Compare the2025 Toyota Corolla Cross HybridVS 2025 Kia Seltos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 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 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 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.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Seltos, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-20 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-13 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-3 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.3 sec	1.4 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-5 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.7 sec	.3 sec

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Corolla Cross Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Seltos.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE has standard Front and Rear Parking Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Seltos doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Seltos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is safer than the Kia Seltos:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	330	405
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	32.9%	41%
Neck Compression	36 lbs.	171 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is safer than the Kia Seltos:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	92	109
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.2 inches
Abdominal Force	129 lbs.	170 lbs.
Hip Force	330 lbs.	428 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	234
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	70 G’s
Hip Force	367 lbs.	754 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	33 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is safer than the Seltos:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	193	234
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.42 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	131	258
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	112 lbs.
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	2.17 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

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

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Seltos.

There are over 56 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s reliability 20 points higher than the Seltos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 10th.

Engine

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 more horsepower (196 vs. 146) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 1 more horsepower (196 vs. 195) than the Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is faster than the Kia Seltos 4 cyl.:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.8 sec	5.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	17.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla Cross Hybrid gets better mileage than the Seltos:

			MPG
Corolla Cross Hybrid
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	45 city/38 hwy
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/27 hwy

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.1 inches	10.3 inches

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid stops shorter than the Seltos:

	Corolla Cross Hybrid	Seltos
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	128 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

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

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Seltos’ (59% to 41%). This gives the Corolla Cross Hybrid more stable handling and braking.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE handles at .81 G’s, while the Seltos S pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Seltos S (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Seltos (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has 1.5 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear headroom than the Seltos.

Payload and Towing

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Seltos has no towing capacity.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Seltos (1170 vs. 860 lbs.).

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Seltos (1215 vs. 860 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Seltos has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s front and rear power windows all 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 power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Corolla Cross Hybrid the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Seltos can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a standard Smart Key System that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers a Smart Key.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Seltos’ standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Seltos’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Seltos doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE’s 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. The Seltos doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Seltos doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Kia Seltos, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla Cross outsold the Kia Seltos by 18% during 2023.

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