For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Seltos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.
With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Seltos, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
|
Tucson Hybrid |
Seltos |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Crossing Child - DAY |
|
12 MPH |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
25 MPH |
AVOIDED |
-20 MPH |
|
Crossing Adult - NIGHT |
|
12 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
-1 MPH |
12 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
25 MPH Brights |
-23 MPH |
-13 MPH |
25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
-3 MPH |
|
Parallel Adult - NIGHT |
|
25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
37 MPH Brights |
-36 MPH |
-21 MPH |
Warning Issued-Brights |
1.9 sec |
1.4 sec |
37 MPH Low beams |
-35 MPH |
-5 MPH |
Warning Issued-Low beams |
1.6 sec |
.3 sec |
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid achieved a higher rating for its forward collision warning and automatic braking systems than the Kia Seltos which was rated “Poor” in these critical safety features.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Tucson Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Seltos.
The Tucson Hybrid Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Seltos only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.
The Tucson Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers a blind spot warning system.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.
Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Seltos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid weighs 407 to 982 pounds more than the Kia Seltos. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is safer than the Kia Seltos:
|
Tucson Hybrid |
Seltos |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Tucson Hybrid is safer than the Seltos:
|
Tucson Hybrid |
Seltos |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Forces L/R |
45/90 pounds |
495/270 pounds |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Thigh Forces L/R |
45/90 pounds |
495/270 pounds |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is much safer than the Seltos:
|
Tucson Hybrid |
Seltos |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Structure |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
121 |
234 |
Neck Tension |
223 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-45 lbs. |
67 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.1 in |
1.42 in |
Shoulder Force |
223 lbs. |
290 lbs. |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
POOR |
Pelvis Force |
759 lbs. |
1383 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
116 |
258 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
112 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-134 lbs. |
201 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.1 in |
2.17 in |
Shoulder Force |
245 lbs. |
335 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.38 in |
2.01 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
14 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
669 lbs. |
759 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Seltos is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.