Dynamic duo: The 2 available variants of the Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos is one of the brand’s entries into the country’s highly-contested crossover segment.

It made its way into the Philippine automotive scene sometime in 2019 and was initially offered in three variants. Fast-forward to 2023, the local arm of the South Korean car brand silently pulled out the base LX trim and left out the better-appointed EX and SX grades.

On that note, we’re going to check out the two available variants of the Philippine-market Kia Seltos.

Exterior

The Kia Seltos EX variant now sits as the base model of the nameplate. That said, it comes with decent exterior features such as projector-type halogen headlamps, LED daytime running lights (DRL), LED position lamps, standard front fog lamps, LED combination taillamps, and an LED high-mount stop lamp integrated into its spoiler.

Further, it gets standard front and rear bumpers, silver skid plates (front and back), standard roof rails, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels.

The range-topping Kia Seltos SX trim does sport similar features but comes with an upgraded pair of headlamps and front fog lamps with LED technology.

Another difference between the Kia Seltos EX and SX models is that the former only comes with a solid colorway while the latter can be had in two-tone shades. The EX’s palette includes hues like Starlight Yellow, Gravity Gray, Iron Gray, Dark Ocean Blue, and Mars Orange. Meanwhile, the SX grade comes with more exclusive finishes such as Cherry Black / Starlight Yellow and Cherry Black and Clear White.

Interior

Inside, telling the two Kia Seltos variants apart from each other can be challenging as they sport similar interior appointments with a few minor exceptions.

For example, the Kia Seltos EX comes with a three-spoke urethane steering wheel, a polyurethane shift knob, and standard air conditioning.

On the other hand, the Kia Seltos SX gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob as well as a single-zone automatic air conditioning system.

Common features found in both grades include a 3.5-inch LCD instrument cluster; an eight-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto; seats swathed in leatherette and cloth material; as well a slew of cupholders, bottle holders, speakers, and tweeters.

Tech-wise, the Kia Seltos SX offers its would-be owners a smart entry key with an illuminated push-start button.

Engine

Propelling both the Kia Seltos variants is a 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission, which the brand calls Intelligent Variable Transmission.

On paper, both variants make 146 horses and 179 Newton-meters of torque.

Stopping power comes from disc brakes front and back. Supporting the Kia Seltos are MacPherson struts and stabilizers at the front and a coupled torsion beam axle setup at the rear.

Safety

When it comes to safety, the Kia Seltos EX offers standard features like airbags for the front driver and passenger, seatbelts for all occupants, an anti-lock brake system, an immobilizer, ISOFIX child tethers, and child lock-equipped doors.

As for the top-of-the-line Kia Seltos SX variant, it gets additional safety technologies such as more airbags (side and curtain), electronic stability control, downhill brake control, and hill-start assist control.

Pricing

According to Kia Philippines’ updated price list, the Kia Seltos EX has a sticker price of P1.208 million while the SX comes with a P1.56 million price tag. Those who want to get the more unique two-tone finish for the SX can expect to be set back P1.58 million.

Photos from Kia Philippines

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