Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Pint-sized 2021 Kia Seltos crossover could be a great tech value

Stephen Edelstein
By
1 of 2
2021 kia seltos makes us debut at 2019 los angeles auto show
2021 kia seltos makes us debut at 2019 los angeles auto show

Kia already has plenty of crossovers in its United States lineup, but the Korean automaker is bringing one more in from overseas. Making its North American debut at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2021 Kia Seltos is already on sale in other countries. It hits U.S. showrooms in 2020.

The Seltos will sit between the Soul and Sportage in Kia’s U.S. lineup. That will effectively make it Kia’s smallest, cheapest crossover. Kia likes to consider the Soul a crossover because of its boxy shape, but lack of all-wheel drive makes the Soul more of a tall hatchback than a true crossover. The Seltos will give Kia a genuine competitor to subcompact crossovers such as the Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona.

Seltos buyers will be able to choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and will have a choice of two engines as well. The base 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine produces 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to what Kia calls an “intelligent variable transmission,” which is actually a continuously variable transmission (CVT). An optional 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 175 hp and 195 lb-ft, and comes with a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

Related

The Seltos is expected to be relatively inexpensive, but Kia will still offer a decent array of tech features. A 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available, along with an eight-speaker Bose audio system. This is the first time Kia has offered a Bose system. A long list of available driver aids includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear seat occupant alert, and a driver attention monitor. The adaptive cruise control system will also be able to automatically adjust speed based on posted limits, according to Kia.

1 of 3
2021 kia seltos makes us debut at 2019 los angeles auto show x line concepts
2021 kia seltos makes us debut at 2019 los angeles auto show x line concepts
2021 kia seltos makes us debut at 2019 los angeles auto show x line concepts

Kia didn’t just bring the regular Seltos to L.A. It also unveiled two modified Seltos X-Line concepts at the show. Both concepts feature 2.0-inch lift kits, light bars, and other off-road addenda. As cool as it would be to see cars that looked like these in a showroom, the X-Line concepts are pure show vehicles that aren’t meant for production.

While a lift kit won’t be available, the 2021 Kia Seltos will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2020. Kia will offer five trim levels — LX, EX, S 2.0L, S 1.6T, and SX. Full pricing information isn’t available, but Kia said an all-wheel drive LX will start around $22,000. Kia also used the 2019 L.A. Auto Show to unveil a mildly updated 2020 Niro. Subtle styling changes are the only real updates for the Niro, which is available with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
2024 Polestar 2 gets a major overhaul for the 2024 model year
2024 Polestar 2

Volvo off-shoot Polestar is looking forward to an eventful year. It will begin production of the 3, its first crossover, and it will release a comprehensively updated version of the 2 sedan that's sportier than the outgoing model, more road trip-friendly, and better equipped.

The biggest visual difference between the original 2 and the new-look car due out in 2023 as a 2024 model is found on the front end. The electric sedan swaps its grille for what Polestar designers call a SmartZone that frames the front-facing camera and covers the mid-range radar used to power some of the electronic driving aids. While the shift isn't significant, it's symbolic. The grille created a visual link between the 2 and the 1, Polestar's now-retired first model; the SmartZone brings the sedan in line with the sleek-looking 3 unveiled in late 2022.

Read more
Electric trucks aren’t ready for the big leagues — but I still loved the F-150 Lightning
Ford F-150 Lightning

Electric cars are getting pretty cool. While Tesla popularized the concept of a "fun" electric car, these days there are quite a few options out there, like the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and even some luxury options from Mercedes and BMW. These cars offer awesome performance and often a sweet design, making them excellent choices for first-time EV buyers.

But with electric trucks, it's a slightly different story. To be clear, they're just as powerful, -- often more so -- than electric cars. But when you're driving a truck, you expect to be able to use that power in different ways, and frankly, electric trucks seem to have a way to go before they'll hold up in those settings.
Towing is tough
The Achilles' heel of every electric truck comes down to hauling: Adding a ton of weight to the load seriously impacts range -- and not in a trivial way. Add a camper or even a lightweight trailer, and you might find that you're getting half of the expected range out of a charge. That means that you'll have to charge up more than every 150 miles, and if you're towing a camper, it's very likely that you're driving further than that. And even lighter loads can have a heavy impact on range.

Read more
VinFast’s new electric cars will be available in the U.S. this year
VinFast VF6

As we move toward electric vehicles, all kinds of new car brands have been popping up -- giving the traditional automakers a run for their money. Over the past few years at CES, one of the more interesting of those has been VinFast -- a Vietnamese company that delivered its first cars in the U.S. in November. Now, the company is planning on more releases over the next year -- and at CES 2023, we learned more about what those cars will offer.

VinFast may not be very well known in the U.S., but it's actually one of the larger automakers in Vietnam. It certainly doesn't have the experience in manufacturing on the scale that it's hoping to in the U.S., but unlike many of the other electric carmakers, it is actually shipping cars -- not just building concepts. The VinFast VF8 crossover and VF9 SUV were announced earlier -- but little was known about the smaller VF6 and VF7 models, until now. Turns out, like their larger siblings, they're pretty compelling options.
VinFast VF6

Read more