• Seltos debuts first-ever US hybrid option for MY27 as part of total makeover.
  • Three powertrains are now offered, including low-tech 2.0 and faster 1.6 turbo.
  • Longer, wider, Telluride-inspired SUV has new AWD mode and ADAS features.

Kia has unveiled the all-new 2027 Seltos at the New York Auto Show, and this time it brings something genuinely new for American buyers. For the first time ever, the Seltos will be offered with a hybrid powertrain in the US.

That’s a pretty big deal for a model that’s never had electrified options stateside before. It signals a shift in how Kia sees its smallest SUV, turning it from a simple entry-level choice into something far more versatile and forward-thinking.

Also: Kia’s Cheapest Electric SUV Drops A Seat To Hit Its Price

You could say the same about the body of this second-generation Seltos, which clearly takes design cues from its Telluride big brother. The flatter hood, squared-off nose, and a grille that looks like the mouth of some carpet critter blown up on an electron microscope, give the front end a ton more gravitas, and it works surprisingly well with a rear end that shares much with the EV3 baby electric SUV that also makes its US debut at NYIAS.

Room To Stretch Out

Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before

Compared with the outgoing Seltos, the new one is 2.4 inches (60 mm) longer in wheelbase, at 105.9 inches (2,690 mm). The US division hasn’t revealed any other dimensions, but we know from other markets that it’s also 1.2 inches (40 mm) wider, so it’s no wonder Kia says passengers and their luggage will notice the upgrade. Even the floorpan gets more breathing room, ground clearance having been boosted to 8.1 inches (206 mm) in the loftiest trim.

The new hybrid is built around a turbocharged 1.6-liter powertrain that’s front-wheel drive via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission by default, but can be optioned with e-AWD. Full details, including power figures and range numbers, won’t be revealed until closer to the hybrid’s late Q4 on-sale date, though it should offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.

But buyers still wanting to keep things simple and the price down – the current Seltos starts at just $23,790 – will still be able to skip the hybrid stuff and pick up an entry-level 2.0-liter Seltos equipped with front-wheel drive and a CVT.

Or they can jump to the punchier 1.6-liter turbocharged version that sends an expected 190 hp (193 PS) to a standard all-wheel drive system with new selectable drive modes via an eight-speed auto. Forgoing the hybrid powertrain also means you can get into a new Seltos much earlier, the non-electrified versions landing in US dealers later this spring.

30 Inches Of Screen

Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before

Inside, Kia has pushed the tech angle hard. A nearly 30-inch combined digital display dominates the dash, provided you shell out for the option, backed by a new infotainment system with over-the-air updates. Streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix are available, along with themed displays for NBA teams and Disney brands, and you get over-the-air update functionality and all the ADAS systems that IIHS safety geeks love to crow about.

And in keeping with the new upscale theme, buyers can enjoy features typically seen on bigger cars, like a panoramic roof and surround-view camera. They’re not standard, and neither is the EV9-like stalk column shifter. That’s restricted to the hybrid.

X-Line For Faux Adventures

Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before

Stick with the basic turbo-free 2.0, and you get the choice of LX, S, EX, and rugged X-Line trim, that last one netting you an upgrade to black 19-inch wheels, bespoke bumpers and sills, plus black and gunmetal trim. The turbo’d 1.6 is only available as an X-Line, and like the HEV X-Line, it gets a further bump to 20-inch wheels. Other X-Line benefits include Telluride-inspired mesh headrests and standard four-way lumbar support, while the X-Line Prestige Package adds a front driver Relaxation Seat.

It looks like a compelling package, the kind of offering that won’t just appeal to existing Seltos owners, but drivers who’ve previously dismissed the little SUV out of hand for being too small, cheap, or just not desirable enough. In fact, we can imagine more than a few drivers in Europe, where the Seltos isn’t available, wishing their Kia dealer could get them one. The big question for Kia fans in the US might be whether to go for one of these or the new EV3. Which would you pick?

Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before
Kia Gives The 2027 Seltos Something It’s Never Had In The US Before

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