Hyundai Kona vs Kia Seltos
Small crossovers · head to head, 2021–2027
The Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos were both sold for 7 model years (2021–2027). Among the Kona's own years, its best bet is 2024; no year to avoid; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025. Among the Seltos's own years, its best bet is 2024; years to avoid: 2021; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025.
Hyundai Kona
Crossover · 2018–2027
- Best bet 2024
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid none
- Be careful 2019–2020
Kia Seltos
Crossover · 2021–2027
- Best bet 2024
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid 2021
How to read this: each model's verdicts compare that model's own years with each other (serious owner complaints per car on the road against that model's usual year, using New York registrations). They are not a reliability ranking of one model against the other, so a good-buy Kona year says nothing about whether it beats a Seltos. (How we judge.)
Year by year, side by side
| Year | Hyundai Kona | Kia Seltos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Not rated | Not rated | Side by side |
| 2026 | TOO NEWOnly 1.1 years of owner reports | TOO NEWOnly 1.1 years of owner reports | Side by side |
| 2025 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.2× usual | Side by side |
| 2024 | BEST BUYSerious complaints 0.6× usual | BEST BUYSerious complaints 0.4× usual | Side by side |
| 2023 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.7× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual | Side by side |
| 2022 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.1× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.2× usual | Side by side |
| 2021 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.5× usual, mostly engine and power train | AVOIDSerious complaints 3.9× usual, mostly engine and power train | Side by side |
Each chip rates that year against the same model's other years. Tap a chip for the year's details; "Side by side" compares both models that year, trim by trim.
Compare any year, trim by trim
2027: the newest shared year, at a glance
| 2027 Hyundai Kona | 2027 Kia Seltos | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict (vs the model's own years) | Not rated | Not rated |
| Starting price (MSRP range) | $25,500 to $32,535 base price by trim, 4 trims | $24,990 to $32,790 base price by trim, 5 trims |
| Engines and horsepower | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 105 hp 2.0L 4-cyl |
| Fuel economy (EPA combined) | 26–31 mpg | 26–30 mpg |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Third row | No | No |
| Cargo behind last row | 25.5 cu ft | 27.8 cu ft |
| Max cargo | 63.7 cu ft | 64.2 cu ft |
| NHTSA crash rating | 4 of 5 stars | Not rated |
| Recalls · owner complaints (NHTSA) | 0 · 0 | 0 · 0 |
Sources: OpenSpec and the makers' equipment guides, NHTSA vPIC, EPA and NHTSA ratings. Cargo, towing and bed length rows appear when we have them. "—": not in our data. Compare every 2027 trim →
Key features: base trim vs top trim
| Kona SE lowest price, $25,500 | Kona Limited highest price, $32,535 | Seltos LX lowest price, $24,990 | Seltos X-Line SX highest price, $32,790 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless Apple CarPlay | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Adaptive cruise control | Standard | — | Standard | Standard |
| Blind-spot warning | Standard | Standard | — | Standard |
| Heated front seats | — | Standard | Varies | Standard |
| Ventilated front seats | — | Standard | — | Optional |
| Sunroof or moonroof | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| 360-degree camera | — | Standard | — | Optional |
| Power liftgate or tailgate | No | Standard | — | Standard |
| Remote start | Standard | Standard | — | — |
"Standard" and "Optional" are for that trim as the 2027 data lists it (a package or option adds an "Optional" item); "—": not verified in our sources, never a guess. The cheapest and most expensive trim of each model; every trim is on the model's 2027 page (Kona, Seltos).
Known fixes and extended coverage
Hyundai Kona
30 manufacturer programs on file: 3 extended coverage, 27 repair programs.
- Extended coverage Certain 2021-2023 model year Kona, 2021-2023 model year Kona Electric, and 2022-2023 model year Kona N vehicles may experience an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. In an effort to… (Z07, 2021–2023 models)
- Extended coverage Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles… (26-BE-010H, 2021–2023 models)
- Extended coverage Certain 2019-2022MY Veloster N (JSN), 2022-2023MY Elantra N (CN7N), and 2022-2023MY Kona N (OSN) vehicles are equipped with high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) assemblies that have fuel control valves (FCV) that could allow excess fuel to enter… (25-FL-002H, 2022–2023 models)
Kia Seltos
7 manufacturer programs on file: 1 extended coverage, 6 repair programs.
- Extended coverage This warranty extension is to address the horn sound malfunction condition. WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY038) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New… (WTY038, 2021–2024 models)
From manufacturer bulletins filed with NHTSA, counted per program. A count is how many programs exist, not how good or bad a model is: a maker that extends coverage is paying for a known problem. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
Which should you buy?
- Buying used, years both are rated a good buy: 2022–2025. In those years, choose on price, size and features.
- Shopping around 2021: the Kona is rated good buy (serious complaints 1.5× usual, mostly engine and power train), while the Seltos is rated avoid (serious complaints 3.9× usual, mostly engine and power train). Each against its own other years.
- Years to skip: Seltos 2021.
- Newest year rated a good buy: Kona 2025; Seltos 2025.
- Third row: neither has one in 2027.
- Lower starting price in 2027: the Seltos, from $24,990 against $25,500. Prices are the maker's listed base prices, not what dealers charge.
- Best EPA combined rating in 2027: Kona at 31 mpg (Seltos: 30), for the most efficient version of each.
- Before you buy either: run the VIN for open recalls and ask the dealer whether the extended-coverage repairs above were done.
Rules applied to the data on this page: no overall winner is declared, because our verdicts compare each model with itself.