The 2021 Kia Seltos, the first Seltos ever, landed at Kia dealers at what everyone assumed was going to be the wrong time. The COVID-19 pandemic was just hitting.
Fortunately, demand for the Seltos has been so strong that the poor timing has had virtually no impact whatsoever. The Seltos shot up the sales charts to challenge for No.1 among subcompact crossovers, now tops Kia Canada's leaderboard, and has also become the best seller at Centennial Kia. It's a hit.
In this booming vehicle category, there are a wide variety of options. One of the most natural competitors for the Seltos is the new Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was launched around the same time as the Kia.
Seltos vs. Trailblazer.
Kia vs. Chevrolet.
Which small utility vehicle comes out on top? According to the experts at Motor Trend, it's no contest. "The Kia Seltos prevailing against the Chevrolet Trailblazer shouldn't surprise anyone," says Motor Trend's Stefan Ogbac. But what's the big difference? Or, should we say, what are the big differences?
Here's a list of the 7 biggest advantages the Seltos displayed over the Trailblazer in Motor Trend's comparison test.
QUALITY
"The Seltos' fit and finish is a step above the Trailblazer's... The Seltos' cabin is an inexpensive interior done properly. You find a good mix of hard and soft surfaces, but none of it feels cheap or chintzy."
VISIBILITY
"The sightlines are similar to those in larger SUVs, and the view out is excellent thanks to large windows – at least in the Seltos."
SAFETY
"Kia continues to prove its mastery of value by taking the same driver assistance technologies in the Telluride and putting them in the smaller, more price-sensitive Seltos. Adaptive cruise control offers impressive levels of accuracy, leaving just the right amount of distance between you and the vehicle ahead, something the Trailblazer's system doesn't do."
TECH
"[Editor-in-chief] Rechntin complimented Kia's lane keeping assist, which works more like a lane centering system and even gives you an early warning to add more steering input if the car can't complete the turn on its own. In comparison, the Trailblazer's older system bounces you back and forth between the lane lines."
PERFORMANCE
"The Kia Seltos boasts superior performance, thanks to the 175-hosepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the Seltos hit 97 kmh in 7.4 seconds."
HANDLING
"Superior ride and handling characteristics further separate the Seltos from the Trailblazer. Comfortable and composed, the Seltos exudes confident road manners. Together with communicative steering, good body control, and agile handling, you get a well-rounded subcompact SUV."
THE WHOLE PACKAGE
"Better interior packaging and quality, great road manners, and superior tech features reveal the Seltos to be the stronger entry. You don't sacrifice much by going to a smaller vehicle; you get everything you want and then some."
Read The Entire Motor Trend Comparison Test.
