Rent Kia Seltos 2023 in Dubai

Search for a compact SUV rental in Dubai and the Kia Seltos 2023 keeps turning up next to its closest cousin, the Hyundai Creta, built on the same platform with barely a centimetre between their footprints. That family resemblance is real. Both run a 1.6-litre engine, similar boot space and near-identical ground clearance, so the case for one over the other rarely comes down to raw specification. We deliver the Seltos to your door within one to two hours, and this page works out where it actually earns its own argument, starting with what's under the bonnet and how it puts that engine to use.

The 1.6 engine, and how the Seltos feels on the road

The Seltos runs a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four, 123 hp and 151 Nm, sent to the front wheels through a genuine six-speed torque-converter automatic. That detail is worth knowing because several rivals in this class lean on a CVT that drones under load. This gearbox holds a gear and hands off cleanly, so it drives like a normal automatic rather than a rubber-band one.

This is also where the Creta comparison actually matters. Hyundai's version runs the same segment logic, a naturally aspirated 1.6 paired with its own torque-converter automatic, and the two cars land within a few centimetres of each other on paper. If you're choosing on outright pace or gearbox feel, there isn't much daylight between them. Neither is quick off the line, and both settle into a relaxed cruise rather than a punchy one. Around town the Seltos is smooth and predictable in stop-start traffic. Merging hard onto Sheikh Zayed Road or overtaking with a full car means picking your gap rather than assuming the power is there. Settle it at 120 on the highway and it holds that speed without fuss.

Boot, back seat and the daily load

At 433 litres, the boot takes two large suitcases and a soft bag with the back seats up, enough for a DXB or DWC airport run without a case ending up on someone's lap. Drop the rear bench and the floor opens out for flatpack furniture or a bike, more than most hatchbacks in this price bracket can offer. The Creta's boot sits close enough to this figure that luggage capacity isn't the reason to pick either car. Where they diverge a little is the back seat, and the Seltos's is genuinely usable for two adults on a short hop, or two kids across for the school run.

At 4,315 mm long and 1,800 mm wide, it drops into tight tower bays and mall multi-storey spaces without the shuffle a full-size SUV needs, and the 190 mm of ground clearance clears Dubai's speed bumps and steep ramps cleanly. Don't read that as an invitation off road, though. This is front-wheel drive on road tyres, happy on tarmac and out of its depth the moment the tarmac ends.

Running cost, heat and the cabin

The 50-litre tank is generous for the class. Expect close to 8 litres per 100 km in real Dubai driving, stop-start traffic with the AC working hard, which puts a full tank near 600 km. For a week of commuting and errands that's usually one stop at the pump, maybe two if you're driving in from the far suburbs daily.

Mileage is worth reading before you book. The daily allowance on this car is 250 km, comfortable for city life, and it's AED 1.0 per kilometre once you go past it. A day out to Hatta and back will eat into that allowance fast, so it's worth a glance at the odometer before a longer trip. Salik tolls and any RTA fines are the renter's responsibility, as with every car in the fleet, and you'll need to be 25 to take the keys on this one.

Cabin cooling is a genuine concern in Dubai, not a footnote. It's a mid-size cabin, so there's more air to chill than in a small hatch, but the front vents pull hard and bring a baked interior down to something bearable within a few minutes of climbing back in on a 45-degree afternoon. Park in shade where you can and it barely comes up as an issue across a week.

Who should rent it, and who should size up

Rent the Seltos if you're one or two people or a small family who want crossover height and boot space for a Dubai week or month, without the running costs of a full-size SUV. Commuters, couples doing malls and airport runs, and small families with a couple of kids and their gear are the exact fit. Given how close it sits to the Creta mechanically, you're not really sacrificing anything by taking whichever one is actually available in the colour you want.

Size up if you're regularly carrying four adults with a full boot of luggage every day, where a mid-size sedan or a seven-seater rides easier. Want more shove for overtaking? The turbocharged Geely Coolray has the pace advantage over both the Seltos and the Creta. Chasing the lowest running cost above everything else, the MG ZS undercuts this segment, though you give up some of the polish to get there. For genuine dune or off-road plans, this stays a front-wheel-drive crossover, not a 4x4, so look elsewhere.

For most people cross-shopping a compact SUV in Dubai, the real choice between the Seltos and the Creta isn't about which car is better. It usually comes down to which one is sitting on the lot when you need it. We'll have the Seltos at your door within a couple of hours, and you'll need to be 25 to take the keys.