Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2023 Nissan Kicks

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

Safety

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The Seltos offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kicks doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

Both the Seltos and the Kicks 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 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 Kicks:

	Seltos	Kicks
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	129	191
Neck Injury Risk	24%	32%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	374 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	41%	79%
Neck Stress	127 lbs.	392 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 lbs.	370/209 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Nissan Kicks:

	Seltos	Kicks
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	139
Abdominal Force	170 lbs.	172 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	318
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	433 lbs.	535 lbs.

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 Kicks last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

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 Kicks’ 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 Kicks. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Kicks 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 Kicks’ 510-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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.

Engine

The Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 24 more horsepower (146 vs. 122) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (132 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 53 more horsepower (175 vs. 122) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 114) than the Kicks’ 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

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

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos Nightfall/SX	Kicks
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	n/a	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.9 sec	10.5 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	14.3 sec	n/a	19.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	4.2 sec	n/a	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	15.4 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.5 MPH	91.2 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

The Seltos has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kicks (13.2 vs. 10.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Seltos Nightfall/SX	Kicks
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		11 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 Kicks. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Kicks:

	Seltos	Kicks
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	190 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Seltos has larger standard tires than the Kicks (215/55R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kicks (235/45R18 vs. 205/60R16).

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 Kicks S’ standard 60 series tires. The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Kicks SV/SR’s 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 Kicks S. The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Kicks SV/SR.

The Kia Seltos’ wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Kicks S only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

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 Nissan Kicks has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

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

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Kicks.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Kicks SR pulls only .83 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 Kicks SR (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Seltos has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kicks (99 vs. 92.7).

The Seltos has 2.6 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 4.6 inches more rear legroom, 3.7 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kicks.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kicks with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kicks with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the Kicks 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 Kicks prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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

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 Kicks’ standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights.

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

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 Kicks’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Kicks doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the Seltos and the Kicks 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 Kicks SV/SR doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 Kicks’ 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 Kicks 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 Kicks doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

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