Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Chevrolet Trax

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Seltos are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Trax doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Seltos has standard Autonomous Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Trax doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Seltos S Turbo/EX/SX has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Trax doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Seltos’ standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Trax doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Seltos’ lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Trax doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Seltos’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Seltos and the Trax 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Seltos	Trax
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24%	26%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	298 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Seltos	Trax
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	225	382
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	707 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Seltos is 1% to 4.7% less likely to roll over than the Trax.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Seltos the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Trax does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Seltos comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trax’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Seltos 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Trax. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Trax ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Seltos has a standard 640-amp battery. The Trax’s 525-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (175 vs. 155) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 177) than the Trax’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the Trax:

			MPG
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy
Trax
	FWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Trax doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Kia Seltos Nightfall/SX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Trax.

The Seltos has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Trax doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Seltos offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Trax doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Seltos Nightfall/SX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trax:

	Seltos Nightfall/SX	Trax
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	9” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		10.6 inches

The Kia Seltos has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Trax. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Seltos stops shorter than the Trax:

	Seltos	Trax
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	169 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Seltos has larger standard tires than the Trax (215/55R17 vs. 205/70R16). The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trax (235/45R18 vs. 215/55R18).

The Seltos’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trax’s standard 70 series tires. The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Trax LT’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Seltos has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Trax.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Seltos AWD has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trax has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Seltos AWD has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Seltos AWD flat and controlled during cornering. The Trax’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Seltos’ wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Trax (103.5 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Trax.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Trax LT AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Trax LT AWD (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Trax LS’ (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet). The Seltos’ turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Trax LT’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Passenger Space

The Seltos has 6.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trax (99 vs. 92.8).

The Seltos has .4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trax.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Seltos’ rear seats recline. The Trax’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 18.7 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

The Seltos’ cargo area is larger than the Trax’s in every dimension:

	Seltos	Trax
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32.7”/62.4”	29.3”/57”
Max Width	52.3”	39.5”
Min Width	41.6”	36”
Height	32.5”	31.8”

Ergonomics

The Seltos has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Trax doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

In addition to a parabolic reflector, optical-grade lenses in the Seltos’ standard projector headlights precisely focus the beam, providing more even illumination of the road for better visibility and a sharp cut-off that prevents blinding oncoming drivers. The sharp cutoff allows the use of a stronger light. The Trax LS’ standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights. The Seltos SX’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Trax’s projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Seltos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Trax’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Seltos detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Seltos EX/SX has standard extendable sun visors. The Trax doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Seltos SX’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

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

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Seltos SX has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Trax doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Seltos (except LX)’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trax’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With standard voice command, the Seltos offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trax doesn’t offer a voice control system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Seltos EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Trax doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

The Seltos will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Seltos will retain 49.25% to 49.41% of its original price after five years, while the Trax only retains 44.34% to 44.74%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Seltos, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Trax isn't recommended.