Adventurous South Africans love taking the road less travelled, and, traditionally, we like doing that in a brawny off-roader. Yet, earlier this year, we set off on an adventure like no other in a car that wouldn’t usually be considered capable enough to take on some of the toughest roads in the country.
Launched to critical acclaim in 2020, the B-segment Kia Seltos crossover ticks all the boxes for those who want comfort and space from their daily runner, but also great looks and fuel efficiency, and demand value for money. Given that we also regularly venture outside the city, a car with decent ride height to tackle the odd off-road excursion, is a definite advantage.
To discover if the Kia Seltos could stand up to the rigours of the Karoo, we spent three days on the ultimate roundtrip adventure from Cape Town to Sutherland and back, taking in some of this region’s most inhospitable landscapes.
DAY ONE: CAPE TOWN TO BARRYDALE
Arriving midday in Cape Town, a nine-strong team of journalists, a photographer, and a Kia South Africa representative left Cape Town International Airport in convoy, under the guidance of acclaimed journalist and event organiser Danie Botha. Our (clean for the time being) steed for the trip – an Intense Red Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX automatic – gleamed in the Cape Town sun as we headed east on the N2 towards Swellendam, eventually leaving the safety of the highway for the R324 towards the town of Suurbraak.
Although the EX-grade is the entry point to the Seltos turbodiesel range, it sports a high level of standard specification that includes various comfort and convenience features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – accessible from a sizeable centre-mounted touchscreen. It is also equipped with an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, daytime running lamps, automatic headlamps, and front fog lamps, along with park distance control in the rear and a rear-view camera. On the safety front, there are Isofix seat mounts, six airbags, anti-lock brakes, and brake assist.
Still heading towards our first night’s stopover in Barrydale, we followed the steady rise of the Tradouw Pass, where we stopped to admire the spectacular view before joining the R62 between Montagu and Oudtshoorn on route to Barrydale.
It was already late afternoon when we arrived in the picturesque town. Our first order of business was to pop in at Diesel & Crème roadside diner for a well-deserved double thick milkshake – a must-do treat in this neck of the woods. Our overnight stop was at the spectacular Karoo Art Hotel, which was lovingly restored by Rick and Sue Melvill, who also own the Melvill & Moon adventure gear brand.
DAY TWO: BARRYDALE TO SUTHERLAND
As a destination, Barrydale boasts several attractions, including privately-owned distilleries and numerous exciting excursions. Fuelled by some of the local fare the night before, we agreed to brave the icy waters of the Tradouw River for a pre-breakfast swim before pointing the convoy in the direction of Ronnies Sex Shop, Seweweekspoort Pass, and our lunch stop at the Bosch Luys Kloof Private Nature Reserve.
Designed by renowned engineer Thomas Baines in the 19th century, Seweweekspoort Pass gave us our first opportunity to put the Seltos to the test on a gravel road. The pass cuts through the Towerkop Nature Reserve, delivering breathtaking views and tricky driving surfaces in equal measure. Despite not having stability control (it is only available on EX+ grades), our Seltos stayed neatly in step over the pass, handling the loose gravel and rocks effortlessly and without rattles. Later in the day, our little adventurer’s surefootedness was tested again down the Bosch Luys Kloof Pass, where its 190 mm ground clearance came in handy as we descended the remote pass towards our lunch stop.
As nimble as the Seltos proved on gravel, so its responsiveness and cornering ability came into focus again once we were back on tar heading towards Laingsburg and Sutherland. Ride quality and pliant suspension are typically Kia, and power delivery (to the front wheels via a smooth-shifting six-speed auto transmission) from the Seltos’ 86 kW 1.5-litre turbodiesel is surprisingly energetic. Also, with 250 Nm of torque peaking as low as 1,500 rpm, there is no shortage of grunt for brisk overtaking.
One of the highlights of the 800-km road trip was visiting the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) station near our second overnight destination.
Positioned at 1,800 m above sea level, SALT is funded as a collaborative project between several nations, including South Africa, India, Poland, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, and has been in operation since 2011. After an insightful tour of the facility, the last part of the day’s journey took us to the Rogge Cloof Guest Farm outside of Sutherland.
Evenings in Sutherland (officially the coldest town in the country) are generally quite cool, and while our visit was technically still during autumn, we had to use the Seltos’ manual climate control system to keep the cabin toasty during our early evening drive.
DAY THREE: SUTHERLAND TO CAPE TOWN
The final leg of our journey through the Tankwa Karoo was, perhaps, the most arduous of the entire trip. Concerns that the region’s recent abundant rainfall would play havoc with the gravel roads ahead of us were soon put to rest as we tackled the last stretch of dirt towards the Tankwa Padstal and beyond.
Although not in great shape – with loose gravel, sharp rocks, and several nasty-looking ditches along the way – the R356 proved no match for the convoy of Kia’s, and despite losing a tyre to one of the abovementioned rocks, the Seltos was unstoppable even in this treacherous part of the country.
From a fuel-efficiency point of view, three days of driving saw us averaging 6.1 l/100 km for the entire journey, even recording lows of 5.6 l/100 km when negotiating the slower gravel sections. Not heavy at all, when you consider that, officially, the Seltos could average 5.7 l/100 km, ensuring one will at least see 850 km of range under general driving conditions.
LAST WORD
It may not be a husky 4×4 with proven off-road credentials, but after spending three days exposing the Seltos to roads that are as far outside of its urban comfort zone as we could find, we can confidently say that on price, convenience, and spec, the Seltos is an attractive crossover option that is robust enough for almost any family road trip.
Report by BERNIE HELLBERG JR | Images © KIA SOUTH AFRICA