell explained that there indeed and trim, and it was striking. Different were some. grille, departing from the Kia signature “They are on the same platform, style, and LED lights all around. It also even though the Seltos is longer,” Bell had the smart key, for entry and pushexplained. “The difference is that the button start, and the interior upgrades Kona is a global car, and in Europe were befitting the top line Seltos, they like lighter, agile small SUVs. priced at $29,485. Other additions were The Seltos is built specifically for the remote start, smart cruise control with U.S. consumers, although it also will automatic stop-start, a color instrument be sold in India, but not in Europe. It cluster, and 18-inch wheels, which were is aimed at being a little more rugged an option in the “S.” and capable. With the extra ground

The upgraded SX, in its bright yellow clearance, you could do light off-roading paint, didn’t have a sunroof, like its lesswith it.” expensive sibling, and it had the same On the road, we got 28.5 miles per 1.6-liter turbo powertrain. gallon in combined city-highway

I made a call to James Bell, Kia’s driving, although when I realized we director of corporate communications, were mostly set in Sport, I switched it to and a trustworthy source of information the Smart normal setting and was able of all things Kia, because he used to to get 32 mpg, which is very good for be a very good auto journalist, before any SUV with all-wheel drive. he went over to the “dark” side. Asked The Hyundai-Kia partnership also about the similarities with the Hyundai has a smaller SUV in the Hyundai

Stylish from all angles, the rear captures the fading afternoon light of the loaded Seltos SX Turbo AWD.

Venue, while Kia’s counterpart to that, Bell said, is the Stonic, being sold in Europe.

Kia has also gone its own way with the Soul, which Hyundai doesn’t have but it has the Veloster, which Kia doesn’t have. The Kia Optima, a beautiful companion to Hyundai’s mainstream midsize Sonata, shares the matching restyling both have enjoyed for 2021, and the Optima will drop its name and become the K5, again going more aggressive with two turbo engines and an all-wheel-drive option.

Hyundai came out with the impressive Ioniq sedan, which can be had as hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or pure electric. Kia didn’t get that, but got the Niro, styled more like a compact SUV with an all-electric version that has nearly 300 miles of range on a charge.

“We think the demand for electric cars is only going to increase over the next couple of years,” Bell said. “As it is, we’re making all that we can make right now.”

It may be that by going their separate directions, Kia and Hyundai will expand their already elite level of market share. And the Seltos will be the light off-roader in the mix.

The SX has richer materials inside than the more basic Seltos S, but both have the same technology..