Kia Spruces Up One of Its Most Affordable and Compelling SUVs to One-Up Japan’s Top Dogs

The next-gen Seltos looks to seriously up Kia’s game in the subcompact CUV segment.

Close-up of a light blue SUV's front with black side mirror and LED headlight, partially obscured by a blurred gray vehicle.

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Published December 10, 2025

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Updated December 12, 2025

It’s been almost seven years since Kia gave us its hugely compelling Seltos subcompact crossover SUV. And now, the Korean automaker is looking to keep its success story rolling.

Kia just pulled the wraps off its all-new second-generation model at a global debut event on its home turf in Korea. It arrives with fresh new styling inspired by its larger and fancier sibling.

Moreover, the new Seltos incorporates a long list of technological and feature updates, all to refresh the model’s value-packed formula as part of a new chapter.

Evolutionary rather than revolutionary

Three modern SUVs in gray and light blue colors parked on a large tiled surface with hills in the background. — The second-generation Seltos arrives with more sophisticated styling, both inside and out.

Because of the Seltos’ runaway success, its product engineers and designers decided to keep things evolutionary, rather than reinventing the wheel. Why fix what isn’t broken?

As expected, the Seltos retains its squarish and upright two-box shape. But it retains the original car’s more proportionally balanced appearance to remain distinct from its more road and urban-biased Soul crossover.

Light green compact SUV with black roof, angular rear LED lights, and black geometric wheels parked on a concrete driveway. — Many design elements were taken from the flagship EV9 EV SUV.

Similar to other Kia models, the Seltos incorporates the automaker’s latest signature styling cues. Such includes the vertical day-time running lights up front and similarly shaped brake lights at the rear.

It’s then complemented by a wraparound lightbar, similar to the one we’ve seen on the likes of the K4 and K5 sedans. The most recent Sorento and even the Telluride also utilizes similarly distinctive lighting designs.

Side view of a light green compact SUV with black trim and black wheels parked on a driveway in front of a modern house. — Some of the most distinctive features include the unique wheel designs and the floating roof.

The Seltos also takes inspiration from its electrified siblings, such as the EV6 and EV9. Such details can be seen with its canted multi-spoke wheels, angular lower fascia appointments on the exterior, and the Seltos’ new “floating roof” appearance.

More tech, practicality and style than ever before

Value and upscale vibes have always been one of the Seltos’ strongest suits. And the latest model cranks it up a few notches.

Light green Kia SUV with black grille and orange-accented headlights parked on a driveway. — Like the new Telluride and Sorento, the Seltos incorporates Kia’s latest signature front-end design.

In addition to its bolder, yet cleaner appearances inside and out, the Seltos also benefits from Kia’s latest tech for easier functionality and a cleaner look.

There’s not one, but two 12.3-inch high-definition color displays— one for the driver and another for the center console. The latter is to control the radio, HVAC and other onboard functions.

Car interior with beige and brown dashboard, digital instrument cluster, touchscreen display, and brown quilted seats. — Gone are the previous model’s analog gauges in favor of two 12.3-inch high-definition color screens.

The Seltos also benefits from a few tweaks in the size department. While its boxy shape helps contribute to its tougher appearance, it also allows for class-leading cargo room and interior configurability.

Gas engines first, a hybrid comes later

Rear view of a matte red Kia Seltos SUV parked on a tiled patio with mountains in the background. — In short, the new Seltos looks like an EV9 mini-me.

At launch, Kia will offer the Seltos with three engine choices globally. The base option remains a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated inline-four with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

Other choices include a 1.6-liter gasoline turbocharged inline-four in two forms, with one punching out 177 hp and 195 lb-ft and another version producing 190 hp with the same amount of torque.

Matte red Kia SUV with black roof and grille parked on a tiled driveway with mountains in the background. — The Seltos will be available with a variety of gas engines with a hybrid model in the pipeline.

Like the outgoing model here in America, the Seltos will likely feature a reduced selection. We currently only get the 2.0-liter as the base engine with a CVT with the option for the 1.6-liter turbo in 190 hp form and a conventional eight-speed auto.

Kia did say that a new hybrid version is in the pipeline. But the company didn’t go into further detail, except to say that it will arrive sometime later in 2026.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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