The Kia Seltos will enter its second generation in 2026, when the petrol-powered small SUV will bring an EV-inspired design makeover and the option of hybrid powertrains for the first time.
According to the Korean Car Blog, Kia has confirmed it’ll launch the next Seltos in January 2026, making the orginal model almost seven years old by the time its successor comes out.
Previous images of a camouflaged example of the upcoming Kia Seltos have shown its boxier and more squared-off front and rear designs, which echo those of the EV5 mid-sized electric SUV and bring it more in line with the new K4 small car (Cerato replacement) and Sportage medium SUV.
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Via Shorts Car
Videos uploaded to social media and YouTube by South Korean spy photographer Shorts Car showed the upcoming Kia Seltos will retain design elements of the current model such as its integrated roof rails, however, there will also be wider wheel-arch mouldings.
Multiple South Korean media outlets have reported the new Seltos will offer a choice of petrol and hybrid powertrains.
The Seltos Hybrid is expected to feature the same powertrain as the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, but also the option of an electronic all-wheel drive (E-AWD) system.
The front-wheel drive-only Kona Hybrid combines a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with a 32kW/172Nm electric motor, a 1.32kWh battery pack, and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Total system outputs are 104kW and 265Nm.
Kia already has a similarly sized hybrid SUV in the Niro, which also offers the option of an electric powertrain.
That sees the Niro overlap with the electric EV3, which is due on sale here in 2025, but Kia has said it sees room for both the electric Niro and the EV3.
Much as the EV3 appears to cannibalise the Niro EV, the first Seltos Hybrid could steal sales from the Niro HEV.
The Seltos is currently one of Kia’s most popular models in Australia, with 7777 examples sold last year – putting it behind only the Sportage, Cerato (now K4), Carnival people mover and Sorento large SUV.
Kia’s hybrid model lineup is relatively lacking though, limited to the Sportage, Niro, Sorento and Carnival, which combined for 5682 sales last year – ranking the Korean brand sixth out of 11 carmakers in the hybrid vehicle market.
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