Locally, Kia has a pretty solid lineup of crossovers available. From the entry-level Seltos to the sizable Sorento, Kia wants to make sure there it has a model for every budget and every size. However, there is one model that doesn’t seem to get enough attention in the range.
That model would be the Kia Seltos, the company’s entry in the premium subcompact crossover class. One could say that the smaller and less expensive Stonic took away its limelight, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Seltos is a perfectly competent car. We reckon it’s one of the most underrated cars in the market today.
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But this year, Kia Philippines is giving more attention to its bigger subcompact crossover. Recently, the company released a teaser video showing the updated model. There’s no launch date just yet, and the only thing they said was it’s coming soon.
If you’re wondering what it looks like, you’ll have to dig through our archives or just click on these blue words. The facelifted Kia Seltos made its world premiere in June 2022, receiving substantial changes inside and out.
The front end has been given a significant revamp with a new grille and headlight elements. There are more black highlights this time around, and even the front bumper is entirely new. Its sides don’t get much in the changes, but there are new wheel designs for the 2024 model year. Of course, the look will change depending on the variant chosen.
Rear end updates are about as noticeable as the ones in front. Most obvious is the new taillight design that echoes the latest crossovers from Kia. The rear bumper also gets a new look with sharper corners.
Kia had practically overhauled the dashboard for the 2024 model year Seltos. It now comes with a single large panel that houses both the instrument cluster and infotainment systems. Expect richer-feeling materials in the new Seltos, along with other trim changes. For features, that will depend on Kia’s product planners, but we’d like to see advanced driver assist systems given that most of its rivals already have it standard.
Specs are yet to be determined but it’s likely we’ll get the 2.0-liter gas engine. Presently, it’s good for 147hp and 279Nm of torque with shifting coursed through what Kia calls an Intelligent Variable Transmission. No, it’s not a new kind of transmission, it’s simply Kia’s term for CVT.
Price bumps are to be expected for the 2024 Seltos, but to what extent is yet to be known. As for its primary competitors, it faces off popular models such as the Ford Territory, Honda HR-V, and Toyota Corolla Cross.
