Earlier this year I was seduced. Kia South Africa invited me on a three-day, 1000km adventure at the wheel of its latest Seltos. It’s a 2WD soft roader but you wouldn’t have guessed it by the roads we travelled. Long stretches of gravel joined familiar slivers of highway asphalt, as we made our way from the Cape into the Tankwa, before returning via the R62. We overnighted under the stars in Sutherland, uncovered rocky mountain passes and trundled over them in a manner normally reserved for SUVs with more than one driven axle. I was impressed, but knew that the real test would come later. Enter the toughest challenge yet, suburban living.
Jokes aside, there’s no more ‘real’ an evaluation than real life, which in my case involves school runs, shopping trips, bike and hike adventures. And generally keeping a brood of five from murdering each other in a confined space. I’m happy to report, that in this regard, the Seltos ticks all the boxes. It isn’t my favourite Kia, let’s just get that out of the way – I prefer the Sportage almost on aesthetics alone. And I’ve recommended the Sonet to many a happy family because I genuinely think it’s the best in its class. This Seltos is slap-bang in between them, in terms of size and offering, and I really can’t fault it. I just wish it had an edgier look, maybe because I’m immature and materialistic, or more likely it’s a symptom of my midlife crisis. I’ll let you be the judge.
Hop aboard and it improves radically with a comfortable, well-appointed cabin rich with modern conveniences. Spotify on, Google maps engaged, aircon set to warm, please. I do so enjoy a contemporary vehicle, they just excel at making mundane miles vanish in the rear view mirror. As for the road ahead, the 1.6l makes a meal of it thanks to 90kW and 151Nm, good for a 11 second 0-100kph (it’s fine) amble. The ride quality is its standout feature in my opinion, soft over all manner of surfaces, yet firm when being tucked into the turns. Cliche alert, but you really do arrive at your location, rested.
I like this car, and can genuinely recommend it over most of its peers. Depending on which trim level you opt for, the Seltos can be had from R440k to R536k. I reckon the sweet spot depends on your affinity to rowing your own gears in a manual or letting the car do the work with the auto. You have a choice of diesel or petrol, but there’s not much between them. Personally, I’d go for the most affordable EX Plus (higher grade) at R476k. It’s a petrol-manual model so comes brimming with all the perks you could want and at an enviable price tag too.
