2020 All Kia Soul Awd Redesign And Review

Kia’s new crossover the 2021 Seltos offers a best of two engines and transmissions in the Seltos – the turbocharged Four, with a 7-speed dual-clutch automated and a commonly aspirated, 146-horsepower Four with a continuously capricious transmission.

Kia’s new crossover the 2021 Seltos offers a best of two engines and transmissions in the Seltos – the turbocharged Four, with a 7-speed dual-clutch automated and a commonly aspirated, 146-horsepower Four

Photo: KiaMedia / Contributed Photo /

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Kia’s new crossover the 2021 Seltos offers a best of two engines and transmissions in the Seltos – the turbocharged Four, with a 7-speed dual-clutch automated and a commonly aspirated, 146-horsepower Four with a continuously capricious transmission.

Kia’s new crossover the 2021 Seltos offers a best of two engines and transmissions in the Seltos – the turbocharged Four, with a 7-speed dual-clutch automated and a commonly aspirated, 146-horsepower Four

Drive: Kia adds adventurous and aesthetic Seltos to its 2021 crossover lineup

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“Someday, one ability hope, Kia will action a adaptation of the Soul with all-wheel drive,” we lamented in our analysis of the 2020 Kia Soul a year ago. Kia did us one better. The South Korean automaker hasn’t anchored an all-wheel-drive arrangement to the diminutive Soul; instead, it brought out an all-wheel-drive archetypal that’s a little bigger than the Soul and a little abate than the bunched Sportage sport-utility vehicle.

Available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive, the new model, alleged the Seltos, has a added accepted actualization than the arbitrary Soul, and a sportier attending than the Sportage. Kia now boasts six crossovers and SUVs, alignment in amount from $17,490 for the auto Soul to $31,990 for the big Telluride. Slotted amid the Soul and Sportage, the Seltos — its name acquired from age-old Greek legends — fills a alcove that doesn’t assume to accept a name yet. It’s base-priced at $21,990.

Our well-equipped analysis car, a Seltos S with all-wheel drive, had a sticker amount of $27,085. The car seemed able-bodied anticipation out and right-sized for abounding families attractive for a aggregate of utility, abundance and abridgement at a low price.

While the Seltos has some SUV chops, including 7.3 inches of arena approval and all-wheel drive, it has the attending and personality of a bunched base wagon — article amid the Volkswagen Jetta and the old Volvo 240 wagon. It doesn’t drive like an SUV, either. We begin its alley amenities brittle and refined, with affluence of alley feel and abounding ability beneath best altitude from the 175-horsepower turbocharged Four. The ride was close but not unpleasant.

With baggage accommodation of 26.6 cubic anxiety with all of the seats upright, and 62.8 cubic anxiety of burden accommodation with the aback bench lowered, the Seltos qualifies as a advantageous people-mover and casual burden carrier.

Kia offers a best of two engines and transmissions in the Seltos — the turbocharged Four, with a 7-speed dual-clutch automated and a commonly aspirated, 146-horsepower Four with a continuously capricious transmission. Our Seltos was rated at 25 mpg city, 30 highway, application approved unleaded gasoline. We averaged about 32 mpg in mostly artery driving. When able with front-wheel drive, the beneath able of the two engines and the CVT, the Seltos is rated at 35 mpg on the highway.

Because it fills a alcove aural a niche, the Seltos doesn’t acquisition itself in a awful aggressive bazaar segment. Sister automaker Hyundai’s Kona, the Subaru Crosstrek, Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR and Nissan Kicks all abatement aural ambit of the Soul, Seltos and Sportage in agreement of price, purpose and capability. Through July, Seltos sales had totaled 18,582, abaft Kia’s added crossovers and SUVs, but outselling all of the brand’s sedans except for the midsize Optima.

Price: $27,085

Engine: 1.6-liter turbocharged inline Four, 175 horsepower, 195 lb.-ft.torque

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch adaptable automatic

Drive: all-wheel

Ground clearance: 7.3 in.

Weight: 3,317 lb.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, torsion-beam rear

Wheels: 18-in. alloy

Tires: 235/45R18 all-season

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 26.6 cu. ft.

Maximum burden capacity: 62.8 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.

Fuel economy: 25 mpg city, 30 mpg highway

Fuel type: approved unleaded gasoline

Crash tests abide to be completed on the Seltos. The Sportage, hardly beyond and taller than the Seltos, has been called a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Artery Safety.

Steven Macoy ([email protected]) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel.