2026 Kia Seltos S: Lakewood Buyers Guide

The screen upgrade that actually matters

A lot of trim-ladder upgrades are marginal — nicer stitching, a slightly different wheel design. The LX-to-S jump isn't one of those. Swapping the 8-inch display for a 10.25-inch navigation touchscreen with Kia Connect changes how the car feels to use every single day: built-in maps mean you're not tethered to a phone for directions, voice recognition handles hands-free requests, and the larger real estate makes wireless CarPlay and Android Auto easier to read at a glance on the Parkway. Add in standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts — genuinely useful in the tight parking rows outside the Lakewood outlet stores — and the S starts to look like the trim a lot of buyers should have started their search at, rather than the LX.

Same engine, same drivetrain choice

Nothing changes under the hood versus the LX: 147 horsepower from the 2.0-liter, routed through a CVT, with front-wheel drive as the mileage-focused default at an EPA-estimated 28 city / 34 highway or all-wheel drive at about 27/31 for winter traction. The $1,500 jump from FWD to AWD on the S buys the same peace of mind it does on every other trim that offers the choice — worthwhile if your daily loop includes an unplowed street in Brick or Howell, skippable if you mostly stick to cleared main roads.

Buyers who choose the S

This trim draws repeat Kia owners who know exactly what they want the second time around — people who don't need to be sold on the brand, just walked through the paperwork efficiently. A second-time Seltos buyer put it plainly: "This is our second Seltos from [DiFeo Kia]. Our sales person Simon Zino... goes over and beyond to be sure everything goes smoothly. It was a pleasure doing business with you." — Aprile K. Another, leasing rather than buying outright: "This is my second time getting a lease through Difeo Kia, Vito was a pleasure to work with... He was able to listen to my needs and was patient with any questions I had, made things super easy and clear. I'm so happy with my 2025 Kia seltos!" — Briana C.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026 Kia Seltos S?

$25,490 MSRP for front-wheel drive, $26,990 for all-wheel drive, before the $1,495 destination charge and New Jersey's tax and fees. Compare that to the LX's $23,790 starting point, and the S adds roughly $1,700 for the bigger touchscreen and standard blind-spot alerts.

Does the Seltos S have navigation built in?

Yes — the S is the first Seltos trim with built-in navigation on its 10.25-inch touchscreen, running through Kia Connect with voice recognition. The LX relies on wireless CarPlay or Android Auto for maps instead.

Is remote start available on the S?

Push-button and key-fob remote start is available on the S, useful on a January morning when nobody wants to sit in a cold cabin waiting for the defrost to catch up.

Is the S worth the extra money over the LX?

For most buyers, yes — the built-in navigation and standard blind-spot monitoring are features people notice on every single drive, not once-in-a-while extras. If your budget is genuinely tight, the LX still covers the fundamentals well; if you can stretch roughly $1,700, the S is where most cross-shoppers land.

The bottom line on the S

The Seltos S is the trim that answers "what do I actually get for a little more money" with a real, everyday-noticeable upgrade instead of a marketing checkbox. See current S inventory at DiFeo Kia, or schedule a test drive to compare it side-by-side with the LX.