Kia Philippines unboxes its entry into the sub-compact crossover category, the Seltos. Named after “Celtos,” the son of Hercules in Greek mythology, the Seltos slots below the Sportage and for that it starts at just P 1.098 million.

In terms of design, it gets a wide tiger nose grille (so wide Kia now terms it, “tiger face”) and a diamond-like pattern on the grille surround. LED daytime running lights and position lights are standard across all variants, but only the top-line SX receives LED headlights and LED front fog lights. At the back, all but the base LX receives LED taillights. At each corner are standard 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/55 R 17 tires.



The Seltos also boasts of a roomy cabin The rear occupants, in particular, offer reclining rear seats. With the seats up, it gets the largest cargo room in its class—498 liters. In terms of creature comfort features, an 8-inch touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard. Music is routed through a 6-speaker system, too. All but the base LX gets cruise control, but only the SX gets automatic climate control and a smart entry with push-start system.

All Seltos variants get a normally aspirated 2.0-liter engine with 149 horsepower and 179 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to an Intelligent continuously Variable Transmission (IVT) which is basically a CVT with pre-determined shift points to mimic a conventional torque converter automatic. A changeable drive mode selector is standard.

Underneath, the Seltos is fitted with MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear axle. The suspension and steering are tuned to provide a comfortable and confidence-inspiring high-speed drive. The motor-driven electric power-steering system is tuned to deliver rapid and linear response.



For safety, all variants of the Seltos benefit from dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, and a rear camera display. Only the top-of-the-line SX gets 6 airbags, vehicle stability control, and rear parking distance warning though.

For colors, the Seltos comes in both Dual Tone colors (Starbright Yellow / Cherry Black for SX and Clear White / Cherry Black for SX) and Monotone colors (Starbright Yellow, Mars Orange for LX and EX, Dark Ocean Blue for LX, EX, and SX, Gravity Grey for LX and SX, and Iron Grey LX, EX).

Pricing for the 2020 Kia Seltos starts at P 1,098,000 for the LX, P 1,198,000 for the EX, and end at P 1,498,000 for the SX. Purchases made from now until November 30 gets a P 50,000 discount.