New Kia Seltos joins brand’s growing SUV line-up, and there’s not an EV in sight
While a hybrid will eventually join the range, the Kia Seltos has been revealed with old-school petrol engines
The Kia Seltos isn’t a model we’re familiar with in the UK, because the first generation wasn’t sold in Europe. However, the second-generation Seltos is coming here and it’s just been revealed in full.
Referred to as a “sub-compact SUV” by Kia, the Seltos measures 4,430mm long, 1,660mm tall and 1,830mm wide - meaning it sits between the recently facelifted Stonic and Sportage. It’s very similar in size to the Niro, although the Seltos isn’t expected to be a replacement for that car.
One reason for that is the powertrains available in the new car. While the Niro comes in hybrid or pure-electric form, the Seltos is equipped with pure-petrol and hybrid engines.
We’re yet to find out which engines and specifications will come to the UK, but the range kicks off with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol with 177bhp and 265Nm of torque - the same unit as in the Kia K4. While it’s auto-only in the K4, the Seltos has the option of a seven-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. There’s also a 190bhp version of the same engine mated to an eight-speed auto, plus a 2.0-litre petrol with 146bhp and 179Nm of torque.
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Hybrid Kia Seltos to join the range later
Like the Niro, the Seltos sits on Kia’s K3 platform. That means the hybrid unit that’ll be offered in the Seltos is likely to be the same as the Niro’s - a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and a small electric motor that combine for a total of 139bhp. In the Niro HEV, it’s paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive.
While the K3 platform caters to plug-in hybrid technology in the Niro (a 1.6-litre with an 11.1kWh battery), there’s no word on a Seltos PHEV or indeed a pure-EV model - though that space is already taken by the similarly sized EV3. Kia also says it’s not looking to launch a hot ‘GT’ version of the Seltos, as it is doing with its full line-up of EVs.
Front-wheel drive will be standard on the Seltos, but in a bid to mark it out as a more rugged, versatile and “authentic SUV”, as Kia calls it, there will be the option of four-wheel drive too. According to the company, the AWD Seltos will have a special Terrain Mode that will optimise the drivetrain for specific settings like snow, mud and sand.
The Seltos’s equipment list will be revealed at a later date, but we know certain trims will get a wide panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting and sound systems from Harman Kardon and Bose. Elsewhere, we’ll see twin 12.3-inch screens that are taken from the new K4 hatchback, along with a 5.3-inch climate control screen in between them. Certain models will also get a head-up display, plus there’s capacity for over-the-air updates and a smartphone-based digital key.
How practical is the new Kia Seltos?
Practicality should draw buyers to the Seltos. The rear legroom is only 59mm less than in the Sportage and boot space stands at 536 litres – not bad considering the Sportage has 587 litres and the Niro Hybrid’s boot capacity is 451 litres. The Seltos also has some useful touches inside including a rear bench that can recline up to 24 degrees, a column-mounted gearshift to help free-up centre console space, and Kia’s new ‘AddGear’ accessory pack that we saw on the PV5 van, adding mounting points throughout the cabin for things like tablets, phone, lights and water bottles.
The Seltos’ exterior, especially with Kia’s new ‘Star Map’ headlight signatures, clearly takes plenty of inspiration from the brand’s other models, such as the Sportage and pure-electric cars like the EV9 and EV3.
The overall surfacing is chunky and the proportions are pretty typical of an SUV, with an upright front end and high roofline. One element that the Seltos shares with the EV3 and EV5 is the ‘floating roof’ effect that’s achieved by a black section on the rear pillar. There are also flush-fitting door handles and blocky wheelarch cladding, while silver bumper detailing varies according to the two trims, the sportier GT-Line and the more rugged-looking X-Line.
Kia will launch the Seltos in the UK in the second half of 2026. Pricing is still to be confirmed, but the Seltos should rival the Volkswagen T-Roc and Toyota C-HR, so expect the Seltos to kick off around the £30,000 mark.
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