2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Kia Seltos

The 2024 Kia Seltos underwent a mid-cycle refresh, resulting in subtle yet impactful changes. The updated headlight and grille designs, along with a connecting light strip between the smaller taillight assemblies, gave the Seltos a rejuvenated appearance without a significant price hike. The test model, adorned in the new “Pluton Blue” paint, presented a sharp look. Inside, the Seltos introduced a new Gentle Brown interior colour, although the test model featured the standard black interior. A prominent change was the large digital panel spanning two-thirds of the dash, integrating a fully digital instrument panel and a larger touchscreen infotainment system.

In contrast, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade embraced a more significant design overhaul, further distinguishing itself from its Chevrolet and GMC counterparts. The new front end aligned the gasoline Escalade with Cadillac's EV lineup, featuring large vertical headlights and horizontal daytime running lights. The rear maintained its iconic tall, vertical taillights, reminiscent of classic Cadillac tailfins, and introduced 24-inch wheels for the first time. Inside, Cadillac focused on differentiating the Escalade from other GM SUVs, replacing the 38-inch OLED display with a 55-inch screen stretching across the dashboard. The interior offered various curated motifs, with the Premium Luxury Platinum test car showcasing Whisper Beige upholstery and wood trim, highlighting Cadillac's commitment to luxury.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The base model featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with Kia’s Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The SX and X-Line trims boasted a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, coupled with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine provided noticeable acceleration improvements, especially in 60 to 100 km/h scenarios, although some turbo lag was present at lower speeds. The Seltos handled various road conditions well, with responsive steering and minimal body roll.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, meanwhile, dropped its diesel option, leaving the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine as the standard powertrain, producing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The Escalade-V variant featured a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, generating 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. All models were equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission, ensuring smooth and efficient power delivery. Four-wheel drive was standard on most models, with the Escalade-V offering a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system. Despite its powerful V8, the Escalade's handling was less refined compared to luxury competitors, and its brakes lacked confidence, although an optional Performance Upgrade Package with Brembo brakes was available.

The 2024 Kia Seltos provided a maximum of 1,778 litres of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 753 litres with the seats in use. A hands-free power liftgate was standard from the EX Premium trim. The Seltos offered an upright seating position with ample headroom, ensuring good driver visibility and rear legroom. The front seating area included decently sized in-door cupholders and cubbies, while the centre console featured a small tray for essentials. A removable cargo cover was standard from the EX Premium trim.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, available in short and long-wheelbase configurations, offered extensive interior space. The long-wheelbase ESV model increased overall length by 383.5 cm, enhancing cargo space and third-row legroom. The standard-length model provided 722 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, 2,064 litres behind the second row, and 3,412 litres behind the front seats. ESV models further expanded cargo capacity. The Escalade's towing capacity was competitive, although it lacked some of the towing features offered by rivals like Lincoln.

The 2024 Kia Seltos featured a consistent digital bezel across its trim lineup, with screen sizes varying by trim. The base infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen, while upper trims upgraded to a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen. Both systems supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Seltos retained tactile controls for volume and climate, with the larger screen offering a responsive interface. The SX and X-Line trims featured an upgraded eight-speaker Bose stereo system, and the Seltos was available with Digital Key 2 Touch for smartphone-based access.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade combined traditional engineering with a futuristic interface, featuring a 55-inch door-to-door display incorporating a digital instrument cluster, central infotainment touchscreen, and front-passenger touchscreen. A 19-speaker AKG audio system was standard, with a 36-speaker version available. The Escalade retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a hard button for vehicle operation. The optional Executive Second Row Package added 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless chargers, and upgraded seats with massage and headrest speakers.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came equipped with standard driver assistance features, including forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The EX Premium trim added smart adaptive cruise control, while the SX included traffic sign recognition and highway driving assist. The Seltos also featured a drive-away warning to alert distracted drivers.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade offered a comprehensive suite of standard driver assist features, such as adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera system. GM-specific features included a vibrating Safety Alert Seat and Super Cruise, a hands-free driving system. While Super Cruise had improved, the transition to manual control remained abrupt. Current crash test ratings were unavailable at the time of writing.