GWM Jolion 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.

GWM Jolion in South Africa

GWM Jolion

1.5T Hybrid LT Hybrid Current
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 115 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 17.9 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 Jolion
Fuel Economy Tie
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality Seltos
🔑 Ownership Seltos
Seltos starts ZAR 19,905 cheaper Jolion from ZAR 409,900 · Seltos from ZAR 389,995

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Jolion Seltos
Maximum Power 115 kW @ 5500 rpm 85 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 260 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size 1497 cc 1493 cc
Claimed Mileage 17.9 km/l 19.2 km/l
Ground Clearance 190 mm 190 mm
Boot / Load Bay 340 l 433 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1500 kg 1430 kg
Seating Capacity - -
Warranty 5 Years / 100,000 km 7 Years / 150,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Jolion and Seltos are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Jolion +6 pts
Efficiency Equal
Safety Equal
Practicality Seltos +8 pts
Ownership Seltos +6 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jolion

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
Weak Spots
  • Less practical in daily usage
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving
🏆 Overall Winner

Seltos

Strengths
  • More practical for daily use
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
Best suited to: Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jolion

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power

Seltos

  • Large families needing more practicality and usability
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jolion Seltos
Hybrid System Parallel Hybrid Not Applicable
Combined Power Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Combined Torque Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Motor Type Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Number of Motors Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Motor Location Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Quarter Mile Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio Not Officially Disclosed 59.4 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio Not Officially Disclosed 181.8 Nm/tonne
Usable Battery Capacity Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Electric Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
DC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Aspiration Turbocharged Turbocharged
Battery Voltage 48 V Not Applicable
Bore 72.5 mm 75 mm
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 16.0:1
Cylinder Layout Inline Inline
Cylinders 4 4
DC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Drive Type FWD FWD
Engine Code GW4B15A D4FE
Engine Displacement 1497 cc 1493 cc
Fuel System Direct Injection Common Rail Direct Injection
Fuel Type Hybrid Diesel
Launch Control No No
Regenerative Braking Yes Not Applicable
Stroke 90.8 mm 84.5 mm
Top Speed 188 km/h 175 km/h
Valves 16 16
Valves per Cylinder 4 4
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 260 Nm @ 1500 rpm
0-100 km/h 9.5 sec 10.5 sec
Battery Capacity 1.8 kWh Not Applicable
Battery Type Lithium-ion Not Applicable
Drive Modes Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Engine 1.5-litre Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid 1.5-litre Turbocharged Diesel
Maximum Power 115 kW @ 5500 rpm 85 kW @ 4000 rpm
Transmission Not Officially Disclosed 7-Speed DCT
Spec Jolion Seltos
360 Degree Camera Yes Yes
Active Engine Braking No -
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Around View Monitor Yes Yes
Attention Assist Yes -
Autonomous Emergency Braking Yes Yes
Automatic High Beam Yes Yes
Auto Highbeam Yes Yes
Auto Lights Yes Yes
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes Yes
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes Yes
Blind Spot Warning Yes Yes
Cruise Control Yes Yes
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes Yes
Eco Mode Yes Yes
Emergency Braking Yes Yes
Forward Collision Warning Yes Yes
Front Camera Yes Yes
Lane Departure Warning Yes Yes
Lane Keep Assist Yes Yes
Park Assist Yes Yes
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear Yes
Parking Sensor Front and Rear Yes
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Yes
Pre-Collision System Yes Yes
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes Yes
Rear View Camera Yes Yes
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes Yes
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Yes
Rear View Camera Yes Yes
Reverse Camera Yes Yes
Reverse Camera Type Yes Yes
Reversing Camera Yes Yes
Sport Mode Yes No
Surround View Camera Yes Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes No
EV Mode Yes No

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Seltos leads by 2 points

Both Jolion and Seltos are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 70 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 93% confidence
70
#1 Winner

Seltos

93% data confidence 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Performance 45
Performance 45
Efficiency 73
Safety 94
Practicality 68
Ownership 71
Leads by 2 points
68
#2

Jolion

97% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Performance 51
Performance 51
Efficiency 73
Safety 94
Practicality 60
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Jolion +6 Efficiency Level Safety Level Practicality Seltos +8 Ownership Seltos +6

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Seltos

Performance 45/100
Efficiency 73/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 68/100
Ownership 71/100

Jolion

Performance 51/100
Efficiency 73/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 60/100
Ownership 65/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 KIA Seltos wins with 70 pts vs 68 pts for Jolion

In structured scoring, Seltos emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jolion may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. 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

On our scoring the Seltos edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Jolion 73 vs Seltos 73. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Jolion 94, Seltos 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Jolion 65, Seltos 71. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Jolion 60, Seltos 68. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jolion 51, Seltos 45. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Seltos edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Seltos scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Jolion and Seltos in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jolion scores 51 vs 45.

Efficiency: Jolion scores 73 vs 73.

Safety: Jolion scores 94 vs 94.

Practicality: Jolion scores 60 vs 68.

Ownership: Jolion scores 65 vs 71.

Final structured scoring gives Seltos the advantage in this comparison.