Kia Seltos vs Mazda CX-3

The Kia Seltos starts from $31,250 before on-road costs, while the Mazda CX-3 opens at $27,800. That makes the Mazda CX-3 the more affordable entry point by $3,450.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $34,375 and $30,580 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs are nearly identical since both have similar efficiency.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Kia Seltos features a 8-inch touchscreen, while the Mazda CX-3 gets a 8-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Mazda CX-3 counters with head-up display that the Kia Seltos does not offer. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

Interior trim differs: the Kia Seltos gets cloth upholstery while the Mazda CX-3 offers black cloth.

The Kia Seltos uses a Petrol producing 110kW and 180Nm of torque, sent through a automatic to a FWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.2 seconds.

The Mazda CX-3 responds with a 2.0 litre in-line 4 cylinder 16 valve DOHC S-VT petrol (Skyactiv-G) with i-stop making 110kW and 195Nm, paired to a 6-speed automatic (skyactiv-drive) driving the front wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 10.9 seconds.

Power output is identical on paper, so the difference comes down to tuning, weight distribution, and suspension. In the real-world sprint, the Kia Seltos is 1.7s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Kia Seltos measures 4,385mm long on a 2,630mm wheelbase, 110mm longer than the Mazda CX-3 at 4,275mm (2,570mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Kia Seltos generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 468L in the Kia Seltos and 264L in the Mazda CX-3, giving the Kia Seltos a 204L advantage.

For towing, the Mazda CX-3 leads with a 1,200kg braked capacity vs 1,100kg. That 100kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $1,967/year for the Kia Seltos and $1,796/year for the Mazda CX-3. That is a $171 annual difference in favour of the Mazda CX-3.

Estimated annual total: $1,967 (Kia Seltos) vs $1,796 (Mazda CX-3). The Mazda CX-3 saves you roughly $171 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 7 years / 999,999km (Kia Seltos) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Mazda CX-3). The Kia Seltos has longer coverage.