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2024 Kia Seltos Brings More Power, Fresh Face, X-Line to L.A.

kia seltos 2024 exterior oem 01 jpg 2024 Kia Seltos | Manufacturer image

Competes with: Chevrolet Trailblazer, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, Toyota Corolla Cross

Looks like: The current Seltos with a facelift

Powertrains: 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter four cylinder engine paired with continuously variable automatic transmission; 195-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with eight-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: First half of 2023

The refreshed 2024 Kia Seltos makes its debut at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show with updated front and rear ends, more power from its turbo 1.6-liter engine and a new X-Line trim. Kia’s smallest and most affordable SUV also sees some changes inside like a newly-available panoramic touchscreen and enhanced driver-assist technology.

Related: More 2022 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Although the Seltos came out on top in our most recent Affordable Small SUV Challenge, it fell short in a few categories: An inferior collision avoidance system, the lack of a power liftgate and turbo lag from the 1.6-liter engine were common complaints among editors. The 2024 Seltos addresses some concerns with a newly available power liftgate and an enhanced forward collision system, but we’ll see if the enhanced turbo engine improves acceleration when we drive it.

Exterior Facelift

kia seltos 2024 exterior oem 02 jpg 2024 Kia Seltos | Manufacturer image

Changes to the 2024 Seltos’ exterior are subtle. The front end gets a larger version of Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille, which features a new lighting signature. Other tweaks include an updated front bumper, foglights now integrated with the LED daytime running lights, and a new rear light bar that connects the SUV’s LED taillights. New geometric wheel designs and three new exterior paint colors will be available: Pluton Blue, Fusion Black and Valais Green.

The X-Line Treatment

Kia’s X-Line badge is making its way to the Seltos with altered exterior appointments. Already offered on the Sorento, Soul, Sportage and Telluride, the Seltos X-Line will come with an exclusive front grille in a gunmetal finish, unique 18-inch wheels, gloss-black trim, a black roof rack and X-Line badging.

New Tech and Safety

kia seltos 2024 interior oem 03 jpg 2024 Kia Seltos | Manufacturer image

Enhanced tech and safety features are the highlights of the Seltos’ interior updates. An available panoramic screen incorporates two 10.25-inch displays that include the center touchscreen and digital gauge cluster; an upgraded 4.2-inch digital gauge cluster is also available. (The current model comes with a standard 8-inch touchscreen; a larger 10.25-inch display is offered on higher trims.) Additionally, a digital key feature is added to the Kia Connect app, and the SUV now comes with two USB ports in the front row and two in the rear, doubling the number of the outgoing model.

The Seltos offers a standard suite of driver-assist tech across all trims. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane departure steering assist, lane-centering steering and automatic high beams. For 2024, the SUV gains a blind spot collision warning, a speed limit assist and warning that alerts the driver or automatically limits the vehicle speed, and enhanced forward collision avoidance assist that now offers pedestrian and cyclist detection.

Turbo Engine Gets Power Boost

kia seltos sx 2021 20 engine  interior jpg 2021 Kia Seltos | Manufacturer image

The Seltos’ two engine options carry over, but the available turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine now makes 195 horsepower (up from 175), while the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder gets the slimmest of power bumps to 147 hp from 146. An eight-speed automatic transmission replaces the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for the 1.6-liter models, while the 2.0-liter is once again paired with a continuously variable automatic.

Trims, Pricing and Release Date

kia seltos 2024 exterior oem 04 jpg 2024 Kia Seltos | Manufacturer image

Kia says the 2024 Seltos will arrive in the first half of 2023, but it hasn’t yet revealed the SUV’s full trim lineup or pricing. The 2023 Seltos starts at $24,135 for the base LX (all prices include destination charge) and is currently available in five trims (LX, S, EX, Nightfall Edition and SX) with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive optional.

Assuming the 2024 Seltos doesn’t see a dramatic price increase, it will remain competitive among affordable model-year 2023 subcompact rivals including the Chevrolet Trailblazer (which starts at $23,295), Honda HR-V ($25,045), Mazda CX-30 ($24,225) and Toyota Corolla Cross ($23,780).

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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Jane Ulitskaya
Former News Editor Jane Ulitskaya joined the Cars.com team in 2021, and her areas of focus included researching and reporting on vehicle pricing, inventory and auto finance trends.
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