2025 Hyundai Kona 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 in "Pluton Blue" paint was particularly striking. 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 Hyundai Kona maintained its visual identity from the previous year, yet its design remained distinctive in the crossover class. The flush, single-piece grille and ultra-slim LED light bars contributed to its futuristic look. The Kona's increased size, being 15 centimetres longer, enhanced interior space and gave it a more assertive stance. The Kona N Line, with its sportier design, further accentuated this assertiveness. The interior, unchanged from 2024, felt solid and airy, with a drive selector positioned on a column beneath the wiper stalk, creating a spacious feel. The Kona's trims, Essential and Preferred, offered progressive visual enhancements, while the N Line featured sportier elements.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The base powertrain was 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 on the base LX trim, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The SX and X-Line trims featured 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 there was some turbo lag at lower speeds. The Seltos handled various road surfaces well, with responsive steering and minimal body roll.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona also offered two engine choices. The Essential and Preferred trims were equipped with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, generating 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with Hyundai's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). The Kona N Line featured a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was available on the Essential and Preferred trims and standard on the N Line. The Kona's turbo engine provided adequate performance, with a broader torque band for improved acceleration. The all-wheel-drive models featured a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, enhancing ride and handling.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered up to 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 provided an upright seating position with ample headroom, ensuring good driver visibility and rear legroom. The front seating area featured decently sized in-door cupholders and cubbies, while the front centre console had a tray for small items. A removable cargo cover was standard from the EX Premium trim.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona provided 723 litres of cargo capacity with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,803 litres when folded. The Kona's trunk featured a dual-level cargo floor, accommodating a surprising amount of luggage. Rear legroom measured 970 millimetres, with 972 mm of headroom, ensuring comfort for most passengers. The front seats offered a generous range of movement, and the steering wheel was reach- and height-adjustable. The Kona's interior boasted excellent in-car storage, with numerous shelves, trays, and cubbies. The Essential and Preferred trims featured cloth upholstery, while the Trend package added leatherette, and the N Line had Alcantara sport seats.

The 2024 Kia Seltos featured a consistent large 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, including volume and tuning dials, and hard buttons for climate controls. The SX and X-Line trims featured an upgraded eight-speaker Bose premium stereo system, and the Seltos offered Digital Key 2 Touch for smartphone access.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona came with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment display across all trims, featuring wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Preferred trim with the Trend package and the N Line trim included wireless smartphone charging and Hyundai's digital key. The N Line trim featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, providing customization options. The N Line with the Ultimate package offered an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system and built-in navigation. Hyundai's Bluelink connectivity enabled over-the-air software updates.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came with standard driver assistance features, including forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, lane-departure warning, lane-follow assist, automatic high beams, driver attention 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 2025 Hyundai Kona impressed with its standard safety equipment, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross-traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, and Safe Exit Warning. The Preferred trim added enhanced Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, while the N Line with the Ultimate package included advanced features like Highway Driving Assist and Hyundai's Blind Spot View Monitor. The Kona was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).