New Kia Seltos 2026 review: ticks all the right SUV boxes

Verdict

The Kia Seltos ticks all the right boxes for a family SUV: it’s got plenty of space, the tech on board is easy to get along with, ride comfort and refinement are both good and, in our testing, the hybrid system was reasonably frugal. The bold and rather beefy-looking SUV should be competitively priced against established rivals and Chinese newcomers alike as well. However, we think there will need to be a not insignificant price difference between it and the bigger, best-selling Kia Sportage so customers don’t just automatically upgrade to one of those instead.

At the time of writing Kia has nine SUVs of various sizes in its UK line-up, from the little Stonic to the gigantic EV9. Most people would assume that’s plenty, but evidently not, because later this year the all-new Kia Seltos will arrive in the UK to take on the fiercely competitive family SUV segment.

The majority of our readers will never have heard the name Seltos before, however, this is actually the second-generation model. The original was launched in 2019 and while it never came to Europe, it enjoyed big success in markets including India, South Korea and America. In fact, the Seltos was Kia’s second biggest-selling car globally last year, behind only the Sportage.

Used - available now

2023 Land Rover

Range Rover Velar

53,000 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £24,990

View Range Rover Velar

2023 Land Rover

Range Rover Velar

44,100 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £23,990

View Range Rover Velar

2023 Jaguar

I-PACE

20,200 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £19,990

View I-PACE

2023 Jaguar

I-PACE

72,900 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £14,490

View I-PACE

The new Seltos is not a replacement for the Sportage, which is not surprising given it’s one of the most popular cars in the UK, and is slightly larger, making it a tad more practical and more spacious. The hope is the two mid-sized SUVs will be able to live side-by-side in relative harmony, not cannibalising sales of each other too much. 

If there are going to be any casualties as a result of the Seltos’s arrival, they’re most likely to be the XCeed and/or Niro. Facelifted versions of both models have been unveiled, but neither has been confirmed for the UK yet and they’re both incredibly similar in size to their chunkier, fresh-faced new sibling. With them gone, customers for an SUV of this size would have a much simpler choice for the Seltos if they want a hybrid, or the EV3 if they want to go electric.

Regardless, key rivals for the Seltos will be top-sellers such as the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR, Volkswagen T-Roc and Hyundai Kona, plus newcomers from China like the hugely popular Jaecoo 7. So it’s set for a challenge and to find out the scale of the task, we took a trip out east to Kia’s homeland of South Korea.

20

With its boxy shape, tall floating roofline and bluff front end, the Seltos shares more than a few styling cues with Kia’s other SUVs, particularly the EV5 and EV9. Yet it still feels fresh and with an identity of its own, because the chunky bumpers with their fake skid plates and angular wheelarches give it a more rugged look. In fact, if you added a seven-slot grille, we think this handsome Kia could pass as the next-generation Jeep Renegade we’ve been waiting for.  

Kia’s distinctive ‘Star Map’ lighting signature has been carried over, of course, but one unique detail is the main headlight units that are cleverly and discreetly incorporated into the grille. Meanwhile, wheel sizes range from 16 to 19 inches.  

The slightly tough looks are complemented by an interior that focuses more on functionality and durability, instead of plushness. So there are big physical buttons galore on the dashboard, steering wheel and centre console, plus a row of large toggles switches for the climate controls.

Every Seltos will come with the same three-screen set-up as the EV3 and other Kias, which includes a 12.3-inch instrument panel, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a separate five-inch display just for more climate controls sandwiched in between. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will come as standard, too.

The main screens are sharp and all of their graphics and icons are nice and big, and overall the infotainment system is slick and easy to use. That said, the small middle screen is a bit pointless, partly because it’s easily blocked by the steering wheel. There are also a lot of menus in the display, so it can take some time to learn where the settings for all the car’s functions are, such as the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which is why we’re grateful for those large shortcut buttons on the dashboard. 

There’s really no avoiding the fact almost every interior surface is made from hard plastic. Thankfully, however, it’s not that cheap-feeling black scratchy material you might be thinking off. Kia has made an effort to use different finishes for the various surfaces, and there are some nice details, such as the metal-effect accents and ambient lighting in the doors. So the cabin certainly doesn’t look dull, plus it feels solid and like it’ll be able to withstand whatever family life throws at it.

There’s plenty of space in the back seats for six-foot tall adults to get comfortable, or if you’ve got young kids, there are two sets of Isofix mounting points for child seats. Meanwhile, the 536-litre boot is bigger than any version of the Qashqai, Niro or Kona, but as we mentioned, the bigger Sportage can lug even more stuff around. The Seltos does have a decent amount of underfloor storage to offer as well, plus mounts for Kia’s new range of ‘AddGear’ accessories.

20

In the UK, the Seltos will be available exclusively with a full-hybrid powertrain. This pairs a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission with one electric motor in the standard front-wheel drive version, or two if you opt for four-wheel drive, which are fed by a 1.49kWh battery.

The base front-drive model we drove delivers just 150bhp and 144Nm of torque, which is not a lot for a family SUV and results in a 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds. The ‘e-AWD’ version produces 175bhp and has a slightly brisker sub-10-second 0-62mph time, plus extra traction in slippery conditions.

The shortage of power is probably the Seltos’s biggest flaw. With the e-motors only delivering about 25bhp they can provide the initial shove to get you off the line smoothly, but quickly have to hand over the reins to the four-cylinder petrol engine, which you have to work rather hard to get up to motorway speeds. It’s not the most pleasant-sounding thing because it's revving to around 5,000rpm, trying to give you all it's got.

And that’s what we experienced with two adults and a couple of small bags onboard. Load up the Seltos for a family weekend away and it’s going to be even more stressed. But at least the noise is fairly muted and not as much of a racket as some other SUVs emit.

Plus the transition back and forth between the two power sources is virtually seamless. The gearbox is pretty good, delivering smooth and slick shifts, although it does have a tendency to hold onto gears for longer than we’d like after you ease up on the throttle. We found it was best to take your foot off the pedal entirely after getting up to your desired speed, because this causes the engine to shut off and get the car running in EV mode. 

We were very impressed by how often we’d glance at the driver’s display to see the car was driving around with the engine in hibernation, which would explain how we managed to average nearly 50mpg on a route that involved a lot of time cruising on the motorway. However, we should note Kia hasn’t told us how efficient this hybrid system is meant to be.

The Seltos features the latest iteration of Kia’s smart regeneration system, which automatically adjusts based on traffic flow, sat-nav data and the road ahead. Alternatively there are paddles behind the steering wheel that the driver can use to choose between four strength levels on the fly, or turn off regenerative braking to allow the car to coast along, if they prefer.

20

Otherwise there’s a nice weight to all the controls in the Seltos, including the steering that’s still light enough that quick manoeuvres in tight car parks won’t feel like hard work. Visibility is good all-round too, helped by the lofty driving position, while the big square bonnet stretches out in front of the driver.

The suspension did a good job absorbing the impacts from the potholes and cracks we encountered on the road from Seoul to Gwangju, and the car settled down well on a motorway. A bit of road noise made its way into the cabin at higher speeds, but we couldn’t detect any wind noise, which is impressive for such a boxy SUV. This isn’t a fun car to drive on a twisty country road, however, it’s composed enough and can handle being chucked into a corner or two, should you wish.

It will be interesting to try the Seltos and Sportage back-to-back when the newcomer comes to the UK later this year, to see how much of a difference there is, if any, from behind the wheel. 

The Kia Seltos is due to go on sale in the UK in October, so pricing and specifications haven’t been finalised just yet, but we’re expecting it to start from somewhere in between £30,000 and £32,000.

Hopefully, Kia manages to get the starting price down to around £30k, because that would put the Seltos very close to the equivalent full-hybrid version of the Jaecoo 7. Plus, perhaps more importantly, it would make it a few thousand pounds less expensive than the equivalent Qashqai and Sportage hybrids. 

If not, and the Seltos starts from closer to £32k, that will make it a more difficult sell. Especially as we reckon most people would just opt for the slightly more expensive Sportage, especially if they’re getting their car on a finance or lease deal.

There’s only likely to be two specifications for customers to choose from: a base model, and either a more rugged-looking X-Line like the one we drove, or a more athletic-looking GT-Line. 

Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.