Suzuki Across vs KIA Seltos

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Suzuki Across in South Africa

Suzuki Across

1.5 GLX 6AT Petrol Mild Hybrid 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 464,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 76 kW 🔧 137 Nm ⛽ 18.9 km/l
VS
KIA Seltos in South Africa

KIA Seltos

1.5D EX+ Auto Diesel 7-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 599,995 ex-showroom
⚡ 85 kW 🔧 260 Nm ⛽ 19.2 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Seltos
Fuel Economy Across
🛡 Safety Seltos
📦 Practicality Across
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Across starts ZAR 40,095 cheaper Across from ZAR 349,900 · Seltos from ZAR 389,995

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Across Seltos
Maximum Power 75.8 kW @ 6000 rpm 85 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque 136.8 Nm @ 4400 rpm 260 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1493 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 18.9 km/l 19.2 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 190 mm
Boot / Load Bay 333 l 433 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight - 1430 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 5 years / 200,000 km promotional warranty 7 Years / 150,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Across and Seltos are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Seltos +11 pts
Efficiency Across +3 pts
Safety Seltos +2 pts
Practicality Across +2 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Across

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality
Catalogue-index leader

Seltos

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance

Which One's Right for You?

Across

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Seltos

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Across Seltos
Model Introduced Year 2026 2020
Generation First South African generation of the current Across First generation (SP2); SA launch 2020; 2023 facelift model current
Facelift History All-new March 2026 South African launch model; no facelift yet 2023 facelift with revised front and rear styling, updated ADAS suite and interior upgrades
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2023
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door compact SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status On sale active
Segment C-segment family SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1200-1250 kg 1430 kg
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Color Note - Clear White, Aurora Black Pearl, Steel Grey, Gravity Blue, Intense Red, Pewter Olive, Glacier White Pearl (dual-tone on GT-Line)
Spec Across Seltos
Length 4360 mm 4370 mm
Width 1795 mm 1800 mm
Height 1655 mm 1640 mm
Wheelbase 2600 mm 2610 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 190 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 45 l 50 l
Boot/Cargo Space 333 l 433 l
Payload Capacity 460 kg 456 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.4 m 10.6 m
Kerb Weight - 1430 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - 1920 kg
Front Headroom - 990 mm
Rear Headroom - 950 mm
Front Legroom - 1030 mm
Rear Legroom - 860 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) - 190 mm
Towing Capacity - 1100 kg

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Seltos leads by 4 points

Across and Seltos are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 68 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 99% source coverage
68
#1 Index leader

Seltos

99% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 93 Check Performance 45
Performance 45
Efficiency 73
Safety 93
Practicality 60
Ownership 71
Leads by 4 points
64
#2

Across

73% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 76
Safety 91
Practicality 62
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Seltos +11 Efficiency Across +3 Safety Seltos +2 Practicality Across +2

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Seltos

Performance 45/100
Efficiency 73/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 60/100
Ownership 71/100

Across

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 76/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 62/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 KIA Seltos leads the catalogue index with 68 pts vs 64 pts for Across

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Seltos leads. However, Across may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This Across and Seltos comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Across 34 vs Seltos 45.

Efficiency index: Across 76 vs Seltos 73.

Safety-equipment index: Across 91 vs Seltos 93.

Practicality index: Across 62 vs Seltos 60.

Ownership-cover index: Across not separately scored vs Seltos 71.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.