The country’s crossover segment is turning out to be one of the most competitive categories in the local automotive industry.

It’s not surprising though since Filipinos have come to love crossovers for their roomy interiors and comfortable sedan-like driving without breaking the bank. Additionally, many car manufacturers continue to put out a slew of nameplates that look to compete in the said segment.

Two of these are the Kia Seltos and the Geely Coolray. Interested to see which of these would best suit your budget, style, and motoring needs? Join us as pit them against each other in this clash of crossovers.

Weigh-ins

For our tale of the tape, we present the Kia Seltos, which has an overall length of 4,370 millimeters (mm), an overall width of 1,800mm, and an overall height of 1,615mm. It has a wheelbase of 2,630mm and a minimum ground clearance of 170mm.

As for the Geely Coolray, it measures 4,330mm long, 1,800mm wide, and 1,609mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,600mm and a ground clearance of 180mm.

At a glance, the Kia Seltos is slightly longer and taller than the Geely Coolray. The former also has a slightly longer wheelbase but clears the ground lower than the latter.

Exterior

Outside, the range-topping Kia Seltos gets LED headlamps with automatic light control, LED daytime running lights (DRL), LED position lamps, LED front fog lamps, an LED high-mount stop lamp, and a pair of LED rear combination lamps.

At the front, it sports a wide and imposing black radiator grille with silver appliques, a silver skid plate, and the updated Kia badge. Its side profile is highlighted by body-colored side mirrors, satin-finish beltline molding, body-colored door handles, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels shod in 215/55 R17 tires. The rear flaunts a roof-mounted spoiler, a silver skid plate, and silver trims that look like dual exhaust pipes.

Meanwhile, the topo-of-the-line Geely Coolray boasts LED headlights, LED DRLs, LED taillights, and a spoiler-integrated third brake lamp.

Overflowing with sporty appointments, the Geely Coolray features a front end with the brand’s borderless Chronos Grille and X-shaped Energy Bumper. To its sides are black power-folding side mirrors, chrome window surround trims, body-colored door handles, and 18-inch sporty Jet Black wheels wrapped in 215/55 R18 tires. The rear end of the crossover gets dual exhaust pipes with an upgraded rear bumper diffuser, a double-deck spoiler, and an electric tailgate with angle memory feature.

Overall, both crossovers reach the far end of the design spectrum as the Kia Seltos comes in as a stylish and elegant ride while the Geely Coolray offers its would-be owners with a sporty-looking vehicle.

That said, we will call this round a tie.

Interior

Inside, the top-trim Kia Seltos welcomes its occupants with seats finished in leatherette and cloth, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, a shift knob wrapped in the same leather hide, and a center armrest that uses the same material.

Past the multi-functional steering wheel is an instrument panel with a 3.5-inch LCD screen complemented by an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity features.

The Kia Seltos also has a single-zone automatic air conditioning unit and an illuminated push start button.

Not to be outdone, the Geely Coolray has ventilated sport-type leather-feel seats, a leather steering wheel, and a leather center armrest.

It does impress with its fully digital seven-inch LED instrument panel and 10.25-inch floating infotainment system with a smartphone link.

Notable interior amenities include a single-zone automatic A/C and a panoramic sunroof.

Thanks to its more modern interior with the two digital display screens, we give this round to the sporty Geely Coolray. While the elegant cabin of the Kia Seltos looks really comfortable the updated features of the former do allow it to gain a slight edge over the latter.

Engine

Powering the Kia Seltos is a 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission, which Kia fondly calls IVT (intelligent variable transmission).

On paper, the said setup makes as much as 146 horsepower with 179 newton-meters (Nm) of torque.

On the other hand, the Geely Coolray has a 1.5-liter mill that is paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission that is capable of dishing out 177 horses with 255Nm of pulling power.

Based on the abovementioned numbers, the winner of this round is the Geely Coolray.

Safety

In terms of safety, the South Korean comes with a variety of standard features. Among which is a suite of seatbelts and airbags, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control, downhill brake control, hill-start assist, an immobilizer, and ISOFIX tethers.

Also included are advanced driver-assist features such as cruise control, a rear camera, and parking sensors.

Comparably, the Geely Coolray also features a similar set of safety technologies like ABS, traction and stability control, hill-start assist, and hill descent control.

Advanced driving nannies come in the form of a 360-degree camera, an automated parking assist system, a tire pressure monitoring system, cruise control, and blind spot detection.

Thanks to more advanced features, we give this round yet again to the Geely Coolray.

Variants and pricing

Kia Seltos

Seltos EX – P1.208 million
Seltos SX – P1.56 million

Geely Coolray

Coolray Comfort – P1.083 million
Coolray Premium – P1.218 million
Coolray Sport – P1.299 million

Verdict

The winner of this battle is the Geely Coolray. The crossover undoubtedly boasts a more aggressive style coupled with relatively new features that make for an appealing package for many Filipino car buyers. It also has a more powerful engine that ensures a more spirited driving experience for its owners.

Nevertheless, the issue of aftersales support might have caused some car buyers to shy away from the brand. Here is where the Ayala-led brand might shine over its competitors thanks to its promise of generous warranty coverage, 24/7 roadside assistance, and nationwide network of service centers.

Photos from Kia and Geely 

Also read: 

2024 Kia Seltos unveiled at Los Angeles Auto Show

Geely PH presents updated Coolray SE at MIAS

Kia Seltos makes 10 best user experience list in US