Compare the2023 Fiat 500XVS 2023 Kia Seltos

The Fiat 500X has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The 500X has standard Reactive Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Reactive Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Seltos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the 500X. But it costs extra on the Seltos.

Both the 500X and the Seltos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The 500X’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Seltos runs out after 100,000 miles.

The engine in the 500X has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Seltos have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the 500X has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Seltos’ standard 120-amp alternator and largest (Nightfall/SX) 130-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 500X’s reliability 17 points higher than the Seltos.

The 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 more horsepower (177 vs. 146) and 78 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (177 vs. 175) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 195) than the Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

The 500X has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Seltos doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Fiat 500X higher (6 out of 10) than the Kia Seltos (5). This means the 500X produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Seltos every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the 500X’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Seltos:

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The 500X has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The 500X stops shorter than the Seltos:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 500X Sport offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Seltos’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Fiat 500X 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 Seltos 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The 500X has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the 500X flat and controlled during cornering. The Seltos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The 500X Pop handles at .79 G’s, while the Seltos S pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The 500X Pop executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Seltos S (28 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

The 500X is 4.8 inches shorter than the Seltos, making the 500X easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 500X has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Seltos has no towing capacity.

The 500X’s 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 500X’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, 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.

The 500X’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Seltos’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The 500X’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Seltos’ standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the 500X Sport has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Seltos doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The 500X’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX.

The 500X Sport’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.