The all-new Kia Seltos is an exciting addition to the Entry CUV landscape. In this article, we’ll explore how Seltos fits, quite literally, into 1) the Kia model line-up and 2) its competitive segment in the market. With so many makes and models competing for your customers’ dollars, it’s critical that we know how to position our new product. Let’s get started...

The More The Merrier!

You’d be forgiven for initially wondering where another SUV product fits into Kia’s overall line-up, given the brand’s arsenal of “similarly-sized” winners like Sportage and Soul. However, KMA’s internal market research has revealed that the Entry CUV segment is very stable and rapidly evolving. In the first quarter of 2020 calendar year alone, four new entries are planned into the rapidly growing segment! Competitive brands are clearly learning what buyers are looking for and creating products to meet this growing demand. Along those lines, the all-new Seltos is a unique and strategic product—different than Soul, different than Sportage, with its own large (and growing) sub-market of customers.

Size-wise, Seltos fits squarely between the Soul and Sportage in nearly every dimension.

2020 Soul	2021 Seltos	2020 Sportage
165.2” Length	172” Length	176.4” Length
102.4” Wheelbase	103.5” Wheelbase	105.1” Wheelbase
70.9” Width	70.9” Width	73” Width
63” Height	63.6” Height	64.4” Height
Front Legroom: 41.1”	Front Legroom: 41.4”	Front Legroom: 41.5”
Rear Legroom: 38.8”	Rear Legroom: 37.1”	Rear Legroom: 38.2”
Cargo*- Rear Seat Upright: 24.2 cu.ft.	Cargo*- Rear Seat Upright: 26.6 cu.ft.	Cargo*- Rear Seat Upright: 30.7 cu.ft.
Cargo* - Rear Seat Folded: 62.1 cu.ft.	Cargo* - Rear Seat Folded: 62.8 cu.ft.	Cargo* - Rear Seat Folded: 60.1 cu.ft.

Distinguishable from Soul’s youthful, urban image and Sportage’s curvy, sleek personality, is the all-new Seltos, which strives to be:

• Bold
• Sporty
• A seamless blend of modern and capable
• A vehicle that helps its owners “maximize their world”
• A vehicle that helps its owners explore “the world beyond them”

How do we stack up to our CUV competitors? (Hint: Pretty well)

As you’ll see, the all-new Seltos is among the largest and roomiest vehicles in its primary competitive set. And in this case, larger is usually better, with tangible customer benefits like spacious leg room and amazing cargo* capacity—and even intangible benefits like better perceived utility and capability.

According to Kia’s product planning department, Seltos has three primary competitors: Honda HR-V, Chevy Trax, and Jeep Renegade. Let’s take a closer look at each matchup to see how we measure up...

	2021 Seltos	2020 HR-V	2020 Trax	2020 Renegade
Length	172”	169.1”	167.2”	166.6”
Wheelbase	103.5”	102.8”	100.6”	101.2”
Width	70.9”	69.8”	69.9”	71”
Height	63.6”	63.2”	64.9”	66.5”
Front Leg Room	41.4”	41.2”	40.8”	41.2”
Rear Leg Room	37.1”	39.3”	35.7”	35.1”
Cargo - Rear Seat Upright	26.6”	23”	18.7”	18.5”
Cargo - Rear Seat Folded	62.8”	58.8”	48.4”	50.8”

But It Doesn’t Stop There...

In addition to its primary competitors, some customers in this segment will also be cross-shopping:

• Jeep Compass
• Ford EcoSport
• Hyundai Kona
• Mazda CX-3
• Nissan Kicks¹
• Toyota C-HR¹

¹ AWD not Available

To recap, the all-new Seltos fits a unique niche in Kia’s growing model line-up AND it promises to be a formidable competitor in its ever-changing, competitive segment. The future looks bright indeed! That’s a wrap for now, but we can’t wait to see you soon for the in-person Seltos training. Until then, thank you for representing Kia out there on the showroom floor!

Good selling,

Kia University