2022 Kia Seltos vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling compared to other small luxury crossovers, featuring a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch. It seamlessly fit into the Volvo lineup with familiar design elements like the “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro touch. The XC40 Recharge, the electric variant, was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also featured a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a unique rear bumper, and an exclusive Sage Green Metallic color. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery, creating a coherent and high-quality design.

The 2022 Kia Seltos positioned itself between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage, offering five trim levels: LX, S, EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX. The Nightfall Edition, our test vehicle, featured matte-black 18-inch alloy wheels, a turbocharged engine, a dual-clutch transmission, a black grille, added body cladding, and robust roof rails. The Seltos had a stylish interior with a contrast-color dashboard panel, exposed stitching, gloss-black trim, and metallic accents. However, the abundance of shiny hard plastic made the interior look cheap despite excellent build quality. The controls were logically arranged, with knobs and buttons for commonly adjusted features, although the purple accent color for the infotainment system was not universally appealing.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The two gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 produced 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 delivered 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge model shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor per axle for AWD, generating a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. It had a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack, with 75 kWh usable capacity, and could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. The gasoline T5 and T4 models achieved the same sprint in 6.1 and 8.1 seconds, respectively. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The XC40 Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads, and offered one-pedal driving using regenerative braking. It also had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds when properly equipped.

The 2022 Kia Seltos offered a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the LX, S, and EX trims, producing 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Nightfall Edition and SX trims featured a more satisfying turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The turbo-DCT combination made the Seltos more engaging to drive, with driving modes including Normal, Sport, and Smart. The Smart mode balanced fuel efficiency with responsiveness but could be unpredictable. The Seltos Nightfall Edition returned 27 mpg in combined driving during testing. The AWD system had a Lock function for even power distribution at lower speeds, but the 7.3-inch ground clearance limited its off-road capabilities. The suspension tuning was less appealing, with the vehicle exhibiting lateral rocking motions and a bouncy ride on uneven roads. Despite these issues, the Seltos felt lively in urban environments and had good grip on smooth corners.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models, but it was not particularly spacious. It had less legroom and headroom than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also small due to powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive in interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, including a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins due to relocated speakers. A wireless charging pad was optional, but second-row occupants had no phone-charging options.

The 2022 Kia Seltos excelled in form and function, offering a roomy interior that was easy to live with daily. The ride height and large door openings made entry and exit easy. The Nightfall Edition featured a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel for a comfortable driving position. The front passenger seat was not height-adjustable but provided proper leg support. The Nightfall Edition had cloth upholstery with Sofino simulated leather bolsters, a single-zone automatic climate control system, and heated front seats. The rear seat was spacious enough for adults, with generous legroom and footroom, rear air conditioning vents, a USB charging port, and a center armrest with cupholders. Cargo space measured 26.6 cubic feet behind the back seat and 62.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, with plastic grocery sack hooks to prevent items from rolling around.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, offering Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps. It included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for the infotainment system and other vehicle functions. It lacked a start button, allowing drivers to simply shift out of park with the key fob on their person. The gasoline models continued with the previous infotainment system.

The 2022 Kia Seltos expanded the availability of its 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system to the S trim level, with standard inclusion in the EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX trims. The system featured Bluetooth pairing for two devices, navigation, connected services, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo. It also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but required a cable connection. The standard 8-inch touchscreen in the LX and S trims offered wireless smartphone connectivity. The system was intuitive to use, with physical knobs and buttons for primary functions. However, the voice recognition system was frustrating without an active subscription to connected services, and the purple theme color was not universally appealing.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. The electric XC40 Recharge had not been rated, but Volvo expected it to perform well due to a safety cage around the battery and a redesigned front crash structure. Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Kia Seltos came with numerous driving assistance systems, including forward-collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Seltos EX added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the SX trim included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, Highway Driving Assist, and Safe Exit Assist. The Nightfall Edition lacked adaptive cruise control and Highway Driving Assist but had accurate and refined lane-centering assist. The Seltos offered connected services with safety-related functions like 911 Connect and programmable alerts for parents of teen drivers. The IIHS gave the Seltos SX a Top Safety Pick rating, while other versions did not qualify due to inferior headlight performance. The NHTSA awarded the Seltos an overall rating of four stars, with a four-star performance in the front-passenger frontal-impact crash test.