Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Seltos

In 2024, Kia gave the Seltos a mid-cycle refresh that included subtle but effective updates. The headlight and grille designs were refined, and a new light strip connected the taillight assemblies, which were now smaller. These changes cumulatively gave the Seltos a fresher, more modern appearance without a significant increase in development costs. Our test model featured a striking “Pluton Blue” paint color, enhancing its sleek look.

Inside, Kia introduced two new interior colors: “Gentle Brown” and “Midnight Green.” However, our test Seltos came with the standard black interior. The most notable interior change was the large digital panel covering two-thirds of the dash, featuring a fully digital instrument panel and a larger touchscreen infotainment system.

The Seltos range spanned several trims: LX, S, EX, X-Line, and SX. The base LX came with 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, two USB ports, air conditioning, remote keyless entry, Bluetooth, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The S added fog lights, LED daytime running lights, silver roof rails, heated side mirrors, a larger digital instrument panel, LED cabin lighting, cloth-and-synthetic leather upholstery, single-zone automatic climate control, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen.

Moving to the EX added solar glass for the front doors and windshield, synthetic leather upholstery, a 10-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a wireless charging pad. The X-Line, which replaced the Nightfall Edition, brought 18-inch alloy wheels with a gloss black finish, tinted windows, a unique dark gunmetal grille, black sport design roof rails but lost the wireless charging pad and power-adjustable driver's seat.

The top-tier SX featured 18-inch alloy wheels, LED bi-function headlights, LED fog lights, an electrochromatic rearview mirror, and a rear cargo cover. It brought back the power driver’s seat, added a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel, and a Bose premium stereo system. A Sunroof Package for the SX added a power sunroof, hands-free power tailgate, ventilated front seats, and a digital key 2.0.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson, which launched its current generation in 2022, carried over its design into the new model year. Its styling remained fantastic, characterized by taut angles and unique design choices, such as the headlights that seamlessly integrated into the grille. Even in our test vehicle’s white color, this crossover retained a sharp and handsome look.

The Tucson’s exterior design boasted contrasting angles that gave it an athletic presence. Unlike many automakers that scale the same design across different models, Hyundai ensured each vehicle had its unique style. Offered in SE, SEL, XRT, and Limited trims, the Tucson catered to various preferences. The base SE provided 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails, while the SEL’s Convenience Package offered 19-inch alloy wheels. The XRT trim added unique black 19-inch wheels, side steps, dark exterior trim, and functional roof racks. The Limited featured a dark chrome grille and upgraded headlights.

Inside, the Tucson’s cabin showcased modern refinement, full of technology yet approachable. Our test model lacked a volume dial, instead having touch-capacitive buttons and a steering wheel toggle, a minor inconvenience. Controls closer to the shifter and cupholders were nicely positioned, making them user-friendly.

The 2024 Seltos came with a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque through an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). This CVT had simulated “gears” for a more engaging driving experience. The base LX trim featured standard all-wheel drive (AWD), while the S and EX trims offered optional AWD in addition to front-wheel drive (FWD).

The higher X-Line and SX trims included a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, outputting 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. This engine worked with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous seven-speed. AWD was standard for these trims.

Though 20 horsepower might seem minimal, it was a significant 10 percent boost for the Seltos, noticeably enhancing acceleration. The turbocharged engine had a bit of turbo lag at lower speeds but performed well under hard acceleration and in Sport mode. The Drive Mode dial, conveniently placed next to the shifter, allowed drivers to switch between Normal, Eco, and Smart modes, with the latter adapting to driving styles and conditions.

Driving through New England, the Seltos managed various road surfaces well, with responsive steering, minimal body roll, and effective bump absorption. The brakes initially felt touchy but seemed to settle down during the drive. The Seltos’s 7.3 inches of ground clearance made it suitable for ski lodges or remote campsites, though not for serious off-roading.

The 2024 Tucson featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered FWD, with AWD as an option.

Though decent for everyday driving, this setup struggled at higher speeds or during passing maneuvers, requiring significant throttle input and generating considerable noise. For more power, drivers could consider the 226-hp Tucson Hybrid or the 261-hp Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, though these versions used a proprietary button-style shifter exclusive to the Limited trim.

The Tucson’s handling and ride quality stood out. It blended ride comfort with cornering prowess, making it apt for long trips or daily commutes. Though not as athletic as a Mazda CX-5 or CX-50, its well-weighted and precise steering provided a balanced driving experience.

The Seltos offered 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded down and 26.6 cubic feet with the seats in use. An optional hands-free power liftgate was available on the top-tier SX trim. The upright seating and ample headroom contributed to good driver visibility and substantial rear legroom. Tall occupants could comfortably sit in both the front and rear seats, a notable achievement for a subcompact SUV.

In terms of interior storage, the Seltos featured decently sized in-door cupholders, though larger bottles might be tight. Door cubbies were available in both the front and rear, with a small tray in the front center console for keys, wallets, and phones. The SX trim included a removable cargo cover, adding utility.

The Tucson excelled in cargo space, providing up to 74.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 38.7 cubic feet with the seats upright, only trailing behind the Honda CR-V in this segment. The SE trim had a manual liftgate, while all other trims featured a hands-free power liftgate. Unlike the foot-activated systems, Hyundai’s liftgate activated by proximity, requiring the driver to simply stand within three feet of the rear bumper with the key fob, making loading easier.

The Tucson comfortably seated five passengers with ample headroom and legroom. The front seats offered more space, making long trips for four adults feasible. The cabin housed plenty of deep cup holders and a center tray with space for items, also accommodating a standard wireless charging pad.

Kia maintained a consistent large digital bezel across trims, varying the screen size. The base system had an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch digital instrument screen flanked by gauges. Higher trims featured a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen. Both systems included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Despite a trend towards more screens and fewer tactile controls, the Seltos retained volume and tuning dials and hard buttons for climate control. The larger 10.25-inch screen was well-sized and responsive, with logical layouts. Phones could connect via USB-A or faster USB-C ports.

Most trims came with a six-speaker stereo, while the SX trim included an upgraded eight-speaker Bose system. The Seltos also offered Digital Key 2 Touch, enabling owners to unlock and share access through a smartphone app.

The base infotainment system in the Tucson included an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This user-friendly system had home buttons for functions like Radio, Media, and Setup. It used thumb rollers instead of conventional dials for volume and tuning.

Higher trims featured a fully digital instrument panel and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. However, this upgrade eliminated wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and replaced thumb rollers with a less intuitive haptic volume toggle. On the positive side, the touchscreen and haptic buttons were glove-friendly.

Hyundai’s remote start system evolved with the Tucson; the vehicle detected the key upon entry, allowing the driver to simply shift into Drive and go.

Standard safety features on the 2024 Seltos included 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, which detected and warned occupants of approaching vehicles when parked on busy streets.

The SX trim included smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, navigation-based curve prediction, traffic sign recognition, highway driving assist, a junction-turning function for forward collision warning, and a drive-away warning to alert distracted drivers in stopped traffic.

The Tucson came standard with an extensive suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Limited trim added front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, and Hyundai’s Smart Park remote-parking feature, allowing remote control of the vehicle for parking maneuvers. It also featured a blind-spot camera system, providing a real-time video feed of corresponding blind spots when the turn signal was activated.

The Tucson earned high safety ratings, including a “Good” overall rating from the IIHS in most tests, an “Acceptable” for standard headlights, and a “Superior” for crash-prevention technology. It was also a carryover from the 2023 model, an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. The NHTSA awarded it five stars in a frontal crash test and four stars in a rollover test.