Hyundai Motor Group has been mega successful over the past decade-plus in large part because its design teams know that it’s much better to be weird, ugly or provocative than it is to be plain, nice and boring. Kia has gone totally outrageous with its latest generation of models, giving even typically basic transportation like the K5 and Sportage futuristic, forward-thinking designs. But Kia still has some older cars in its lineup that are too boring, chief among them the subcompact Seltos crossover. Introduced in 2019, the Seltos has always looked fine, but never that distinctive or interesting, and it quickly looked old compared to newer Kia SUVs.
That changes with the second-generation 2027 Seltos, which has a much more compelling exterior design that will definitely be more divisive. It also has a much nicer interior, an optional hybrid powertrain (a Seltos first), and a lot of new technology features. Kia’s ad campaign for the new Seltos centers around the idea of Seltos drivers feeling like “protagonists” in their lives. It’s pretty silly and a bit strange, but people who buy the new Seltos will at least have more interesting lives than if they bought the old one, which should be a good thing.
Larger, but not any more powerful
The 2027 Seltos adopts the newer K3 platform that underpins cars like the Kia Niro and K4 and the Hyundai Elantra and Kona, with 12% more high-strength steel used than in the old Seltos (up to 62% now). Kia says the body is more rigid, the chassis is more balanced, and it’ll be quieter inside. It’s 1.8 inches longer than the old Seltos overall, but more importantly the new Seltos’ wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer. The new one is slightly lower in height, but about an inch wider.
Carrying over from the previous generation is the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-4 used by lower-end Seltoses, making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Then there’s the turbocharged 1.6-liter four, which has 178 hp and 195 lb-ft (with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic) in standard-output form or 190 hp and 195 lb-ft (with an 8-speed auto) in high-output form. As the current Seltos has 190 hp with the normal 8-speed, I’m guessing that’s the one we’ll get in the U.S. as the global press release doesn’t specify. All-wheel drive is available across the board, which also gets you a multi-link rear suspension (instead of a torsion beam) and off-road drive modes for mud, sand and snow.
Kia
Coming later in 2026 will be the first Seltos hybrid. Kia isn’t giving any details yet, but it seems likely it will share the same powertrain as the Niro, which uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor and an 11.1-kWh battery pack for a total of 180 hp. Kia says the Seltos hybrid will have vehicle-to-load functionality and the latest version of the brand’s regenerative braking, which can automatically adjust based on traffic around you. The Niro gets more than 50 mpg, so the Seltos hybrid could rival Toyota’s Corolla Cross and RAV4 hybrids for the fuel-efficiency crown.
Winged eyeliner is still in
But like I said, the styling is the big deal here. As on the second-gen Telluride, the new Seltos’ headlights appear hidden in the corners of the large grille. Depending on the model the Seltos will have a different light signature; some have a clamp shape in the square headlight pod while others have three vertical bars, and the running lights will be either be white or amber according to trim level and market. I like the angular light bar separate from the headlight itself, a detail that reminds me of winged eyeliner on a popstar.
The greenhouse and window shapes are an evolution of the last Seltos, but with a cooler aluminum trim piece wrapping around the top edge. It has uniquely shaped wheel arch trims and crisp surfacing lines around the fenders and body sides, with lower cladding that’s complex without being too fussy. Flush door handles automatically pop out. There are three new colors, one of which is gray, but at least the others are Iceberg Green and matte Magma Red, both seen here.
More space, more style
The interior got a big glow-up as well. You get a pair of 12.3-inch screens with a climate control panel in between, plus a bunch of physical controls on the dashboard and center console for functions like temperature, fan speed, volume and infotainment shortcuts. The boomerang-ish elements at the ends of the dashboard, echoed at the front of the door panels, have ambient light strips along the contours. The Seltos has a traditional shifter instead of going with a column-mounted twist knob like on many new HMG products, but Kia says it now uses shift-by-wire, freeing up more center console space for bigger cubbies and cupholders. That longer wheelbase means there’s more second-row legroom, and more cargo space and length, plus it has a foldable dual-level cargo board. It’s also great to see a classy two-tone color combination like the beige and brown you see above.
Kia
Available on the 2027 Seltos are features like a large panoramic sunroof, second-row seats that can recline by up to 24 degrees, a head-up display, 100-watt USB-C ports, and both Harman Kardon and Bose audio systems. The infotainment system has an app store with video streaming options, an AI assistant and over-the-air software updates, and you can use Kia’s Digital Key 2 to access your Seltos via your smartphone. Also offered on the second-gen Seltos will be Kia’s latest suite of driver-assist features, including the Highway Driving Assistant 2 system, lane following assist, front and rear automated emergency braking, safe exit warning, a surround-view camera, and front, side and reverse parking sensors.
Kia says the 2027 Seltos will enter production this month, with the SUV set to launch in India first. South Korea, North America, Europe and China will follow throughout 2026. We should get U.S.-specific details within the next few months, along with information about the Seltos hybrid.
