Is Kia Seltos the Best in Class?

SUVs are positively running amok in town so KIA aimed the Seltos squarely at the hip and happening urban crowd, but does it fit?

To get the full Monty, we gathered the gaggle and got going.

The weekend warranted wonderful wanderings, with Casper, Max and Ethan joining me for a quick trip to Max and Ethan’s bucolic bolthole. There’ve been big changes since I was last there. 5 tiny cottages, once used by farm workers, have been relocated. Each touched my Max’s mum who has left teaching to take up decorating. She fancies herself as a budding land lady, and the cottages might well appear on Air BnB.

Drover’s Rest now has fields of solar arrays and wind turbines, nestled neatly by the vines in the next fields. It is a curious mix, where the new cohabits with the old. Max’s mum is keen on Kia, and at the risk of channeling Stiffler, she is pretty hot at everything she touches. She has exquisite taste so bought a couple of Kias sit sit alongside the ancient Rangies.

Other GayCarBoys SUV Stories:

Above: This Week 2021 Kia Seltos GT Line Video Review

GayCarboys Subscribe to our channel

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel 

ABOVE: 2021 Kia Seltos GT Line

The Drive:

Getting to the outskirts of Sydney was once a chore.

Bumper to bumper traffic was a great “queue assist” test for active cruise control. A newly minted tunnel bypasses that insanity, and spits punters out at the Sydney city limits. Once ensconced, only 2 set of lights stand between us and a gin and tonic on the verandah.

Once out of the tunnel, an hour and a half of splendid 110kph travel awaits.  Now, that might sound boring, but isn’t this what people tell us they use their cars for? Parts of the M1 traverse the sandstone canyons north of Sydney, formed when the road was created. You descend, only to cross the beautiful Hawkesbury River, and on to the Hunter Valley. I often wish i could experience this again for the first time, such is the scenic magnificence.

Consumption drops to 6.3L/100k at cruising speed, where cabin is quiet enough for those in the back to catch 40 winks.

Once off the highway, B roads wind their way through a couple of small, very Australian towns. In another very Australian twist, you have to watch out for roos, especially at dusk. They have a habit of leaping into your path unexpectedly, to test the AEB!

Sydney weather has been on shuffle of late. Last weekend, weather was particularly moody, with showers making the tarmac more akin to a Slip n Slide. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Drover’s Rest has a graceful winding drive that meanders through rows of gnarled grape vines. It isn’t paved, but that’s country life for you. I’m not a country boy. I don’t like mud, or flies, or having to drive miles to shop that are always shut, but Max and Ethan love it.

Drover’s Rest

Each cabin has been themed in a fun, but slightly mad “them park” way. One celebrates pioneers, as a slab hut, while another is a country cottage, from the 1800’s. The favourite is the largest of the five, dressed as a small dwelling in the grounds of Downton Abbey. Four rooms have been lavished with all manner of antiques, rugs, tapestries, and other sundry chachskis . The boys decided the old man must have the big house, for which I was grateful, even if i felt like i was in Barbara Cartland’s waiting room.

We arrived after lunch, parking a slightly dirty Seltos in the carport. The boys decamped in an uncharacteristically brisk way. The five cabins are mere steps from each other, so we reconvened on my verandah for a few revitalising glasses of shampoo and some nibbles.

As the sun slipped behind the hills, a chill began to roll in. The promised single digits heralded a round of mulled wine. As a nod to my advanced years, my birthday treat was a duo of power-wigged flunkies to serve us a fine dinner in my dining room. As we yelped, shrieked and danced, a small fire cackled to itself in the corner.

Here’s what we thought of the 2021 Kia Seltos GT Line: 

Alan:

As Kia continues to evolve, each generation builds on the foundations of preceding models. Seltos was the first of the new designs to poke its head over the parapet. So beauteous is the little SUV, that it has utterly overshadowed the delicious Stringer, and that is a shame.

Seltos came out in 2019 meaning its facelift is being planned as we speak.

GT Line is the top of the tree and gets the full list of tasty gizmos to make life easy, safe, and comfortable.

For me, the active cruise and active lane control rival blind stop monitor’s much lauded importance. The latter now also has active features, as explained in my film.

The DCT had a slightly odd shudder as the foot came off the brake at lights, and my tyre pressure warning light persisted throughout the week.  We never got to the bottom of it but it didn’t stop us from having a good time.

For a FULL SPECIFICATIONS LIST DOWNLOAD HERE MY21 Seltos Spec Sheet_MSHSP2212008 – PR – v2

Max:

What a gorgeous body it has. The headlights are simply stunning with their glittering LEDs, and they have automatic function too. Hoorah!

Steering is a bit light for my tastes, but once the seat cooling and heating turn on, any misgivings melt away. Ride feels utterly sumptuous, with our GT Line getting a quite sophisticated multi-link suspension set-up around the back.

We really got stuck in, chucking it in to corners at a decent pelt. Even stitching quick direction changes together doesn’t upset Seltos, too much.

Casper:

The car’s cabin is important to me. It must be comfortable and climate control has to be cold when it is hot outside. I hate heat and even in winter I have things never warmer than 18c. Bollocks to Sahara heat and bollocks to sweating.

The sound system is simply fabulous. The boys don’t like bass doof-doofing in their left earholes, but bollocks to that as well. We took the dog out, and let me tell you, Hatshepsut doesn’t rest her bones on just any old seat. That went over like a lead balloon with the boys in their white jeans. Who wears moleskins anyway? Who do they think they are? Davey Crocket!

I was impressed by the fuel consumption too. It felt like it was never going to empty, and even with the 4 of us, and all our gear loaded in, there was oodles of go under the bonnet.

The interiors have really come a long way, and Seltos feels rather upmarket.

Ethan:

I loved Seltos. What a cracker, in all ways.

She sounds good, feels nippy, looks hot, and has tons of space. I’m a hot hatch kinda guy. Although I’d still rather have those, they are now few and far between.

I’ve been sneaking out to Max’s mid-week to do some writing. Seltos is great on the highway, and you feel like you’re being gently hugged, and I really like it.

Seltos is aimed at my age group. There is a lot of choice in the mid-forty price range, so buyers will look for style as well as capability. I’d consider a Rav4, Tiguan, Tucson/Kona, or Kia’s own Seltos or Sportage.

AWD is a must. I’m spending more time with Max now, and half my time is on the farm. Seltos was perfect.

Conclusion:

Seltos is surprisingly spacious. The engine is Euro5, and the DCT takes the effort out of driving. DCT automatics are not meant to be used off road for any serious driving so for our purposes it is perfect.

The gorgeous looks got big ticks from all. The cabin was universally loved though the cargo hold was snug once luggage for four was stowed.

All four travellers said they would buy Seltos with their own money.

Price:

$44,290 Drive Away

Engine: 1.6L 4 cylinder Turbo

Trans: 7 Speed DCT with All Wheel Drive.

Econ: 7.6L/100k combined

Power: 130kw/265Nm

Tags:

Gay kia, gay suv, small suv. Kia suv, 2021 kia Seltos gt line, kia 1.6 turbo, gay campers, camping SUV, dog friendly suv, gay dog owners, awd suv, kia awd suv