Compare the2024 Kia SeltosVS 2024 Chevrolet Trax

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Seltos are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Trax doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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

Both the Seltos and Trax offer 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 Trax’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert 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 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, 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 and blind spot warning systems.

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.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Seltos’ engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trax’s camshafts. If the Trax’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Seltos has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Trax’s 130-amp alternator 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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (146 vs. 137) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 58 more horsepower (195 vs. 137) and 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Seltos is faster than the Chevrolet Trax:

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Trax (28 city/34 hwy vs. 28 city/32 hwy).

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

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Kia Seltos X-Line/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.

For better stopping power the Seltos X-Line/SX’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Trax:

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Trax:

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 60 series tires.

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.

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 Trax doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Seltos S AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Trax ACTIV pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Trax ACTIV (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Trax’s (34.8 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Seltos is 6 inches shorter than the Trax, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Seltos has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 7.5 inches more rear hip room and .4 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.

The Seltos has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 25.6 cubic feet). The Seltos has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

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 Trax doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

The Seltos EX/SX’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control. The Trax’s driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

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.

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 Trax 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 Trax doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the Seltos and the Trax 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 Trax doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its October 2023 issue and they ranked the Kia Seltos SX higher than the Chevrolet Trax ACTIV.