2023 Genesis GV70 vs 2024 Kia Seltos

The 2023 Genesis GV70 was a testament to luxury and style, drawing inspiration from its sedan counterpart, the G70. Its design featured split-bar headlights and a distinctive chrome line that elegantly curved from behind the rear window, giving it a coupe-like SUV appearance without sacrificing versatility. Inside, the GV70's cabin was a showcase of luxury, with top-notch materials and impeccable fit and finish. The interior design was both contemporary and classic, with climate controls integrated into a curving bezel and a touchscreen that seamlessly rose from the dash. The GV70's dash featured a full touchscreen, complemented by a rotary dial and button controls on the center console, offering a tactile experience superior to touch capacitive controls found in some competitors.

The 2024 Kia Seltos, as a mid-cycle refresh, introduced subtle yet effective design updates. It sported a refreshed front with updated headlights and grille, and a light strip connecting the smaller taillight assemblies. These changes gave the Seltos a fresh look without a significant price increase. Inside, the Seltos offered new interior colors and a large digital panel spanning two-thirds of the dash, comprising a fully digital instrument panel and a larger touchscreen infotainment system. The Seltos maintained a practical and user-friendly interior, with an upright seating position providing excellent visibility and ample headroom. The front seating area featured decently sized in-door cupholders and a center console tray for small items, while the SX trim offered a removable cargo cover for added convenience.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 offered a choice between two powerful engines. The 2.5T model was equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. For those seeking more power, the 3.5T model featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, providing a balanced blend of power and handling. The GV70 Electrified model, powered by a 77.4-kWh battery and dual electric motors, offered 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a Boost Mode increasing output to 483 horsepower for short bursts. Despite its impressive performance, the electric GV70 had a range of 236 miles, which was on the shorter side for modern EVs.

The 2024 Kia Seltos featured a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, generating 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with Kia's Intelligent Variable Transmission. The X-Line and SX trims came with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. This turbo engine provided noticeable acceleration improvements, especially in the 40-to-60 mph range. The Seltos handled various road conditions well, with responsive steering and minimal body roll through corners. It offered a comfortable ride, soaking up bumps and cracks in the road, and came with 7.3 inches of ground clearance, making it suitable for light off-road adventures.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 provided 56.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 28.9 cubic feet with the seats in use, making it competitive in the compact luxury SUV segment. It featured a hands-free power liftgate and a well-designed front seating area with decently large cupholders and a helpful tray in the center console. However, rear-seat legroom was tighter, requiring front-row occupants to adjust their seats for comfort.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered up to 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 26.6 cubic feet with the seats in use. A hands-free power liftgate was available on the SX trim. The Seltos boasted an upright seating position with ample headroom and good rear legroom, accommodating taller occupants comfortably. The front seating area featured decently sized in-door cupholders and a center console tray for small items, while the SX trim included a removable cargo cover for added convenience.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 came standard with a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system was user-friendly, with large icons and logical menu navigation. Genesis also provided a rotary dial and helpful buttons in the center console, although the proximity of the rotary dial to the vehicle's rotary shifter could cause confusion. The GV70 included four USB ports, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a nine-speaker stereo system, with additional features like ambient lighting and a digital instrument panel available.

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 higher trims upgraded to a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen. Both systems offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a logical layout and responsive interface. The Seltos retained tactile controls, including volume and tuning dials, and hard buttons for climate control. Most trims came with a six-speaker stereo, while the SX trim featured an upgraded eight-speaker Bose premium stereo system. The Seltos also offered Digital Key 2 Touch, allowing smartphone access and sharing.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 was equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance technologies, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The 2.5T model's Advance Package added a blind-spot camera system, reverse automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree parking camera system, while the 3.5T's Sport Advance package included these features. The Electrified GV70 offered most of these features as standard, with the head-up display available in the Prestige trim.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came standard with forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-follow assist, automatic high beams, and driver attention warning. The S trim added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit Warning. The SX trim offered advanced features like smart cruise control, traffic sign recognition, highway driving assist, and a junction-turning function for forward collision warning. The drive-away warning alerted drivers if they were stopped in traffic and the vehicle in front moved without their response.