Compare the2022 Volkswagen TaosVS 2022 Kia Seltos

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Seltos’ airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Taos has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Seltos doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Taos and the Seltos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The Taos’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Seltos’ (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taos for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Seltos.

Engine

The Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 12 more horsepower (158 vs. 146) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Taos 4Motion gets better fuel mileage than the Seltos Nightfall/SX 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder 7 speed SMG AWD (25 city/32 hwy vs. 25 city/30 hwy).

Both the Taos and the Seltos have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Taos’ have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Seltos (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Seltos (5). This means the Taos produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Seltos every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Taos’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Seltos:

	Taos	Seltos	Seltos Nightfall/SX
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	10.7 inches	10.3 inches	11.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taos SEL 4Motion has standard 19-inch wheels. The Seltos’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Taos has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Seltos doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos’ wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Seltos (105.9 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

Passenger Space

The Taos has .7 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Seltos.

The front step up height for the Taos is 1.5 inches lower than the Seltos (16.5” vs. 18”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 1.1 inches lower than the Seltos’ (16.7” vs. 17.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Seltos with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 26.6 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Seltos with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 62.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Taos easier. The Taos’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Seltos’ liftover is 29.4 inches.

The Taos’ cargo area is larger than the Seltos’ in almost every dimension:

	Taos	Seltos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34.3”/65.2”	32.7”/62.4”
Max Width	48.5”	52.3”
Min Width	40”	41.6”
Height	37”	32.5”

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Taos to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Kia doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Seltos.

Ergonomics

The Taos’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Seltos has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Taos’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Seltos’ standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

On a hot day the Taos’ driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Seltos can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Taos’ driver power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Seltos’ power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Taos’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Seltos’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Taos to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Seltos doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Taos SEL has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Seltos doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL AWD keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Seltos doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Taos’ optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Seltos doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Taos SEL’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Seltos doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Taos and the Seltos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Taos offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.