2026 Nissan Kicks vs. 2027 Kia Seltos: I drove both affordable small SUVs—here’s my honest comparison review

Small SUVs are supposed to be sensible, but that's usually where the problems begin. Sensible can mean affordable, efficient, easy to park, easy to insure, and spacious enough to justify itself over a normal hatchback. But in reality, “sensible” can easily become an excuse for low expectations. Cheap plastics, coarse engines, forgettable styling, joyless steering, and the emotional depth of a toaster with lane-keep assist.

The 2026 Nissan Kicks and 2027 Kia Seltos both represent attempts from each respective automaker to offer something more substantial to the small SUV buyer, and both SUVs deliver on that promise with a surprising amount of charm and functionality, without sacrificing authenticity. Neither pretends to be a sports car, a luxury SUV, or a serious off-roader. Both exist for buyers who want something small, useful, affordable, and easy to live with. After driving both, I came away surprised by how differently they approach the same basic job, and yet they both still feel like the correct approach.

The Kicks is a clever, charming, budget-minded urban tool. The Seltos is the more mature, more aspirational, more complete small SUV. One feels like a genuinely great economy car, and the other feels like a small crossover that belongs in a class above. Both arguments work, just for different buyers.

The Basic Difference: Simplicity Vs. Substance

The Nissan Kicks starts at a lower price point, and for many buyers in this segment, that's the most important consideration. The 2026 Kicks begins at $22,430 in the U.S., while the nicely-equipped SV AWD I drove starts at $25,820. It uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT, and the SV AWD is rated at 27 mpg city, 34 highway, and 30 combined. In my own testing, I saw roughly 26 mpg on winter tires through mostly city driving.

The Seltos sits a half-step above that. The 2027 Seltos starts at $24,990 before destination in LX FWD form, while the X-Line SX AWD I drove starts at $32,790. The base model gets a 147-hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder, while the X-Line SX uses a 190-hp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 195 lb-ft of torque, an 8-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive.

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Exterior Design: The Kicks Is Fun, The Seltos Is Confident

The Kicks has personality, whether you asked for it or not. My test car wore the kind of highlighter yellow paint that made it look like a Minion had been given all-wheel drive and a consumer loan. I admittedly didn't want to be seen in it at first. Then, rather annoyingly, I began to really like it. The Kicks has a stubby, upright, slightly cartoonish charm that suits its mission well, and doesn't take itself too seriously. It doesn't try to fit in at the country club; instead, it simply aims to look fresh, cheerful, and approachable. It's hard not to love it for its honest sense of humour.

The Seltos plays a different game. Kia clearly wants you thinking “baby Telluride,” and the redesigned 2027 model actually earns that comparison. Its boxier shape, upright front end, amber lighting, squared-off greenhouse, and X-Line styling make it look more substantial than the Kicks. The Seltos is still small, but it no longer apologizes for it with lacklustre proportions. The Kicks feels like an economy car with self-confidence, but by comparison, the Seltos feels like a small SUV with real ambition.

Powertrain: The Kicks Is Plucky, The Seltos Offers More Choice

The Kicks is far better to drive than its numbers suggest. Its 141-hp 2.0-litre engine isn't fast, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But it has enough punch around town, and the CVT works better when you let it behave like a CVT rather than a fake automatic. Shift into “B,” and the Kicks stops faking normal gear ratios. It becomes smoother, more linear, and more responsive in a way that suits the car’s lightweight, urban personality.

The Seltos X-Line SX is stronger in that it offers buyers more choice. Its available 1.6-litre turbo doesn't transform it into a hot hatch on stilts, but it makes the Seltos feel less strained on freeways, highway onramps, and faster roads. It has enough power to feel effortless in normal driving, though it can need revs when pressed harder. The 8-speed automatic is generally smooth, but occasionally holds too high a gear before kicking down more abruptly than expected.

As a general lineup comparison, this one is easy. The Kicks has one engine, and it's good enough. The Seltos gives buyers a value-focused 2.0-litre, a stronger turbo, and an upcoming hybrid meant to arrive in early 2027. That gives Kia a major advantage.

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Driving Feel: The Nissan Has Charm, The Kia Has Polish

The Kicks is more amusing than expected on the road. It feels short, light, and eager around town. Its newly available all-wheel-drive system adds confidence, and on curvier roads, it has a nimble quality that makes it feel more like a tall hatchback than a miniature SUV. The steering is light and somewhat translucent, and there is noticeable body roll, but the Kicks never feels miserable. It has a scrappy charm that sneaks up on you.

The Seltos is more mature. It doesn't have the same cheeky urban energy, and despite its turbocharged engine, it doesn't feel as playful as a K4 GT-Line Hatchback wearing hiking boots. But it is composed, refined, and easy. The steering is vague but harmlessly so, freeway stability is strong, ride quality is better than expected, and body roll is well controlled for something this upright. The Kicks feels more lovable at low speeds, but the Seltos feels more grown-up everywhere else, so I'll chalk this section down to a draw.

Interior And Tech: Nissan Nails Simplicity, Kia Feels Richer

The Kicks' cabin surprised me because of how uncomplicated it was. It doesn't pretend to be premium, yet it doesn't punish you for being a cheapskate. It doesn't bury basic functions into one giant screen, and it gives you a clean layout, a simple instrument display, a crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, physical climate controls, and Nissan’s comfortable Zero Gravity seats. It's also shockingly quiet for the money, which might be the single most impressive part of the whole vehicle.

The Seltos' cabin feels more upscale, and matches the slightly aspirational quality of the whole ordeal. The dashboard design has obvious Telluride influence, the nearly 30-inch available screen setup looks expensive, the panoramic roof adds airiness, and the mesh headrests are odd in a way that actually works extremely well. They look strange, but they are genuinely comfortable. Rear-seat space is useful, cargo space is strong, and the whole cabin feels broader and more substantial than before.

There are small misses. The Seltos’ manually adjustable passenger seat feels cheap on a higher trim with available heated and ventilated front seats. The Kicks lacks a few little conveniences, like seatback storage compartments. But both cabins still work well.

Cabin And Cargo Dimensions

The numbers explain the real-world difference pretty cleanly. The Kicks punches above its price on front-seat space and cargo room in front-wheel-drive form, but the Seltos has the broader cabin, far better rear legroom, more passenger volume, and more maximum cargo space. The Kicks feels like a clever urban runabout that makes excellent use of its footprint, and the Seltos feels like the one that has grown into a proper small family SUV.

Practicality And Value: The Kicks Fights Back

The Kicks makes its strongest argument when price inevitably returns to the equation. For just over $22,000 to start, it gives buyers a modern small SUV with available all-wheel drive, excellent efficiency, a quiet cabin, good cargo space, and a personality that doesn't feel cynical. Even the SV AWD stays relatively affordable, which is crucial because not everyone wants to drive a stripped-out roller skate of an SUV.

The Seltos is the more complete vehicle, but it can also get expensive. The X-Line SX’s $32,790 starting price before destination isn't outrageous in today’s market, but it does move the Seltos out of bargain territory and into “small SUV with aspirations” territory. That's fine if you want the turbo engine, AWD, stronger styling, better tech, and a more premium-feeling cabin. But if your priority is simply getting the most useful small SUV for the least money, the Kicks is hard to ignore. The upcoming Seltos hybrid could change this discussion, depending on pricing and fuel economy, but for now, the Nissan remains the stronger value play.

Verdict: Which Small SUV Should You Buy?

The 2026 Nissan Kicks is the small SUV I wanted to make fun of and ended up genuinely liking. It's affordable, simple, efficient, comfortable, quiet, and more charming than it has any right to be. It still carries some long-term CVT anxiety, and it isn't as powerful, spacious-feeling, or aspirational as the Seltos. But as an urban runabout for buyers who want maximum usefulness without spending unnecessary money, it makes a wonderfully clear argument.

The 2027 Kia Seltos is the better SUV overall. It looks more substantial, feels more mature, offers more powertrain variety, has a richer cabin, and gives buyers more ways to configure the same basic idea. The base Seltos keeps the price reasonable, the X-Line adds emotional appeal, the turbo engine gives it more headroom, and the upcoming hybrid may eventually become the smartest version of all.

So, ultimately, the best answer depends on what kind of small SUV buyer you are. Buy the Kicks if you want the best budget-minded choice: simple, efficient, charming, and easy to live with in the city. Buy the Seltos if you want the small SUV that feels more grown-up, more confident, and more complete. For my money, the Kicks is easier to love than expected, but the Seltos is harder to argue against.

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