2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2021 Kia Seltos

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a range of trim levels, including Essential, Preferred, Luxury, and Ultimate. The latter two trims featured a turbocharged engine for enhanced power and performance, which was also available as an option on the Preferred grade. In Canada, all-wheel drive (AWD) was standard on all trims except the Essential, where it was an optional upgrade from front-wheel drive (FWD). The Santa Fe's design was bold and experimental, with a grille shape, stacked front lighting elements, and asymmetrical fender stampings that might not appeal to everyone. Inside, the Santa Fe's interior was dramatic, with a dual-cowl dashboard design and diamond-textured speaker grilles. However, the materials used, such as glossy plastic and stiff leather seat upholstery, did not match the high-style design.

The 2021 Kia Seltos, despite being a subcompact SUV, had a big-car feel with an upright layout and a commanding view of the road. Its headlight design flowed well into the grille styling, and the lower front bumper had an aggressive approach angle. The interior was straightforward, with clean lines and integrated tech features influenced by upscale brands. The Seltos offered trim levels like LX, EX, EX Premium, and SX Turbo, with AWD standard on all but the base model in Canada. The EX Premium and SX Turbo trims featured a larger 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen and a Bose premium sound system. The Seltos' design and features made it feel more like a luxury SUV than a subcompact crossover.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe had a standard 185-horsepower 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine was the preferred choice, offering 235 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. This engine provided better performance, especially at higher altitudes, and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Santa Fe's towing capacity was 1,587 kilograms, and its fuel efficiency varied depending on the engine and drivetrain configuration. The turbocharged engine with AWD consumed 12.0 L/100 km in the city, 9.2 on the highway, and 10.7 combined. The Santa Fe offered a smooth ride, decent handling, and a quiet highway experience, making it a good daily driver.

The 2021 Kia Seltos offered a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque for the LX, EX, and EX Premium trims. The SX Turbo trim featured a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Seltos' turbocharged engine provided ample power for highway speeds and passing maneuvers. The Drive Mode dial allowed drivers to choose between Normal, Sport, and Smart modes, enhancing throttle response and steering feel. The Seltos handled well, with little body roll in turns and a smooth ride over bumps, making it a surprisingly capable small crossover.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe was designed with thoughtful attention to detail, offering creative storage spaces and stain-resistant fabric in cloth seat versions. The test vehicle featured eight-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats, along with a heated steering wheel. The Santa Fe's dual-zone automatic climate control system included a Clean Air ionizer, and the panoramic sunroof extended beyond the rear seat head restraints. The back seat was comfortable for adults, with air conditioning vents and heated bottom cushions in higher trims. However, the Santa Fe's cargo space was limited, with 1,017 litres behind the rear seat and a maximum of 2,019 litres with the rear seats folded. The hands-free "smart" liftgate was a convenient feature.

The 2021 Kia Seltos offered 752 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,778 litres with the rear seats folded. This made it one of the most spacious subcompact SUVs available. The Seltos featured numerous cubbies and compartments for storage, and the rear seat provided ample head- and legroom. The interior design was practical and user-friendly, with large cubbies and bottle holders in the doors, as well as a spacious centre console and tray between the front seats.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe's infotainment system was user-friendly, with stereo control knobs, main menu shortcut buttons, and a programmable button for custom functions. It included Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Preferred trim added SiriusXM satellite radio and Blue Link connected services with three free years of service. The Luxury trim featured a surround-view camera system, while the Ultimate trim included a larger 8-inch display, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a 12-speaker Infinity surround sound system. The head-up display provided valuable information within the driver's line of sight.

The 2021 Kia Seltos came with a 3.5-inch TFT digital screen in the instrument panel and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system for the LX and EX trims. The EX Premium and SX Turbo trims featured a 7-inch digital display screen and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The SX Turbo included a Bose premium sound system. The infotainment system was intuitive, with a helpful home button and hard buttons below the touchscreen for easy menu navigation. However, there were some quirks, such as the default audio output when connecting a smartphone via USB and the limited functionality of the backlit USB port.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe earned a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. It offered a range of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. The Preferred trim included a safe exit assist system and an ultrasonic occupant alert system. The Luxury trim added a Blind View Monitor, which displayed a live video feed of the blind spots in the instrument cluster.

The 2021 Kia Seltos came standard with front- and side-impact airbags, electronic stability control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and child-seat anchor latches. The base LX grade in Canada included blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims offered a full suite of driver-assistance features, such as collision avoidance assist, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist. The EX Premium and SX Turbo trims added adaptive cruise control with idle stop-and-go. The Seltos received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.