Here is a secret car shoppers rarely hear from a salesperson. You do not need a $50,000 midsize SUV to feel like your family arrived somewhere in style. I learned that firsthand on a drive from Newport Beach, California, through the mountains above Trabuco Canyon and down to Lake Elsinore, behind the wheel of the redesigned second generation 2027 Kia Seltos. It is a small SUV with a big lesson, and after spending time comparing it to some of the oversized three row SUVs families feel pressured to buy, I am convinced plenty of buyers are paying for space and prestige they will never actually use.
Let me explain the $15,000 figure in the headline, because I mean it literally. A well equipped Seltos, one with the turbo engine, leather trim, and a full suite of driver assistance tech, lands around $32,000 to $34,000 out the door. Step up to a comparably loaded three row family crossover like a Telluride or Highlander and you are routinely looking at $47,000 or more once destination and options are added in. That gap is not small. It is a car payment sized gap, and after this drive, I do not think most families are getting $15,000 worth of extra value for it.
Here is an easy question to keep in the back of your mind while you are reading this review. Is the top of the line X-Line trim actually worth the extra money over a mid range Seltos, or are you better off saving your cash? Hold that thought. I will answer it honestly at the end of this article, using real seat time in both the base engine and the turbo, something very few reviewers bother to do.
On The Road: Highway Composure, Cabin Noise, And Two Very Different Engines
Kia set up a smart test route for this drive program. Starting in Newport Beach, we wound through local canyon roads, climbed into the mountains, stopped for coffee at a gorgeous little spot called Dove Cafe in Trabuco Canyon, then descended toward Lake Elsinore before returning on the freeway. That single loop in a 2027 Kia Seltos gave me city driving, twisty two lane mountain roads, and sustained highway speed, which is about the most honest test you can run on any crossover.
I spent that leg in the top trim Seltos X-Line SX, and I have no complaints. The cabin stayed quiet climbing switchbacks, the chassis felt composed diving into corners, and merging back onto the freeway near Lake Elsinore never felt like a struggle, especially if you turn on the Sport mode. It reminded me of how the Sportage X-Pro Prestige surprised our team by punching above its price class, except the Seltos does it in an even smaller, even cheaper package.
On the way back, I asked Kia for time in the base LX trim, the one that slides in under $25,000. This is where things got genuinely interesting.
Is The Turbo Engine Worth The Extra Money?
Short answer, it depends on where you live and how you drive. The turbocharged 1.6 liter engine in the X-Line SX makes 190 horsepower and pairs with an eight speed automatic transmission that shifts with real confidence. It never felt like it was working hard, even climbing out of Trabuco Canyon toward the summit.
That is the same conclusion Kia's engineers reached with the naturally aspirated turbo pairing found across the Seltos lineup, which has always offered more torque than most rivals in this segment. If you regularly haul a loaded cabin up steep grades, tow a small trailer, or simply want the quickest merge onto a busy interstate, the turbo earns its keep.
But here is the part that surprised me. The base 2.0 liter engine, paired with front wheel drive in a car that is not particularly heavy, felt far more capable than I expected. Climbing the hills above Newport Beach, I could feel the engine working harder to do its job. It did the job anyway. For a vehicle that starts under $25,000, that is a genuinely impressive outcome, and it lines up with how Kia recently trimmed $1,500 off the Seltos base price while keeping the value proposition intact.
Should Buyers Wait For The Seltos Hybrid?
If fuel economy is your top priority and you can wait, yes, it may be worth holding out. Kia has confirmed a hybrid Seltos is coming, though not until later this year at the earliest. The brand has already shown with vehicles like the redesigned Crosstrek Hybrid that hybrid power in this segment can genuinely transform the daily driving experience, not just the window sticker.
That said, if you need a vehicle now, do not talk yourself out of the gas powered Seltos while you wait for a hybrid with an unconfirmed release date. The 2.0 liter and turbo engines available today are proven, and neither one left me disappointed on this drive.
The Family Viability Test: Legroom, Car Seats, And Cargo
This is where the Seltos quietly makes its strongest argument. Rear seat legroom measures 39 inches thanks to the longer wheelbase, numbers that would have been unheard of in a subcompact SUV just a few years ago. Two car seats fit in the back without anyone in the front feeling squeezed, and the near vertical liftgate opening makes loading strollers and diaper bags simple rather than a wrestling match.
Cargo space checks in at 27.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 64.2 cubic feet with them folded down. Those are numbers that creep uncomfortably close to compact crossovers a full size class above the Seltos.
Can The Seltos Replace A Larger Family SUV?
For a lot of families, honestly, yes. Not every household needs three rows or the towing capacity of a midsize Telluride. If your family tops out at two kids and a dog, the Seltos delivers real adult friendly rear seat space, real cargo room, and real highway composure, all while costing tens of thousands of dollars less than a loaded three row SUV.
Is The 2027 Kia Seltos Worth Buying Instead Of A Subaru Crosstrek?
This comparison matters because the Crosstrek is the benchmark plenty of shoppers cross shop against Kia's small SUVs. The redesigned Crosstrek has plenty of fans for its off pavement capability and standard all wheel drive. But the Seltos counters with a roomier back seat, a larger standard touchscreen, and a turbocharged engine option the Crosstrek simply does not offer. If you live somewhere warm and dry and rarely see snow, the Seltos front wheel drive base trim, powered by that same lineage of engines, is a legitimate value alternative.
Interior And Tech: The ccNC Displays And Everyday Ergonomics
Every Seltos trim comes with a 12.3 inch touchscreen running Kia's Connected Car Navigation Cockpit software, paired with real physical buttons for climate and volume. That balance matters more than people realize during a long drive, because reaching for a screen at 65 miles per hour is never as safe as turning a dial.
Kia clearly borrowed design language from its larger models here. The squared off steering wheel and horizontal dashboard layout echo what we saw when Kia explained why it retired the Telluride's V6 engine in favor of a more efficient turbocharged setup, a philosophy of doing more with less that clearly trickled down to the smallest SUV in the lineup. Material quality in the cabin felt genuinely upscale for the price, with soft touch surfaces in places competitors usually cut corners.
Why Does The Fully Loaded Seltos Cost Over $37,000?
Let's address this honestly, because sticker shock is real. The X-Line SX Prestige package adds heated and ventilated front seats, a Harman Kardon premium stereo, a surround view monitor, and navigation based adaptive cruise control. Those features push the as tested price close to $38,000, which sounds steep for a subcompact SUV.
My honest take is that most buyers should skip the Prestige package. The mid range trims deliver nearly all of the driving experience and most of the technology for thousands less. This closely mirrors what I found testing the K4 GT-Line Turbo sedan, where the best value lived a step or two below the flagship trim, not at the very top.
Does The 2.0 Liter Engine Feel Underpowered?
Since I drove both engines back to back on the same day, I can answer this question based on my impressions. The 2.0 liter does not feel underpowered in daily driving around town or on moderate grades. However, does require a heavier right foot climbing steep hills, and Edmunds noted the same tendency in its own testing, writing that the base engine "feels gutless and wheezy" at the test track. I would not go that far based on my real world drive, but the turbo is noticeably more relaxed doing the same work.
The Verdict
So, back to that question I asked you to hold onto. Is the X-Line actually worth buying? If you want the turbo engine and standard all wheel drive, the X-Line S trim gets you there without the Prestige package's steep markup. Skip the top Prestige trim unless heated seats and a premium stereo genuinely matter to your daily life.
The bigger lesson from this drive is simpler than any spec sheet. Depending on their budget, families do not need to overspend on size to get comfort, safety, and technology. Sometimes the smartest financial decision is admitting you do not need the biggest thing on the lot, just the right one.
What matters more to your family, maximum interior space or a lower monthly payment? And after reading about both engines, would you choose the turbocharged X-Line or save thousands with the base 2.0 liter front wheel drive Seltos? Tell me in the comments below.
Return tomorrow, or check our Torque News Home Page for more interesting automotive news articles.
Images by Armen Hareyan.
About The Author
Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Torque News and an automotive journalist with over 15 years of experience writing car reviews and industry news. Now based in the Charlotte region (Indian Land, SC, he founded Torque News in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News on X, Linkedin, Facebook, and Youtube. Armen holds three Masters Degrees, including an MBA, and has become one of the known voices in the industry, specializing in the landscape of electric vehicles and real-world stories of actual car owners. Armen focuses on providing readers with transparent, data-backed analysis bridging the gap of complex engineering and car buyer practicality. Armen frequently participates in automotive events throughout the United States, national and local car reveals and personally test-drives new vehicles every week. Armen has also been published as an automotive expert in publications like the Transit Tomorrow, discussing how will autonomous vehicles reshape the supply chain, and emerging technologies in vehicle maintenance.
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