Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Seltos: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Hyundai Palisade burns about $1,800 of fuel annually against $2,000 for the Kia Seltos. That $200 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,000 over five years and $1,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Hyundai Palisade is the stronger commuter at 33 mpg city, while the Kia Seltos pulls ahead on the interstate at 35 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Hyundai Palisade is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI; Hybrid, SIDI), the Kia Seltos with 2 (2.0, SIDI). Across 24 recorded Hyundai Palisade configurations and 20 for the Kia Seltos, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Hyundai Palisade is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Kia Seltos with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Hyundai Palisade emits 258 g/mile of CO2 versus 283 g/mile for the Kia Seltos. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.