CHARLEVOIX, Michigan — Boeing sells a 747 jumbo jet and a little 717. Cheesecake Factory’s menu offers a Double Smash Cheeseburger and Cheeseburger Bites. Austin Powers has Mini Me.

Kia Telluride has the Kia Seltos.

Following the runaway success of the three-row Telluride, the Korean automaker has produced a wee doppelganger for the 2027 model year. They are bookends in the market, the subcompact, $26k Seltos the gateway to the five-model Kia SUV lineup topped by the $41k Telluride. Start with a Seltos, move up to a Telluride.

Or, if you don’t need three rows of seats and 84 more horsepower, then Telluride Jr. will be just fine, thank you very much, while saving you thousands of dollars at purchase and hundreds in fuel. Check out the Seltos X-line SX I effortlessly round-tripped from Detroit to Charlevoix in August.

Honey, I shrunk the Telluride.

Peering out over the Terrain Brown hood of my loaded, $37k Seltos tester, it looked a lot like the hood of the Terrain Brown Matte-colored, $60k Telluride X-Pro SX-Prestige I took to the Detroit Grand Prix earlier this summer. Similar Mad Max grille, black trim, shard-like wheels, chiseled fenders.

Walk up to my X-line and the door handles popped out to greet me. Just like Telluride.

The steering wheel in my hands was square to better frame the 12.3-inch instrument display in front of me. Just like Telluride.

The instrument display is paired with a 12.3-inch infotainment display and 5-inch climate control panel and housed in a hoodless 30-inch screen that is both stylish and practical. Its high dash placement kept my eyes on the road. Just like Telluride.

My Android phone paired instantly with the car — wireless Android Auto taking over the dash display and charting my course to Charlevoix. I placed the phone on a wireless charging pad to juice up while navigating. Just like Telluride.

In the backseat, legroom was plentiful even for six-foot family members. USB-C charge ports were cleverly located on the side of the front seats for use by the rear/or front row passengers. Just like Telluride.

Steering wheel ergonomics? Excellent. I thumbed the rocker panel on the left spoke to set my speed at 78 mph on I-75, then thumbed the studded roller on the right spoke to control infotainment volume. All without taking my eyes off the road.

Just like Telluride.

Seltos is an affordable subcompact SUV that leans into the premium experience that Kia has established with the halo Telluride SUV and Stinger performance hatchback.

Its distinctive personality stands out in a competitive segment loaded with personality.

Kissing Korean cousin Hyundai Kona, for example, offers similar electronic and interior amenities wrapped in a futuristic shell. Check out that sci-fi, mono-brow LED running light across the fascia.

Budget shoppers may gravitate to the terrific, no frills, roomy Chevy Trax LT, which leads the way in affordability at $24,995. Michigan buyers, note all-wheel-drive is not an option.

Consumers willing to trade room for vroom will enjoy the sporty Mazda CX-30, which comes standard with AWD, 187 horsepower, blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control and wide grins thanks to its corner-carving capabilities. All for just $27,970.

Kia buyers looking to match those specs in the Seltos will have to step (way) up to the $34,285 X-Line SX with all-wheel-drive, BLIS, ACC and 190 horses from the optional 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder. Add all the fixings like moonroof, leather and heated seats, and my tester crested at $37,250.

That’s quite a premium, but the Seltos X-Line SX makes its case against competitors with its big, boxy SUV proportions that are all the rage. The result? Roomy rear seat (39 inches of legroom vs. 36 in the Mazda), best-in-class cargo space (28 cubic feet compared to 20 for the Mazda) and two more inches of front headroom thanks to those boxy proportions.

Option the base, 147-horsepower 4-cylinder in the Seltos and it’s price-competitive with the mainstream pack, including Volkswagen Taos, Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V, Nissan Kicks and Jeep Compass.

Speaking of the latter, the rugged-looking Seltos does not follow big brother Telluride with an off-road X-Pro model to compete against Jeep’s Trailhawk dirt-kicker. No all-terrain tires or chassis lift to take on hard Michigan winters (and off-road diversions).

The Kia, however, does go the hybrid route consistent with its premium ambitions. When it goes on sale later this year, expect a 10-mpg bump over my 30 mpg turbo-4 as the hybrid trades turbo power for battery-assisted fuel-sipping.

After cruising I-75 to Gaylord, Michigan, I transitioned to twisted, two-lane M-32 headed for the Lake Michigan coast. The Mazda CX-30 is a blast through here channeling its Miata sportscar sibling.

True to its Telluride DNA, Seltos wasn’t interested in carving corners. This is a proper, upright, SUV for carrying lots of stuff. And your friends.

Mrs. Payne and I picked up some pickleball pals for a match. By coincidence, their daughter owns a Telluride and were curious to try out Mini-me. We all fit easily with our gear in the roomy cabin.

Indeed, at $37k, my loaded Seltos might be all a small family needs without upgrading to a Telluride that starts at $40k. Between them, the Korean brand offers a compact Sportage model too. Kia has lots of options.

Including the, ahem, terrific K4 Hatchback that I recently reviewed.

Outfitted with the same 190-horse engine option as Seltos (though lacking AWD), the front-wheel-drive K4 Hatchback shares interior features and cargo space. All wrapped in a more elegant wardrobe that’s four grand less than Seltos.

Where my Seltos X-Line looks like Batman nemesis Bane intent on head-butting everything in its path, K4 brings Cadillac-like styling to the compact car class. As readers of this column know, I’m a hatchback junkie.

It’s easy to see why customers are becoming Kia junkies. From Seltos to K4 to Telluride, dealer showrooms are stuffed with distinctive model choices built on a familiar foundation of standard features and cutting-edge style.

Call it Mini-me, but Telluride Jr. is livin’ large in the subcompact SUV segment.

2027 Kia Seltos

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front and all-wheel-drive five-passenger subcompact SUV

Price: $26,485 including $1,495 destination fee ($37,250 X-Line SX as tested)

Powerplant: 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder; 1.6-liter turbo-4 cylinder

Power: 147 horsepower, 132 pound-feet of torque (2.0L); 190 horsepower, 195 pound-feet of torque (turbo)

Transmission: Continuously variable transmission (2.0L); eight-speed automatic (turbo)

Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.2 seconds (Car and Driver, turbo); top speed, 132 mph

Weight: 3,549 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA, 26 mpg city/30 highway/28 combined (2.0L); EPA, 24 mpg city/30 highway/26 combined (turbo); range, 396 miles

Report card

Highs: Upscale, subcompact SUV; excellent room, ergonomics

Lows: Gets pricey; polarizing face

Overall: 4 stars

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