Compare the2026 Jeep CherokeeVS 2026 Kia Seltos

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Jeep Cherokee 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Cherokee has standard Rear Automatic Emergency Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Cherokee. But it costs extra on the Seltos.

The Cherokee Overland offers an optional 360-degree camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Seltos only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Jeep Cherokee’s optional 360-degree camera has integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Kia Seltos lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

The Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Seltos S/EX/SX offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Cherokee has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Seltos S/EX/SX offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Both the Cherokee 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Jeep Cherokee weighs 1047 to 1358 pounds more than the Kia Seltos. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Seltos.

There are over 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

Engine

The Cherokee’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 63 more horsepower (210 vs. 147) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (230 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cherokee’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (210 vs. 190) and 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (230 vs. 195) than the Seltos SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cherokee gets better mileage than the Seltos:

			MPG
Cherokee
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/33 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 Cherokee’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 Cherokee’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Seltos:

	Cherokee	Seltos	Seltos AWD
Front Rotors	13 inches	11 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.3 inches	11.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Seltos (225/65R17 vs. 215/55R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cherokee Overland has standard 20-inch wheels. The Seltos’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Seltos doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Cherokee 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is 9.5 inches longer than on the Seltos (113 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Cherokee is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Seltos.

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

Chassis

The front grille of the Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Seltos doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Cherokee uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Seltos doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Cherokee has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Seltos (107.4 vs. 99).

The Cherokee has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room and 2.1 inches more front shoulder room than the Seltos.

Cargo Capacity

The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Seltos with its rear seat up (33.6 vs. 26.6 cubic feet). The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Seltos with its rear seat folded (68.3 vs. 62.8 cubic feet).

Towing

The Cherokee has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Seltos has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Cherokee Overland, the memory system makes it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Seltos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Cherokee’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 Cherokee’s front power windows 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.

The Cherokee has standard Keyless Enter-N-Go that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Seltos S/EX/SX offers a Smart Key.

The Cherokee’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Seltos’ power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Cherokee’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Seltos’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Cherokee’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 Cherokee’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/SX.

The Cherokee Limited/Overland’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Seltos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Cherokee and the Seltos offer available heated front seats. The Cherokee Overland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Seltos.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cherokee Limited/Overland’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Seltos doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Cherokee’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.

Compared to traditional radio, the Jeep Cherokee’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Seltos S/EX/SX.

The Cherokee Overland has a 115-volt a/c outlet, 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.

The Cherokee Overland’s Automated Parking System can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Seltos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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