Hyundai has the Venue and now Kia has the Seltos, a subcompact SUV that slots into their lineup between the smaller Soul and the bigger Sportage. The SUV is new for the 2021 model year.

Seltos combines the design of Sportage and Soul well, walking the line between funky and functional, assertive and inviting.

The model is meant to look more rugged than the Hyundai Venue.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

On the outside, it's easy to see that the Seltos shares a platform with the Venue though Kia's styling is more straightforward and edges toward a customer more apt to enjoy a fresh design approach whereas the Hyundai's look is much safer. Kia has positioned the Seltos as a capable off-roader noting that tits lower front bumper design allows for a sharper approach angle, it has front and rear skid plates and black wheel arch cladding. However, it's also meant to be stylish, sporting dual exhaust pipes with chrome trim, 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels, and red wheel center caps. The Seltos boasts 7.2 inches of ground clearance.

Under its hood is the buyer's choice of the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder end that produces 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque or the available turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a spirited 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The larger engine is paired with an intelligent variable transmission and the smaller is mated to a dual clutch transmission.

The Seltos comes with three drive modes: Normal, Eco, Sport. All-wheel drive with torque vectoring control and lock mode are available in higher trim levels.

Buyers can get the Seltos with all-wheel drive.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

The SUV comes with a good list of standard and available equipment. Each model gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 10.25-inch infotainment touch screen with satellite radio, navigation, and telematics is available, as is an 8-speaker Bose audio system, wireless charging system, three USB ports, and multi-Bluetooth connectivity.

The vehicle is at least as nicely appointed as what you'll find in the Sportage.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

Seltos boasts a standard 3.5-inch driver information display. In the top trim driver's get a 7-inch display. On Seltos S, EX, and SX models there is leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and sliding front console cover. The top trim level has Bose speakers with six color schemes in the same way that are in the Soul. EX and SX models also have a rear air vent and USB charging port.

The rear seat features two-step recline.

Kia has given the SUV a long list of available safety technology including blind spot monitoring, Safe Exit Assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist.

A 10.25-inch infotainment touch screen is available.Photo courtesy of Kia Motors

The 2021 Kia Seltos will be available in LX, EX, S 2.0L, S 1.6L, and SX trim levels. Full pricing details will be available closer to the model's on-sale date but Kia has revealed that LX with all-wheel drive will start below $22,000 and the S with front-wheel drive will have a similar price point.

Kia will sell the SUV in the U.S. starting in early 2020.