2021 Kia Seltos | LA Auto Show Debut | Steve Hammes

Does Kia need another utility vehicle? You bet they do and here it is…the 2021 Kia Seltos. A small SUV slotted between the Soul and Sportage, Kia refers to it as an adventure-ready crossover. And with over 7 inches of ground clearance, available all-wheel drive with lock mode, off-road friendly approach angles and skid plates, it has the resume. Following the Soul's formula of powertrain choices minus the manual transmission option, the base 2.0-liter engine pairs with a CVT while the 1.6-liter turbo available on S and SX trims and rated at 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque works through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Front drive models utilize a torsion beam rear suspension while the all-wheel drive Seltos benefits from a more sophisticated multi-link setup in addition to the enhanced handling benefits of torque vectoring. Priced from about $22,000 and available in LX, EX, S and SX trims, the Seltos flaunts a well-appointed cabin with inspiration taken from the much bigger Telluride. There is an available large touchscreen, the Kia debut of a Bose sound system with the Soul's famous Sound Connected Mood Lighting, wireless phone charging, reclining rear seats and a plethora of driver assistance systems that punches far above its weight including Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. Look for it during the first quarter of 2020.