Statistics from the World Health Organisation show over 1.3 million road traffic crash fatalities per year, and South Africa has some of the worst road-death statistics worldwide.
Safety is crucial when buying a family car, and the Kia Seltos is now safer than ever, especially if you can afford a trim level that offers semi-autonomous driving tech, but even the poverty-spec models are well equipped!
Read our 2024 Kia Seltos first drive review here.
Structural integrity of the Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos has a high-quality steel and aluminium body shell, featuring a high proportion of Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) for superior occupant protection. However, the specific safety features vary depending on the trim level you choose. Let's take a quick look at the Kia Seltos safety spectrum and see which features come with each trim.
Buying used? Read our 2023 road-trip review of the Kia Seltos here.
Standard safety features across the board
Every Kia Seltos trim boasts a core set of safety features, providing a solid foundation for occupant protection:
- Six Airbags: This comprehensive system includes driver and passenger airbags, side airbags, and side curtain airbags for all-around protection in a collision.
- ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors: Securely transport your little ones with these designated anchors for compatible child seats.
- ABS with EBD: The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) prevents wheel lockup during hard braking, while Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) ensures proper brake force distribution between the front and rear wheels for optimal stopping power.
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC): This system helps maintain control of the vehicle during sharp turns or slippery conditions by applying corrective braking to individual wheels.
- Rear Park Distance Control Sensors and Reverse Camera with Dynamic Guidelines: These features aid in parking manoeuvres and help you avoid obstacles behind your vehicle. (Front parking sensors are added from EX trim and up.)
Can you fit 3 car seats across the back seat of the Seltos? Find out here!
Levelling up safety with the Kia Seltos GT-Line (from R626,995)
The Kia Seltos GT-Line takes safety a step further by being the only trim to offer a suite of ADAS features, including:
- Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA): This system warns you of vehicles in your blind spot when changing lanes.
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW): This system alerts you if you're unintentionally drifting out of your lane.
- Lane Keeping Assist (LKA): LKA can gently steer the car back into your lane if you start to drift.
- Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA): This system can warn you of a potential collision ahead and can even apply automatic braking to help mitigate or avoid an accident.
We compared the previous Seltos to the Peugeot 2008 and T-Roc here
Safety for every Seltos driver
While the ADAS features are exclusive to the GT-Line, all Kia Seltos trims offer a comprehensive safety package; even the base LX trim provides essential features for occupant protection. This demonstrates Kia's commitment to prioritising safety across the entire Seltos range.
5 Extras to fit on your new Seltos
Here is the pricing for this new model (correct at the time this article was published):
Kia Seltos 1.5 LX Manual: | R 467,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 LX CVT: | R 492,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi LX Auto: | R 521,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 EX CVT: | R 532,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX Auto: | R 561,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 EX Plus CVT: | R 570,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX Plus Auto: | R 599,995 |
Kia Seltos 1.5 T-GDi GT-Line DCT: | R 626,995 |
