The second-generation Kia Seltos arrives for the 2027 model year with a new platform, larger dimensions, and a hybrid powertrain joining the lineup. Global production began in December 2025, with sales rolling out across markets throughout 2026 and the model eventually reaching up to 189 countries.
The timing puts the redesign on the table as U.S. Seltos sales declined in 2025. Kia sold 56,798 Seltos units in the U.S. last year, down from 59,958 in 2024. That represents a 5.27 percent year-over-year decline for a model competing against the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, and Toyota Corolla Cross in a subcompact SUV segment where pricing separates winners from also-rans. The 2026 Seltos base LX starts at $23,790, while the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross opens at $24,635.
The new Seltos stretches to 4,430 millimeters long, 1,830 millimeters wide, and 1,600 millimeters tall on a 2,690-millimeter wheelbase. That makes it 45 millimeters longer and 30 millimeters wider than the outgoing model, with a wheelbase extended by 60 millimeters. The added length translates to 25 millimeters of additional rear legroom and cargo capacity that grows by 38 liters to 536 liters. The cabin gains a 12.3-inch dual-screen setup, column-mounted shift-by-wire controls, and optional 64-color ambient lighting.
Engine options vary by market. Korea and North America get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, a 1.6-liter turbocharged four, and the new 1.6-liter hybrid. Europe drops the base 2.0-liter and offers only the turbo and hybrid. General export markets receive configurations ranging from a 1.5-liter turbo to the 1.6-liter hybrid, depending on the production plant supplying that region.
The hybrid system debuts with an e-AWD setup available in export markets, though Kia has not confirmed whether that configuration will reach the U.S. The conventional all-wheel-drive system remains available on turbocharged models. A Smart Regenerative Braking System 3.0 adjusts brake energy recovery based on traffic flow, road gradient, and navigation data. Vehicle-to-Load functionality lets the hybrid power external devices from the cabin.
Kia built the new Seltos on its K3 platform, claiming up to 60 percent ultra-high-strength and hot-stamped steel in Korea-built variants. The structure targets a five-star North American NCAP rating for two-wheel-drive models and a Top Safety Pick designation from IIHS. The ADAS suite adds Highway Driving Assist 2 with hands-on and hands-off detection, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2 operating across 10 to 85 kilometers per hour.
The Seltos was introduced for the 2021 model year and received a major refresh for 2024. That makes this second-generation model’s arrival a relatively short product cycle by Kia’s historical rhythm. Whether the added size, hybrid option, and tech stack reverse the sales decline depends on how aggressively Kia prices the new model when U.S. trim levels and MSRPs land later this year.
If you are shopping subcompact SUVs and waiting on final U.S. Seltos pricing, you are betting Kia undercuts the segment average to move volume. That bet has worked before.
Source: Kia. Images courtesy of Kia.
