2023 Volvo XC90 vs 2024 Kia Seltos

The 2023 Volvo XC90 marked a significant departure from Volvo's past boxy designs. It showcased a purposeful yet understated front end, with an assertive grille and the distinctive "Thor’s Hammer" headlights. The Platinum Gray paint added a touch of richness, while the interior exuded elegance with two-tone leather, metal Bowers and Wilkins speaker covers, and luxurious Nappa leather upholstery. The minimalist design, complemented by wood deco inlays, created a serene and sophisticated cabin environment.

In contrast, the 2024 Kia Seltos received a mid-cycle refresh with updated headlights, grille designs, and a connecting light strip between the taillights. The new "Pluton Blue" paint color added a sharp look. Inside, the Seltos featured new interior colors and a large digital panel spanning two-thirds of the dash. The base LX trim included 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while higher trims offered additional features like synthetic leather upholstery, heated seats, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen.

For 2023, the Volvo XC90 introduced new B5 and B6 engines with mild-hybrid technology, replacing the older T5 and T6 engines. The B5 engine, with a turbocharger and 48-volt mild-hybrid system, produced 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The B6 engine, featuring both a supercharger and turbocharger, delivered 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The mild-hybrid system improved fuel efficiency and smoothness, though the gains were minimal. The XC90 offered a comfortable and quiet ride, with responsive acceleration and confident braking. It handled well in various driving conditions, including a New Hampshire snowstorm.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came with two engine options. The base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine produced 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). The X-Line and SX trims featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The turbo engine provided noticeable acceleration improvements, especially in Sport mode. The Seltos handled well on various road surfaces, with responsive steering and minimal body roll. The brakes felt touchy initially but settled down over time.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 offered a peaceful and pleasant front seating experience, though it lacked cubby space for smaller items. The second row was comfortable but challenging to adjust, and accessing the third row was difficult with the standard bench seat. Cargo space was 12.5 cubic feet with the third row in use, 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 65.5 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The XC90 drove like a smaller car, making it more maneuverable than typical three-row SUVs.

The 2024 Kia Seltos provided up to 62.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 26.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. The upright seating position and ample headroom allowed for good driver visibility and rear legroom. The front seating area had decently sized in-door cupholders and cubbies, while the SX trim included a removable cargo cover. The Seltos offered a comfortable and practical interior for a subcompact SUV.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 featured a 9-inch vertically positioned touchscreen infotainment display running Google OS, with built-in Google Maps, Spotify, NPR, and Google Assistant. The 12.3-inch driver information display also showed Google Maps. While the system's natural-language recognition was excellent, many key functions were buried within the touchscreen interface, leading to some frustration. More physical buttons and redundant controls would have been appreciated.

The 2024 Kia Seltos offered an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the base LX trim, with a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and touchscreen on higher trims. The infotainment system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a logical layout and responsive screen. The SX trim featured an upgraded eight-speaker Bose premium stereo system and Digital Key 2 Touch, allowing smartphone access to the vehicle.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 was renowned for its safety, earning a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and Pilot Assist technology, which helped maintain distance and lane position.

The 2024 Kia Seltos came with standard driver assistance features such as forward collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, lane-follow assist, and driver attention warning. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, smart cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and highway driving assist. The SX trim also included a junction-turning function and drive-away warning.