Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport

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

Both the Seltos and the Rogue Sport 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, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, 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 Nissan Rogue Sport:

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 Nissan Rogue Sport:

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

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 Rogue Sport has not been fully tested, yet.

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 Rogue Sport’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 Nissan covers the Rogue Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rogue Sport ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 10th.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (146 vs. 141) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (175 vs. 141) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the Rogue Sport:

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 Rogue Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Rogue Sport:

For better traction, the Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rogue Sport (235/45R18 vs. 225/45R19).

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 Rogue Sport S/SV’s standard 60 series tires.

The Seltos has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rogue Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Seltos S AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.9 seconds quicker than the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Rogue Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.9 feet).

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 350 pounds less than the Nissan Rogue Sport.

The Seltos has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rogue Sport (99 vs. 96).

The Seltos has .4 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear legroom and 5.9 inches more rear hip room than the Rogue Sport.

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

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rogue Sport with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 22.9 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rogue Sport with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 61.1 cubic feet).

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the Rogue Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Seltos is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Rogue Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Rogue Sport’s standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights.

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Rogue Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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 Rogue Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Seltos and the Nissan Rogue Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.