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Sorry, the Kia Seltos isn’t skipping out on price increases. How could it not jump on the rising price trend? The 2023 Kia Seltos wants to keep up with rivals, so it has a few upgrades that could hurt your wallet. 

How much does the 2023 Kia Seltos cost? 

2023 Kia Seltos in the dirt
2023 Kia Seltos | Kia

You can get started in the 2023 Kia Seltos for about $24,135. This price includes the $1,295 destination fee but not dealership markups. This is a price increase of $290 from 2022, when the Seltos started at $23,845. 

So, the good news is that this is a pretty small price increase. Larger options such as the Chevy Tahoe have increased by thousands. According to AutoBlog, the Seltos is the cheapest SUV in the lineup. 

However, we’re wondering if they forgot about the 2022 Kia Soul with its MSRP of $19,290. Perhaps AutoBlog is referring to Kia vehicles that can be equipped with all-wheel drive. Also, on that note, we would love to see the Kia Soul gain AWD. 

What’s new for the 2023 Seltos? 

The 2023 Kia Seltos didn’t gain any extra power for 2023. It comes with the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that cranks out an underwhelming 146 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. You can upgrade to the 1.6-liter inline-four engine for 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. 

The 1.6-liter engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox to spice things up. With this engine, the Seltos can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 8,2 seconds. This is pretty good for the class. 

AWD comes standard with the 1.6-liter engine. When properly equipped, the Seltos can tow up to 2,948 lbs. This is enough power to pull dirt bikes or smaller water crafts. 

Also, the Kia Seltos gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in the city and up to 35 mg on the highway, which is excellent. 

While the Seltos didn’t get any performance upgrades, it could have a better ride quality. Kia mentions that the Seltos now has a quieter interior but didn’t share any details about it. Interior noise is a popular complaint about the 2022 model. 

Does the 2023Seltos have nice features? 

2023 Kia Seltos in the snow
2023 Kia Seltos | Kia

Yes, the 2023 Kia Seltos provides an upscale interior. It’s spacious and roomy with a simple layout and high-quality materials. However, noticeable bits of plastic can take away from the leather upholstery. 

The Seltos provides 26.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats with up to 62.8 cubes total. There is a good amount of trunk space, but there’s hardly any storage for personal items. Also, anyone under 6’2″ should fit comfortably. 

Each model but the entry-level trim has a massive 10.25-inch infotainment screen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The system is praised for working quickly with attractive graphics. 

You can add a wireless phone charging pad, three extra USB ports, a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. 

Standard safety features include automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance. The S terms now come with blind-spot warning and rear-cross traffic alert.

So, the Seltos added a few more standard safety features and went up by a couple of hundred bucks. It still seems worth buying and could get updates later in the year.

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