Kia's subcompact Seltos SUV delivers in big ways

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- How to explain Kia's success in recent years?

Sure, the automaker tends to stuff its vehicles with standard features and price them well below similarly equipped autos.  Yes, the warranties are great.  Reliability has improved dramatically.

And then there's this: Kia delivers vehicles that the driving public wants (or should want).

A perfect example of this is the recently tested 2024 Kia Seltos SX Turbo AWD subcompact sport-utility vehicle.

There is an enormous crowd of small SUVs to choose from, and yes, they tend to blur together at some point.  But for 2024, Kia revised the front and rear fascia for a more dynamic, sporty look. The Seltos stands out in a crowd.

Inside, the eyes are drawn to the 10.25-inch panoramic display screen for navigation and other purposes.  There is no squinting to make out the features of the large, helpful display.

Small does not translate to sluggish, thanks to the 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine rated at 195 horsepower and 195 foot-pounds of torque. This power plant is the heart and soul of the SX version of the vehicle, and nearly 50 horses more than the standard engine offering for other trim levels.

I had enormous amounts of fun whipping the Seltos around, but given its ability to quickly get out of harm's way, I don't think I angered any of my fellow motorists. Fuel mileage on the tester was pretty fair: 25 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

I was frankly stunned at the features packed into the tested subcompact, much more than one would expect for a vehicle priced at $33,085 on the bottom line.  More-than-expected goodies included an SX Moonroof Package, a wireless charger and heated front seats.

Thinking small and exceptionally functional?  Kia has a vehicle that might just be a perfect fit.