2024 Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Review

Sitting at the top of the pile, the Seltos GT-Line comes jam-packed with features and tech, receives an upgraded turbocharged engine and adds a little bit of versatility in the mix with its all-wheel drive system.

With small SUVs representing a sizable chunk of overall vehicle sales, Kia’s pint-sized hero is said to combine the user-friendliness of a compact SUV around town without sacrificing anything in the way of practicality.

It doesn’t come cheap, though, so let’s take a closer look at how the range-topping Seltos GT-Line AWD stacks up against key rivals and, perhaps more importantly for potential buyers, against more affordable siblings within the Seltos lineup.

Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Competition

How Much Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Cost?

The Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD sits at the top of the lineup, commanding $45,180 of your hard-earned dollars.

For reference, the Seltos GT-Line FWD with a less-powerful engine is priced at $41,780, while the range kicks off from $29,780 for the entry-level Seltos S FWD.

Prices for the entire MY24 Kia Seltos range can be found below.

• Seltos S 2.0 FWD: $29,780

• Seltos Sport 2.0 FWD: $32,980

• Seltos Sport+ 2.0 FWD: $36,080

• Seltos Sport+ 1.6T AWD: $39,580

• Seltos GT-Line 2.0 FWD: $41,780

• Seltos GT-Line 1.6T AWD $45,180 (tested)

How Much Can OnlineAuto Save You?

You could save money by using one of OnlineAuto’s car agents to assist you in finding the best car for you. As one of the leading car buying services in Australia, our team have access to a range of dealerships across the country to help find you the best deal.

Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Specifications

What Features & Specs Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Have?

Features reserved for the range-topping Seltos GT-Line AWD include a set of 18-inch alloys, LED head & tail lights, fog lights and daytime running lamps, a powered boot lift, a head-up display, premium black mesh grille, a hill-descent control system, a sports steering wheel and leatherette upholstery.

You’ll also receive heated and ventilated front seats, a wireless smartphone charger, power-adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, a parcel shelf and a surround-view monitor with parking sensors.

Buyers looking at the Seltos GT-Line will also have the option of either a two-tone paint finish for the roof or a panoramic sunroof… you can’t have both, unfortunately.

Features you’ll also receive from lesser models include keyless entry & start, adaptive cruise control, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, climate control, LED interior lighting and a tonne of safety equipment we’ll cover later in this review.

All up, buyers receive a healthy range of added features and premium touches that won’t leave anyone feeling too short-changed when upgrading to the top-spec Seltos GT-Line.

Kia Seltos GT-Line Connectivity & Infotainment Features

The range-topping Seltos GT-Line receives the same pair of digital displays fitted to Sport variants and above.

This means you’ll find a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system sitting atop the dashboard, which offers satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio and Bluetooth.

Paired with the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster in a curved, seamless manner and the cockpit of the Seltos GT-Line certainly looks like a modern package fitting of a flagship model.

The Seltos’ 10.25-inch infotainment display isn’t the flashiest or fastest on the market, but it’s more than bright enough during the day and actually offers a tonne of vehicle, safety and entertainment menus to comb through.

For the audiophiles out there, the Seltos GT-Line rewards buyers upgrading to the flagship with a premium eight-speaker sound system from Bose that offers a healthy bass premium over the stock six-speaker system.

Seltos GT-Line buyers also pick up a seven-year subscription to the Kia Connect service which offers everything from vehicle tracking and diagnostics, remote locking, emergency calls, a valet mode and weather information.

Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Have Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto?

Disappointingly, the range-topping Seltos GT-Line misses out on wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

While you’ll find wireless smartphone connectivity in the entry-level Seltos S with its smaller 8.0-inch display, stepping up the ranks means you’ll pick up extra screen real estate but miss out on wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto.

Connecting your smartphone via the USB port does, however, ensure a stable connection to Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto, with no drop-outs in our time behind the wheel and an immediate connection to your music, podcasts or navigation apps.

Is the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Comfortable to Drive?

We won’t beat around the bush - the Seltos GT-Line AWD is a cracker behind the wheel.

While the base Seltos is already a super-capable package, acceleration does leave a lot to be desired, but not in the flagship model.

That’s because Kia has added a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet, offering a huge power and torque boost over the rest of the range that makes the Seltos far more eager.

Acceleration off the line is swift, with rapid shifts on offer from the new eight-speed automatic that is a far more desirable unit than the previous dual-clutch transmission, throwing power to all four wheels.

Beside the gear lever, you’ll find a hill descent control system as well as a centre-locking differential that gives it some light off-roading credentials, though ground clearance does leave a little to be desired.

There is some noticeable turbo-lag from the engine, though once you’re acquainted, you’ll know how to ride that initial wave and enjoy the ease of acceleration.

We’d like to say that the all-wheel drive system is a transformative experience, though in reality, you won’t notice much on a usual mix of town driving.

Around town, though, the Seltos is a fabulous little package.

Thanks to a mix of its sharp steering, taut handling characteristics and reasonably-sized footprint, it’s a strong performer on a dart around town that is easy to maneuver and zippy when it’s time to pick up the pace.

In the city, the Seltos is confident, light-footed and super user-friendly thanks to the lightweight steering rack which beefs up the feedback the more speed you pick up.

The Seltos GT-Line’s ride certainly errs on the firmer side, but not in a negative way.

Kia’s suspension package gives the Seltos far more versatility than your average city-slicking small SUV and actually feels like a good impression of a more premium, European package.

The Seltos’ suspension can still soak up smaller and moderate bumps around town while keeping things flat as you’re navigating the urban jungle.

When presented with a rough, country road, the Seltos remains impressively poised - with the suspension not necessarily eating up the bumps, but keeping things planted and stable alongside that AWD system.

On the highway, the Seltos proves itself a great little tourer, with its quiet cabin and added power making for easy overtaking and comfortable long-distance hauls.

All up, the driving experience on offer in the Seltos GT-Line is mighty impressive, though the AWD system may prove a little bit of overkill when you consider the efficiency downsides unless you’re committed to some light off-roading excursions.

Is the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Fuel Efficient?

The pursuit of extra power in the Seltos GT-Line has a sizable impact on its fuel-efficiency.

As you might imagine, that added power and an all-wheel drive system means the Seltos GT-Line is less efficient than its siblings which, around town, can lead to a substantial amount of added fuel being used.

Officially, the Seltos GT-Line AWD is rated at 7.4L/100km on a combined cycle, which is actually quite close to the claimed 6.9L/100km you’ll consume with the base 2.0-litre petrol engine.

• Seltos GT-Line FWD Combined Cycle: 6.9L per 100km
• Seltos GT-Line AWD Combined Cycle: 7.4L per 100km
• Seltos GT-Line AWD Fuel Figures (Tested) 7.8L per 100km

In our time, however, we were unable to match Kia’s fuel economy claims, averaging 7.8L/100km - which included a substantial chunk of highway kilometres.

You’ll see in the figures below that the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is quite the drinker when zipping around town.

Our friendly reminder here is that yes, while the added power is nice, if your daily drive includes a lot of city mileage, the top-spec GT-Line will prove surprisingly thirsty and makes the base engine a more appealing ownership prospect.

How Much Fuel Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Use Around Town?

• Seltos GT-Line FWD: 8.8L/100km

• Seltos GT-Line AWD: 9.5L/100km (tested) 

How Much Fuel Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Use on the Highway?

• Seltos GT-Line FWD: 5.6L/100km

• Seltos GT-Line AWD: 6.2L/100km (tested)

Is it Practical and Spacious?

One of the key selling-points of the Seltos is that, for a small SUV package, it offers a very impressive amount of interior real estate.

Rather than force buyers into a range of sacrifices, be it a minuscule boot or rear legroom that is only suitable for kids, the Seltos does a great impression of a midsize SUV package in many regards.

Up front, the Seltos cabin provides excellent headroom and forward visibility, while the GT-Line’s power-adjustable seats will come in handy for tall drivers looking for a hunkered-down driving position, or some added lumbar support.

The Seltos GT-Line also picks up leatherette upholstery as well as a flat-bottom sporty steering wheel and creature comforts like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel.

The design itself isn’t anything too exciting, with Kia opting for a button-heavy layout, particularly for the media and climate inputs, but we’d still take this over a display-dominated control environment.

It’s a largely blacked-out environment, though some silver contrasts and the adjustable ambient lighting package that dances with in-tune your music looks great at night.

Storage options in the front of the Seltos include two tiers of storage in the tray behind the gear lever, one of which doubles as a wireless charging pad, while the other houses a pair of USB ports.

There’s also a pair of cupholders, a narrow tray - perfect for smartphones and keys - behind the parking brake lever, a sizable storage area underneath the armrest and large bottle holders on either side of the cabin.

Move to the rear and the virtues of the Seltos platform begin to really shine, with more than enough legroom on offer for adults back here, even while sitting behind a leggy driver or front passenger.

Compared to the contortions required to sit behind a tall driver in some of its rivals, the Seltos provides outstanding real estate in the second row.

There’s no issue with headroom, either, with amenities like air vents, a pair of USB-C charging ports, a small storage tray, map pockets, bottle holders and a folding armrest with cupholders making the second row a particularly nice place to sit.

That’s not something you can say about all members of the compact SUV segment - top marks to Kia for that one.

The Seltos’ second row also picks up two ISOFIX anchors and three top tether mounts on the seatbacks to accommodate a range of forward and rear-facing child seats.

All things considered, we think the Seltos is amongst the best in class for outright interior space and practical touches that make it a compact SUV without any major interior sacrifices, with the GT-Line variant receiving a healthy amount of luxuries on top.

How Big is the Kia Seltos’ Boot?

While it’s not an outright giant, the Seltos offers a healthy amount of boot space for the compact SUV segment.

With the second row in place, the Seltos GT-Line has a boot measuring in at 433L, with a full-sized spare tyre hiding beneath the boot floor which is a particularly nice touch.

Fold down the rear seats and you’ll unlock a total of 1,393L of boot space when it’s time to lug around some sports gear, bulky cargo or make a dash to the airport.

For reference, the Seltos’ 433L of boot space puts it square-pegging with the Toyota Corolla Cross and Mazda CX-30, but slightly down on the Hyundai Kona.

Is it Safe?

For better or for worse, you’re constantly reminded of the sheer amount of active safety equipment bundled in with the Kia Seltos GT-Line.

As standard, the Seltos GT-Line picks up a long list of safety tech, headlined by autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts.

You’ll also find a trick surround-view monitor with adjustable viewing angles, front and rear parking sensors, lane-keep assist with lane centring, attention alerts, safe exit assist, speed-limit assistance, tyre pressure monitoring and lead-vehicle departure alerts.

It’s a great system packed with every feature you could ever need, though it can have its intrusive moments and will constantly remind you of the fact you’re travelling 1km/h over the speed limit.

The lane-keep assist and lane-centring systems can also fuzz up the feeling of the steering wheel which some may love, and others may hate - but these are extremely minor gripes.

Overall, it’s great to see the Seltos taking the fight to its rivals with a jam-packed safety equipment suite that means buyers won’t be missing out on a single important feature.

Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line Have an ANCAP Safety Rating?

It sure does - five stars, in fact.

ANCAP gave the Seltos range the five-star safety tick back in 2019 after it scored the following marks.

• Adult Occupant Protection: 85%
• Child Occupant Protection: 83%
• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 61%
• Safety Assist: 70%

What Warranty Does the Kia Seltos GT-Line Come With?

Kia continues to lead the segment when it comes to warranty coverage, with the Seltos picking up the company’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty.

Buyers also receive up to eight years of roadside assist, if they service their Seltos within the dealership network.

Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing for the Seltos range, which in the case of the GT-Line’s 1.6-litre turbocharged engine raises the total from $3,054 to $3,492.

Service intervals also drop from 15,000-kilometres in the 2.0-litre petrol Seltos range to 10,000-kilometres in turbocharged, AWD Seltos variants.

Our Verdict: Is the Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD Worth it?

The Seltos GT-Line AWD is the most premium, well-equipped and dynamic member of the Seltos range - but we don’t think it’s the most compelling member of the lineup.

The closer you look at the Seltos range, the more appealing the mid-range Seltos Sport+ becomes - especially if you’re after the added power from the turbocharged engine and AWD system.

If you want the luxuries, we’d be going for the cheaper GT-Line variant, and for those wanting the added power, the more affordable Sport+ with the turbocharged unit seems like a better, more affordable option.

For buyers looking for both the power and premium nature, as a standalone vehicle, the Seltos GT-Line AWD is a worthy flagship and one that will leave few buyers disappointed; just be aware of some of the caveats that come along with it.

Five Kia Seltos GT-Line Specs You Need to Know

1. Seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty

2. Five-star ANCAP safety rating

3. 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol rated at 7.4L/100km on combined cycle

4. Eight-speed automatic transmission, AWD system with locking centre differential

5. Seven-years capped-price servicing; up to eight-years roadside assist