Amid all the hype about the Mitsubishi Xforce and Kia’s own, Raize-fighting Sonet, it’s easy to forget that the brand also has a bigger crossover in the Seltos for those who feel the latter is a tad too small.

Measuring 4,385mm long and 1,800mm wide, it’s just slightly smaller than the Xforce but doesn’t quite have the wow factor of the Mitsubishi on account of having smaller, 17-inch wheels (the Xforce wears 18s), as well as wearing angular, more conservative sheet metal.

Visually, the Seltos doesn’t look aggressive, its mom-mobile aesthetic bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Carnival and the Sportage, particularly with the front fascia.

But a look at the spec sheet reveals that Kia has loaded it with many useful features to keep it competitive, not only against the Japanese but also against the many Chinese models right now that offer lots of tech for this saturated bracket.

The Seltos is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter in-line-four that’s good for 138hp and 242Nm of torque, the brunt of which is available from 1,500-3,200rpm.

A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission handles the shifting duties, and while it tends to be clunky in reverse and lacks a manual mode, it has no problem picking the lowest gear possible in Sport or Smart mode to give you all that power when needed.

In fact, it’s not above giving you a little wheelspin if you punch it coming out of a tight corner.

However, in the interest of preserving the drivetrain, it won’t drop the clutch like a manual if you floor it from a dead stop. It’s too much to expect launch control in a family-oriented car, after all.

It’s a pity that the engineers chose to go the soft route with the suspension tuning, which is cloud-like on smooth tarmac but quickly loses composure over rough surfaces.

Brake-dive and body lean comes too quickly when you start pushing the pace, so the sporty-handling rep still goes to the Xforce.

Maybe the car’s origins have something to do with this, because the Philippine-market Seltos (internally called the SP2c) is manufactured in China, and Chinese-manufactured cars generally lean toward soft-and-wooly ride characteristics because that’s what the larger Chinese market seems to prefer.

Anyway, I had to remind myself I was in a Kia rather than a Volkswagen several times because the cockpit’s handsome and Euro aesthetic is functional, but also relaxing for the long haul.

It’s mostly shades of black-and-gray inside, with the instrument cluster and the 10.25-inch touchscreen sharing a single panel for an integrated look.

The instrument cluster mimics old-school analog gauges for the tachometer and the speedometer (none of that Chinese jet-fighter nonsense), and scrolling through the various menus is a breeze.

The dual-zone climate control has physical buttons, but the stereo volume and track functions can only be manipulated with the tiller controls or through the touchscreen. On the upside, it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s a wireless charger, too.

I made the mistake of parking the car under the sun with the cover for the panoramic moonroof open, resulting in a baking-hot cabin when I got back to it.

But this was also an opportune time to make use of the seat blowers, which rapidly cooled my backside as the A/C worked double time. More cars should have this feature, especially when they have leather upholstery.

This being the top-of-the-line SX, it comes with Drive Wise ADAS tech like smart cruise control with a stop-and-go function, lane-keeping and lane-following assist, forward collision avoidance, high beam assist, driver-attention warning, a rear camera display, and park-distance warning.

No 360° camera system, though. It has driver and front passenger airbags and side airbags, but not curtain airbags.

Some entertainment features include a “sound mood lamp” (or ambient lighting), as well as your choice of nature soundtracks in case you don’t want to listen to music.

The split-folding back seat yields 433L with the seats up, and another 498L totaling 931L with the seat backs down.

With an SRP of P1,688,000, the Turbo SX isn’t a screaming bargain against the competition, but the added power and tech have their value.

On the other hand, if you want the space of the Seltos but can live with a weaker drivetrain, the 1.5-liter naturally aspirated LX and EX ring the cash register at P1,198,000 and P1,288,000, respectively. You give up 25hp and 98Nm; the transmission is an Intelligent Variable Transmission (aka CVT); the touchscreen is smaller; and most of the driver assists are deleted.

You still get ABS, traction control, and the rearview camera, and the EX keeps the LED lights while the LX makes do with halogen headlamps.

The EX and the LX are bang-for-the-buck variants, and most city-bound drivers are unlikely to miss the power of the SX until they head for the mountains. But having the SX as a top-tier option is nice, especially for those who love their gadgets and are prepared to pay the premium.