2022 Jeep Compass vs 2021 Kia Seltos

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, though busy, flowed well into the grille styling, and the lower front bumper had an aggressive approach angle. The two-tone roof design and red circles around the wheel centers added to its on-road driving dynamics. Inside, the Seltos featured a straightforward design layout with clean lines and seamlessly integrated tech features, reminiscent of more upscale brands like Audi. The clean LCD screen for climate controls and the sporty handle framing the tray below the center stack underscored its utilitarian yet sporty nature.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, while receiving exterior styling updates and new wheel designs, retained much of its look from the 2017 redesign. The High Altitude test vehicle featured appealing 19-inch multi-spoke wheels that matched the paint, giving it an upscale appearance. Inside, the Compass High Altitude impressed with a new dashboard design, updated digital instrumentation, and luxury-grade leather seats. The added sound deadening and soft-touch surfaces elevated its sophistication, making it more convincing as a premium SUV.

The 2021 Kia Seltos offered two engine options. The LX, S, and EX trims came with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). AWD was standard on LX and EX and optional on the S. The base engine was adequate for city driving but lacked power at higher speeds. The S Turbo and SX Turbo trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and standard AWD. The turbo engine provided ample power for highway driving and brisk acceleration, especially in Sport Mode, which enhanced throttle response and steering feel. Despite its upright layout, the Seltos handled well with minimal body roll and a smooth ride over bumps.

The 2022 Jeep Compass came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 177 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 172 pound-feet of torque at 3,900 rpm. This "Tigershark" engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission for AWD models and a six-speed automatic for FWD models, lacked the power and refinement expected in a compact SUV. The transmission's reluctance to downshift and the slow re-engagement of the automatic stop/start system resulted in a busy and unrewarding powertrain character. The Compass AWD featured Jeep Selec-Terrain with Auto, Snow, and Sand/Mud driving modes, and an Active Drive AWD system with 8.1 inches of ground clearance. The Trailhawk trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities with a low range, hill descent control, and 8.6 inches of ground clearance. However, the driving dynamics needed improvement, with a bouncy ride on uneven pavement and excessive lateral motion.

The 2021 Kia Seltos provided a solid amount of cargo space, with 26.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 62.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. This made it one of the most spacious subcompact SUVs, even surpassing some compact SUVs. The SX Turbo trim included a hard cargo cover that doubled as a tray for small items. The Seltos also offered plenty of cubbies and compartments, with large cubbies and bottle holders in the front doors, a spacious center console, and a tray between the driver and front passenger. The rear-seat space was impressive, with ample head- and legroom for passengers.

The 2022 Jeep Compass, positioned between the Renegade and Cherokee in terms of size, offered enough space for four adults and their luggage. The High Altitude trim featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The Elite Interior Group option package added premium leather upholstery and light-gray contrast stitching. The dual-pane panoramic sunroof and redesigned soft-touch dashboard enhanced the premium feel. The new Uconnect 5 infotainment screen and reworked primary controls improved perceived quality. The Compass offered 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 59.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded, exceeding the cargo capacity of the more expensive Cherokee model.

The 2021 Kia Seltos' base S trim came with a 3.5-inch TFT digital screen in the instrument panel and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The SX Turbo trim featured a Bose premium sound system, a 7-inch digital display screen, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The large screen could display Apple CarPlay/Android Auto while showing additional data on the right third of the screen. However, plugging in a smartphone via USB defaulted the audio to the phone's output, which could be inconvenient. Only one of the two USB ports allowed data connection, and the backlit port was for charging only. Despite these quirks, Kia's infotainment system was straightforward and intuitive, with helpful home and hard buttons for easy menu navigation.

The 2022 Jeep Compass featured the new Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was five times faster than the previous generation. An 8.4-inch touchscreen was standard, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen available as an upgrade. Uconnect 5 supported wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, and voice text-to-reply capability. Over-the-air updates kept the system current. The Compass also offered a navigation system, connected services, a WiFi hotspot, Alexa Built-In, and a wireless device charging pad. The nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system was available as an upgrade. The voice recognition system was fast and accurate, though it struggled with specific requests like finding the nearest hospital. Overall, Uconnect 5 impressed but wasn't as user-friendly as the best technology in the industry.

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. All trims except the base LX included a suite of driver-assistance features, such as forward-collision avoidance with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. The EX trim added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the SX trim included adaptive cruise control with idle stop-and-go and cyclist detection. The SX also featured an alert for when a vehicle in front had pulled away, preventing the embarrassment of a courtesy honk from the driver behind.

The 2022 Jeep Compass improved its safety features for 2022, with every version now including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Compass would add Highway Assist later in the model year, pairing adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance for highway driving. A parallel and perpendicular parking assistance system and a 360-degree surround-view camera system were also available. While the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems mostly worked as advertised, the lane-keep assist was too insistent at lower speeds, and the forward-collision warning system occasionally gave false positives. As of this review, the IIHS and NHTSA had not published safety ratings for the updated 2022 Compass, but the NHTSA carried over the previous three-star rollover resistance rating.