Compare the2026 Subaru Crosstrek VS 2027 Kia Seltos

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Crosstrek have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Seltos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Subaru Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Seltos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Subaru Crosstrek achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Seltos has not been tested.

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

The Subaru Crosstrek’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Kia Seltos does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness has standard MySubaru Connected Services, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Seltos doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

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

The Subaru Crosstrek has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Seltos has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru second in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 10th.

The Crosstrek’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (180 vs. 147) and 46 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 more horsepower (194 vs. 190) than the Seltos X-Line SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek 4 cyl. is faster than the Kia Seltos 4 cyl.:

	Crosstrek	Seltos
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	11 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	18.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.6 MPH	77.1 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Seltos doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

			MPG
Crosstrek
	AWD	2.5 flat-4 Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
		Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/30 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Crosstrek Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Seltos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Crosstrek’s 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 Seltos doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Crosstrek has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Seltos (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

	Crosstrek	Crosstrek Hybrid	Seltos	Seltos AWD
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12.6 inches	11 inches	12 inches

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Seltos are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek stops much shorter than the Seltos:

	Crosstrek	Seltos
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Seltos (225/60R17 vs. 205/65R16).

The Crosstrek’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Seltos’ standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Seltos.

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Crosstrek flat and controlled during cornering. The Seltos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Crosstrek Limited handles at .81 G’s, while the Seltos X-Line SX pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Seltos EX AWD (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Seltos LX (8.7 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the Seltos X-Line SX (9.3 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Crosstrek has 1.5 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room and 1.2 inches more rear hip room than the Seltos.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Seltos doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Crosstrek has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Seltos has no towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Seltos. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 56% lower rating, Kia is ranked 27th.

The Crosstrek’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Seltos’ standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Seltos EX/X-Line SX’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s exterior PIN entry system. The Seltos doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Crosstrek’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Seltos’ passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Seltos doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Seltos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Seltos.

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Kia Seltos by over three to one during 2025.