The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling small SUV in The usa, one with an ironclad recognition for reliability, practicality, and resale price that few cars in any section can fit. Since arriving within the U.S. in 1996, Toyota has bought thousands and thousands of devices, and evaluating the rest to the RAV4 would possibly appear to be a daring transfer. To signify the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos can stand toe-to-toe with the mighty RAV4 is a daring declare.
Then again, while you have a look at what Kia is turning in with the Seltos for the cash, the comparability turns into tougher to disregard.
Debuting on the 2026 New York World Auto Display, the second-generation Seltos arrives on a brand new platform with an up to date function set, a bolder design, and a generation suite that invitations a comparability with SUVs that charge a just right deal extra.
Despite the fact that reputable pricing for the 2027 Seltos has now not but been showed, in line with the outgoing style, be expecting it to start out underneath $30,000, with the X-Line SX (the highest trim stage) most likely touchdown within the low-to-mid $30,000 vary.
Even taking the present 2026 fashions, the Toyota RAV4 begins at $31,900, while the Kia Seltos begins at $23,790. On the most sensible of the lineup, the RAV4 Restricted begins at $43,300, whilst the Seltos SX begins at $31,490. Each are effectively beneath the nationwide reasonable for present car costs, despite the fact that the beginning MSRP hole between the RAV4 and Seltos warrants nearer exam.
- Base Trim Engine
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2.0-liter 4-cylinder
- Base Trim Transmission
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CVT
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Entrance-Wheel Pressure
Two other approaches to what is underneath the hood
Seltos punches above its magnificence, RAV4 wins on the pump
The 2027 Seltos provides two engines relying at the trim stage.
The LX, S, X-Line S, and EX run a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder generating 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft. of torque, paired to a regularly variable computerized transmission. In the meantime, the X-Line SX steps you as much as a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder making 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque, matched with an eight-speed computerized. All-wheel force is usual on X-Line S and X-Line SX.
EPA-estimated gas economic system for the two.0-liter engine with front-wheel force is 28 within the town, 33 at the freeway, and 30 blended with front-wheel force. The turbocharged X-Line SX with all-wheel force delivers 24 within the town, 30 at the freeway, and 26 blended.
QuizKia Seltos
Learn on after which verify your wisdom
Suppose you realize Kia’s standard compact SUV? Put your wisdom to the verify with those Seltos questions.
DesignEfficiencyOptionsHistorical pastSpecifications
By which yr did the Kia Seltos make its world debut?
That is proper! The Kia Seltos was once formally unveiled in 2019 and went on sale in markets all over the world in a while after. It was once offered to fill the distance between the smaller Stonic and the bigger Sportage in Kia’s SUV lineup.
Now not relatively — the Kia Seltos debuted in 2019. Kia introduced it globally to compete within the booming compact SUV section, and it briefly become one of the most logo’s best-selling fashions in markets like India, Australia, and the US.
The title ‘Seltos’ is encouraged during which determine from Greek mythology?
Proper! The Seltos title is derived from Celtos, the son of Heracles in Greek mythology. Kia selected the title to awaken a way of energy, journey, and mythical heritage — becoming for a rugged-looking compact SUV.
If truth be told, Seltos is encouraged via Celtos, the son of Heracles from Greek mythology. The title was once selected via Kia to present the SUV a way of energy and heroic personality, tying its adventurous styling to a mythical lineage.
Which of the next engines was once to be had within the Kia Seltos at its North American release?
Spot on! The Kia Seltos introduced in North The usa with a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine generating round 175 horsepower, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It presented a sportier riding really feel in comparison to the bottom 2.0L naturally aspirated possibility.
The right kind resolution is the 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This engine produced roughly 175 horsepower and was once paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving the Seltos a extra dynamic riding personality than its base engine possibility.
What’s the title of Kia’s infotainment gadget featured within the Seltos?
That is proper! UVO Hyperlink is Kia’s hooked up automotive and infotainment platform, presented within the Seltos to supply navigation, far flung car keep an eye on, and smartphone connectivity. The gadget helps each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless software integration.
The best resolution is UVO Hyperlink — Kia’s proprietary hooked up automotive platform. It options navigation, far flung get started features, and helps Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making the Seltos cabin a tech-friendly house for contemporary drivers.
What’s the approximate shipment capability of the Kia Seltos in the back of the rear seats?
Proper! The Kia Seltos provides roughly 26.6 cubic toes of shipment house in the back of the rear seats, which is aggressive for its magnificence. With the rear seats folded, that quantity expands considerably, making it a sensible selection for on a regular basis hauling.
The Seltos if truth be told supplies round 26.6 cubic toes of shipment house in the back of the rear seats. This places it in a powerful place amongst compact SUV competitors, and folding the rear seats opens up much more room for higher pieces.
Which nation was once the main preliminary marketplace that gained the Kia Seltos earlier than its wider world rollout?
Completely proper! India was once the main release marketplace for the Kia Seltos, and it become an enormous hit there virtually straight away. Kia used the Indian marketplace as a strategic access level, and the Seltos helped determine Kia as a big car participant within the nation.
India was once if truth be told the main preliminary marketplace for the Kia Seltos. The SUV introduced there to monumental luck and helped Kia briefly construct a powerful foothold in one of the most global’s fastest-growing car markets earlier than rolling out globally.
Which of those external design parts is a signature styling function of the Kia Seltos?
Great paintings! The Seltos includes a unique two-tone floating roof design, the place the roof is obtainable in a contrasting colour to the frame. This styling cue provides it a sporty, younger look and has turn into one among its maximum recognizable visible characteristics.
The signature styling function is if truth be told the two-tone floating roof, the place the roof panel is painted in a contrasting colour to the frame. This design selection was once a planned transfer via Kia to attraction to more youthful patrons and provides the Seltos a daring, unique glance.
Which transmission is paired with the bottom naturally aspirated engine within the Kia Seltos for the North American marketplace?
Proper! The bottom 2.0L naturally aspirated engine within the North American Kia Seltos is paired with an 8-speed torque converter computerized transmission. This setup prioritizes easy, relaxed riding, making it well-suited for day by day commuting and freeway cruising.
The bottom naturally aspirated engine within the North American Seltos is if truth be told paired with an 8-speed torque converter computerized. This transmission sort is understood for its easy shifts and reliability, complementing the engine’s center of attention on on a regular basis convenience over outright efficiency.
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For the 2026 style yr, Toyota discontinued its gasoline engine throughout all the RAV4 lineup. Each RAV4 now comes usual with both a hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s value noting that now not each automotive purchaser stores apples-to-apples precisely, and evaluating a hybrid RAV4 to a gasoline-powered Seltos is a great instance of that.
The RAV4 leverages a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired with Toyota’s hybrid gadget, generating 226 horsepower for front-wheel force fashions and 236 horsepower in all-wheel force configurations. As anticipated, gas economic system is a robust level of Toyota’s hybrid gadget, with the RAV4 turning in as much as 47 within the town, 40 at the freeway, and 43 blended with front-wheel force.
- Base Trim Engine
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2.5L Inline 4 Hybrid
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CVT
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Entrance-Wheel Pressure
Hybrid payback timeline
The place the RAV4 is at an obstacle
Whilst the RAV4 maintains an potency benefit over the Seltos, the Kia would possibly nonetheless be the simpler general monetary pick out. As my How-To Geek colleague Tyler Dypont has seen, despite the fact that hybrids are touted so that you can lower your expenses on gasoline, the truth isn’t that easy, as there are lots of elements that resolve whether or not a hybrid’s gas financial savings can if truth be told offset its preliminary top class.
When you’ve got a brand new hybrid in thoughts, just like the RAV4, run some numbers on its MSRP as opposed to how a lot you assume you’ll be able to spend on gasoline each and every yr. Here’s a components you’ll use to assist resolve how lengthy it’ll take to recoup the top class paid in gas financial savings.
- Hybrid MSRP – Non-hybrid MSRP = Top rate for hybrid style.
- Choice of miles it’s possible you’ll force in a yr ÷ EPA blended MPG = Gallons in step with yr.
- Gallons in step with yr x Moderate nationwide gas worth = Value of gas in step with yr.
- Non-hybrid charge of gas in step with yr – Hybrid charge of gas in step with yr = Hybrid gas financial savings (in step with yr).
- Top rate for hybrid style ÷ Hybrid gas financial savings in step with yr = Payback time in years.
As famous a second in the past, pricing for the 2027 Seltos has now not been introduced as of this writing. Then again, the use of the 2026 beginning MSRP figures for each cars (Toyota RAV4 at $31,900 and Kia Seltos at $23,790), the RAV4 carries an $8,110 top class over the Seltos on the access stage.
On the present nationwide reasonable of $4.53 in step with gallon (on the time of this writing) and the federal reasonable of 13,500 miles pushed in step with yr, the bottom Seltos consumes more or less 450 gallons once a year at 30 mpg blended, costing about $2,038 in gas.
The RAV4 LE, rated at 43 mpg blended, makes use of round 314 gallons, costing more or less $1,422. That works out to about $616 in annual gas financial savings within the RAV4’s desire.
Then again, divide the $8,110 worth hole via $616 in annual financial savings, and the maths lands at roughly 13.2 years earlier than the RAV4 has paid again its upper acquire worth thru gas financial savings by myself.
It’s value noting that this calculation shifts as gasoline costs do. For patrons in high-cost gas markets making plans to stay their cars for a very long time, the RAV4 could be a just right possibility. For everybody else, the Seltos is most definitely the simpler pick out.
Kia additionally provides an extended manufacturing facility guaranty, which patrons can believe when comparing long-term repairs prices. Each Seltos has a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper guaranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain guaranty. Toyota covers the RAV4 with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper guaranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain guaranty, despite the fact that the hybrid battery carries its personal 10-year/100,000-mile protection plan.
2027 Kia Seltos delivers flagship Audi tech for over $15,000 much less
New Kia Seltos has a tech suite that invitations a comparability with SUVs that charge way more.
Tech and security measures
Seltos makes its case
Step inside of both car, and the generational shift in expectancies for this section turns into glaring.
The 2027 Seltos has a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity for 2 gadgets, and entrance and rear USB-C charging ports. The X-Line SX provides an to be had 12.3-inch virtual software cluster, a five-inch local weather show, and a Harman Kardon eight-speaker gadget with an exterior amplifier and subwoofer.
Usual driving force help generation at the Seltos is similarly thorough. Sensible cruise keep an eye on with stop-and-go capability, ahead collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, and entrance and rear parking sensors are usual around the lineup. Blind-spot collision caution, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and secure go out caution are usual from the S trim onward.
In the meantime, the RAV4 comes usual with Toyota Protection Sense 4.0, which incorporates options corresponding to a pre-collision gadget with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise keep an eye on, and lane departure indicators with steerage help, amongst others.
The bottom RAV4 LE has a ten.5-inch touchscreen, whilst upper trim ranges have a 12.9-inch show. Just like the Seltos, Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are usual at the RAV4.
Seating fabrics and surfaces are related between the 2 fashions. The Seltos has SynTex seating on X-Line S, EX, and X-Line SX, a step up from fundamental fabric that provides the cabin a extra top class really feel. The RAV4 begins with cloth, however SofTex artificial leather-based is to be had on XLE Top rate and above.
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Oxford
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Foldable
This 13.5-gallon trunk organizer options compartments to prepare and retailer groceries, sports activities apparatus, emergency provides, and different day by day necessities.
Shipment and passenger house
RAV4 wins on shipment, Seltos on rear legroom
That is the place the Toyota RAV4 makes its maximum convincing argument. With 37.8 cubic toes of shipment house in the back of the second one row and 70.4 cubic toes with the rear seats folded, the RAV4 is solely a bigger car with more space to paintings with.
The Seltos provides 27.8 cubic toes in the back of the second one row and 64.2 cubic toes with seats folded, significant numbers for a small SUV, however noticeably lower than the Toyota.
Passenger dimensions are a bit nearer, on the other hand. The Seltos has 41.3 inches of entrance legroom and virtually 39 inches of rear legroom. The RAV4 provides 41 inches up entrance and just about 38 inches within the rear. On the ones two measures, the Seltos if truth be told holds a slight edge as rear passengers within the Kia have a bit extra legroom than within the RAV4.
Then again, for taller drivers and passengers who’re cross-shopping the RAV4 and Seltos, the ones numbers are value a test-sit previously.
RAV4 for potency, Seltos for price
The RAV4 is a section chief for a explanation why, and its hybrid gas economic system, shipment capability, and long-term reliability report are authentic benefits. If you want most shipment room or need the finest imaginable gas economic system in a small SUV, the RAV4 makes a powerful case.
Then again, the 2027 Kia Seltos is value a moment glance, even towards the long-standing recognition of a car just like the Toyota RAV4. The Seltos will get the worth proposition proper, particularly in its X-Line SX guise with the Status Bundle. That mixture items patrons with a turbocharged all-wheel drivetrain, a complete suite of driver-assistance options, and an to be had top class audio gadget for a aggressive worth.
Respectable 2027 Seltos pricing has now not but been showed, however in line with the outgoing style and section developments, its lower cost will most likely attraction to a large swath of SUV patrons.
