2022 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid

The 2022 Kia Seltos was positioned between the smaller Soul and the larger Sportage, offering five trim levels: LX, S, EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX. All trims except the Seltos S included standard all-wheel drive (AWD). Prices at the start of the model year ranged from $22,590 to $28,080, excluding the $1,255 destination charge. The Nightfall Edition, our test vehicle, featured matte-black 18-inch alloy wheels, a turbocharged engine, a dual-clutch transmission (DCT), a black grille, added body cladding, and robust roof rails, with an MSRP of $28,045, including the destination charge.

Inside, the Seltos displayed 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. The controls were logically arranged, with knobs for commonly adjusted features and matte-black buttons with clear markings. Despite some nitpicks, the Seltos was larger, more useful, more refined, and more powerful than many of its direct rivals, making it easy to forget it competed against the Toyota Corolla Cross rather than the Toyota RAV4.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid, redesigned and tested in Santa Barbara, California, included the RX 350h and RX 500h F Sport Performance hybrid versions. The RX 350h Luxury test vehicle, in Iridium (silver) with 21-inch wheels, looked identical to the standard RX 350, lacking any hybrid-specific badges. The RX 500h F Sport Performance, with its Copper paint job, blacked-out grille, matte-black 21-inch wheels, and aggressive styling, visually distinguished itself as a performance-tuned version.

Inside, the RX adopted a cleaner, more minimalistic appearance with fewer switches and an improved Lexus Interface infotainment system. The RX 350h Luxury featured Macadamia semi-aniline leather and Ash Bamboo wood trim, while the RX 500h F Sport Performance had an all-black interior with artificial suede and dark gray aluminum trim. The RX 500h also offered Rioja Red upholstery for a splash of contrast and color. Lexus had not announced prices for the new RX models, but estimates suggested the RX 350h Luxury would be just over $60,000, while the RX 500h F Sport Performance would be close to $70,000.

The 2022 Kia Seltos offered a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque for the LX, S, and EX trims, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Nightfall Edition and SX trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 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 AWD system had a Lock function for even power distribution at lower speeds, and the Seltos returned 27 mpg in combined driving during testing.

The 2023 Lexus RX 350h, with a hybrid powertrain based on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, produced 246 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque, expected to average 36 mpg in combined driving. The RX 500h F Sport Performance, with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and Direct4 AWD, produced 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, with an estimated 27 mpg in combined driving. The RX 500h featured an adaptive damping suspension, Dynamic Rear Steering, and Active Sound Control, making it more fun to drive. However, the RX 500h averaged 20.9 mpg during testing, while the RX 350h averaged 32 mpg.

The 2022 Kia Seltos excelled in form and function, offering a roomy interior with easy entry and exit. The Nightfall Edition featured a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, cloth upholstery with Sofino simulated leather bolsters, single-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats. The rear seat provided ample legroom and footroom, with 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.

The 2023 Lexus RX 350h Luxury trim offered ten-way power-adjustable front seats, premium leather, standard seat heating and ventilation, and three-zone automatic climate control. The RX 500h F Sport Performance had eight-way power-adjustable front seats with larger side bolsters, standard leather, heated and ventilated front seats, and a thicker F Sport steering wheel. The hybrids’ battery packs were housed under the back seat, providing excellent leg support but tight rear headroom. Cargo space measured 29.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 46.2 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, an improvement over the previous model.

The 2022 Kia Seltos featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, standard on the EX, Nightfall Edition, and SX trims, with Bluetooth, navigation, connected services, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a cable connection. The system was intuitive to use, with volume and tuning knobs and physical buttons for quick access. However, the voice recognition system was frustrating without an active subscription to connected services.

The 2023 Lexus RX introduced a new infotainment system, requiring connected services plans for full functionality. The Lexus Interface included Service Connect, Wi-Fi Connect, Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Drive Connect, with a cloud-based navigation system and Intelligent Assistant. The system worked reasonably well, but had some quirks, such as reflections on the screen, lack of a tuning knob, and complex menu navigation. The available head-up display and dual-function touch-sensing control pads on the steering wheel were also problematic with polarized sunglasses.

The 2022 Kia Seltos included numerous driving assistance systems, such as 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 included adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, and Safe Exit Assist. The Seltos earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2023 Lexus RX came with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, featuring motorcycle detection, evasive steering assistance, intersection turn assistance, and curve-speed reduction for adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, and Advanced Park were also available. The new front cross-traffic alert system and curve-speed reduction tech had some irritations, and the driver monitoring system could be blocked by one-handed driving.