2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 Kia Seltos

The 2021 Kia Seltos, despite being a subcompact SUV, offered a surprisingly spacious and commanding driving experience. Its upright design provided a clear view of the road, and the headlight design, though intricate, seamlessly integrated with the grille. While not intended for off-roading, the Seltos featured an aggressive lower front bumper, hinting at its dynamic on-road capabilities. The red accents around the wheel centres added a sporty touch, complementing its overall cohesive design. Inside, the Seltos boasted a straightforward and intuitive layout, with clean lines and tech features reminiscent of more upscale brands. The LCD screen for climate controls and the touchscreen atop the dash provided visual symmetry, while the handle framing the centre stack underscored its utilitarian yet sporty nature.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Venza was often compared to a Lexus in terms of design, with its sleek grille and elongated profile blurring brand lines. The Venza was available in three trims—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered a choice of seven paint colours. Standard features included dual chrome-tipped exhausts, LED lighting, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior of the Venza was unique, with premium appointments and a centre stack featuring piano black capacitive buttons for climate and infotainment controls. The deep centre console housed various controls and ports, while the padded upholstery added a touch of luxury. The Venza provided ample space for passengers, with comfortable seating in both rows, and its elegant appointments and refined styling set it apart from the more rugged RAV4.

The 2021 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The LX, EX, and EX Premium trims were equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). While adequate for city driving, this engine struggled at higher speeds. The SX Turbo trim featured a more powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, delivering 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This engine provided ample power for quick acceleration and highway passing, with drive modes enhancing throttle response and steering feel. The Seltos handled well, with minimal body roll and a smooth ride, offering a driving experience akin to a luxury SUV.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, producing a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system, coupled with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), provided smooth acceleration, though engine noise was noticeable during acceleration. The Venza's handling was confident and typical of a Toyota, with precise steering and a comfortable ride. Its standout feature was fuel efficiency, achieving an impressive 5.9 L/100 km in the city and 6.4 L/100 km on the highway, outperforming competitors like the Murano, Passport, and Blazer. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/240,000-kilometre warranty, adding peace of mind for buyers.

The 2021 Kia Seltos excelled in cargo space, offering 752 litres behind the rear seats and expanding to 1,778 litres with the seats folded, making it one of the most spacious subcompact SUVs. The interior featured numerous storage compartments, including large cubbies and bottle holders for front passengers, and a spacious centre console. Rear-seat space was generous, providing ample head- and legroom, a rarity among subcompact SUVs.

The 2021 Toyota Venza, known for its practicality, offered a unique interior design with premium appointments. The centre stack featured capacitive buttons for climate and infotainment controls, while the deep centre console housed various controls and ports. The Venza provided comfortable seating for both front and rear passengers, with more headroom than the RAV4. Cargo space was 816 litres, about 60% of the RAV4's capacity, but still sufficient for daily use. The quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging cargo space easy.

The 2021 Kia Seltos featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the base LX and EX trims, while the EX Premium and SX Turbo offered a larger 10.25-inch screen. The system supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with additional space for radio, climate, or navigation data. The SX Turbo included a Bose premium sound system. However, the infotainment system had quirks, such as defaulting to phone audio when connected via USB and only one data-capable USB port. Despite these issues, the system was intuitive, with helpful home and hard buttons for easy navigation.

The 2021 Toyota Venza's infotainment system varied by trim, with the LE featuring an 8-inch screen and the XLE and Limited offering a 12.3-inch screen. The Entune system, while improved, was not the most user-friendly, requiring multiple menu trips for simple tasks. The Venza included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system, with a nine-speaker JBL system on higher trims. Toyota connected services, such as Safety Connect and Remote Connect, were standard, providing roadside assistance and remote vehicle access. Dynamic navigation on models with the larger screen used cloud-based technology for real-time route guidance.

The 2021 Kia Seltos came with standard safety features, including front- and side-impact airbags, electronic stability control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. In Canada, the base LX 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 adaptive cruise control. The Seltos received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Toyota Venza included the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, with features like pre-collision warning, lane-departure alert, and adaptive cruise control. Standard safety equipment included eight airbags, a rearview camera, and blind-spot monitoring. The Venza's safety features were effective and non-intrusive, though lane-keeping assist kept the SUV slightly to the right. The Venza received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.