Compare the2024 Kia SeltosVS 2023 Jeep Renegade

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 Renegade doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Seltos and Renegade have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Renegade’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

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 Renegade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

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 Jeep Renegade:

	Seltos	Renegade
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	129	207
Neck Injury Risk	24%	26%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	332 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	127 lbs.	221 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 lbs.	290/322 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 Jeep Renegade:

	Seltos	Renegade
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	161
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	234	286
Spine Acceleration	70 G’s	73 G’s
Hip Force	754 lbs.	1157 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	225	314
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	625 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 7.7% less likely to roll over than the Renegade.

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 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Renegade 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 Renegade’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 Jeep covers the Renegade. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Renegade ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Seltos’ reliability 26 points higher than the Renegade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

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 Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (195 vs. 177) than the Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Jeep Renegade:

	Seltos 4 cyl.	Seltos X-Line/SX	Renegade
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.9 sec	9.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	15.4 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.5 MPH	91.2 MPH	78.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/27 hwy
Renegade
	AWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		Trailhawk 1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Seltos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Renegade requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Seltos has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Renegade. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

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 Renegade doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Renegade:

	Seltos	Renegade
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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 Renegade Trailhawk’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

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

The Seltos 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 Renegade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Seltos’ wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Renegade (103.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Renegade.

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Renegade Latitude pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Renegade Trailhawk (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Renegade Trailhawk’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.3 feet). The Seltos’ turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Renegade’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 400 pounds less than the Jeep Renegade.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Seltos has standard flush composite headlights. The Renegade has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

The Seltos has .2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear hip room than the Renegade.

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

The front step up height for the Seltos is 1.4 inches lower than the Renegade (18” vs. 19.4”). The Seltos’ rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Renegade’s (17.8” vs. 19.6”).

Cargo Capacity

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Renegade with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Renegade with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 50.8 cubic feet).

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

	Seltos	Renegade
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32.7”/62.4”	28.9”/59”
Max Width	52.3”	40.1”
Min Width	41.6”	37.6”
Height	32.5”	33.7”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Seltos SX’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Seltos’ power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Renegade doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Ergonomics

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 Renegade’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 Renegade’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Renegade’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Seltos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Renegade only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Seltos SX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Renegade doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Seltos S/EX/X-Line/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 Renegade doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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

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 Renegade doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Seltos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Renegade doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

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