- New Seltos arrives in Europe as a more stylish alternative to Sportage.
- UK buyers get front- and all-wheel drive hybrids, Europe adds 1.6 T.
- Design is heavily influenced by the look of Kia’s electric EV3 and EV5.
The Seltos has already proven itself globally as one of Kia’s biggest hits, becoming the brand’s second best seller worldwide, but so far it’s been off limits to British and European buyers. That changes this year as Kia launches the second-generation Seltos on the market with a mission to knock out the region’s best-selling SUV, the VW T-Roc.
Kia says the Seltos acts as a combustion and hybrid alternative to the EV3, which along with the bigger EV5 lends some key design ideas. And theoretically it sits below the Sportage in Kia’s lineup, though its 2.69 m (105.9 inches) wheelbase is actually 10 mm (0.4 inches) longer than the wheelbase of both the EV3 and Sportage.
Related: Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
That suggests to us that the next Sportage could grow in size (America’s Sportage is already longer), though that still leaves the Niro, which has a shorter wheelbase than the Seltos but is a similar 4.4 m (174 inches) in length. Kia must know what it’s doing but it all looks pretty confusing to us.
Two Hybrids, No PHEVS
The powertrain lineup, thankfully, is easier to get your head around, especially in the UK which goes hybrid-only. The hybrid’s electrified and turbocharged 1.6 comes either in front-wheel drive form with 152 hp (154 PS) or in eAWD with an additional electric motor on the rear axle and 176 hp (178 PS). Both come with a dual-clutch transmission and neither can be plugged in to charge.
Interestingly, those hybrid power figures also give us a hint about what to expect in the US. Kia has already confirmed a hybrid Seltos for America, but hasn’t revealed outputs yet. Buyers in mainland Europe, meanwhile, also get a Seltos hybrid, but alongside a non-hybrid 1.6 pushing out 178 hp (180 PS) and available with a choice of manual or DCT.
Although you can’t plug the Seltos in to charge it, you can use it to charge other devices. As well as being the first European Kia to get an e AWD system, it’s the first of the automaker’s hybrids to offer vehicle to load functionality, letting you power external devices straight from the car.
Inside offers few surprises if you’ve seen the cabins of Kia’s electric cars. Dual 12.3-inch displays sandwich a 5.3-inch climate screen, with sportier-looking GT versions adding extra equipment. And for buyers who’d rather emphasize the Seltos’s SUV character, there’s a rugged X-Line trim.
The Seltos arrives in the UK in Q4 2026, shortly after Europe gets its first delivery of ICE models.
