First Look: 2027 Kia Seltos Grows Larger, Adds a First-Ever Hybrid

Since its rolled into the U.S. market in 2021, the Kia Seltos has become the Korean carmaker’s best-selling model line. But Kia has even bigger ambitions for the subcompact crossover. Making its debut at the NY Auto Show, the 2027 Kia Seltos grows larger, add more features and a first-time hybrid option. Headlight.News takes a first look at the next-generation SUV.

In its earliest days, Kia was known for small, bargain-basement products. And the first-generation Seltos didn’t stray far from that formula, though the subcompact crossover did offer a more appealing design and a reasonable assortment of features. But Kia has made some big changes to its line-up since 2019, and the second-generation Seltos is a case in point.

For 2027, Kia Seltos not grows larger but adds a variety of safety and creature comfort features. It also becomes the latest in the automaker’s growing line-up of models available with a fuel-saving hybrid option. And despite a decision to move Seltos out of the bargain basement in terms of its appeal, the automaker’s CEO promised it will remain “priced to be competitive.”

That said, the new Seltos will be offered with a number of standard features one would expect on a more expensive offering, such as its 12.3-inch touchscreen. It will also offer options like Multi-Mode AWD, and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist with Junction Turning, Kia noted, found on the brand’s flagship Telluride model.

What’s new

Seltos first rolled out in Kia’s home South Korean market in 2019, then expanding to other markets – the U.S. getting the little CUV in time for the 2021 model year.

The second-generation crossover grows larger in key dimensions: total length coming in at 174.4 inches, up from 172.6 inches in the gen-1 package. The new model will be 72 inches wide, up from 70.9 inches, while its wheelbase grows to 105.9 inches, up from 103.5 inches. Cargo space now goes as high as 27.9 cubic feet, with the rear seats folded down. Another plus: those back seats can recline.

Depending on package, the new Seltos will offer features including twin 12.3-inch digital displays, a new wireless smartphone charger, a surround-view monitor, over-the-air update capabilities and other advanced driver assistance systems.

Kia also plans to give Seltos a first-time hybrid drivetrain, the automaker saying it will soon have nine separate model lines where gas-electric options are available by the 2027 model year, up from six today.

New design

The 2027 Kia Seltos not only grows bigger but gets a design makeover more in line with the rest of the automaker’s line-up, noted Karim Habib, Kia’s head of global design. “Seltos combines a familiar legacy of a traditional SUV with the sleek, futuristic feel of all new Kia models,” he said during the webinar.

That includes a wider grille framed by distinctive vertical LED running lights. A broad rear lightbar also is framed by vertical taillights. As with the horizontal layout of the instrument panel, the goal was to emphasize the width of the new Seltos and give it a more planted feel.

While some of the design details were lifted from the brand’s SUV flagship, Telluride, Seltos also picks up cues from the brand’s battery-electric line-up, such as the EV9. That includes flush, pop-up door handles.

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Powertrain

Kia plans to offer three different internal combustion engine options. For the U.S. that includes:

• A base 2.0-liter inline-four mated to a CVT. Details aren’t available yet but in the current Seltos this engine makes 146 hp;
• A turbocharged 1.6-liter upgrade generating 190 hp. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic and sends power to all four wheels.
• A first-ever hybrid package for Seltos with a 1.6-liter inline-four mated to a 6-speed double-clutch transmission.

The hybrid will be available with a choice of front- or all-wheel-drive. Details won’t be available until later this year, but the package is widely expected to deliver over 30 mpg.

Technology

Twin 12.3-inch display, seamlessly linked under a single sheet of glass will cover almost two-thirds of the Seltos instrument panel. The crossover also will be offered with an optional 12-inch head-up display, a feature rarely found in base models. The touchscreen display will be equipped for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and will be able to stream video – when parked, of course. Wireless charging is offered, as well as a 100-watt USB charger.

And convenience features include the latest version of Kia’s Digital Ky technology. The new Entertainment and Data Services feature allows the infotainment system to stream services including Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube – when parked, of course.

There’s a long list of standard and optional smart safety systems, Kia officials noted during the presentation, including multiple camera displays, forward collision assist and highway driving assist.

Pricing and availability

Look for the 2027 Kia Seltos to arrive in U.S. showrooms during the second quarter of 2026 – the hybrid to follow at a later date.

Pricing will be revealed before the on-sale date. The current 2026 Seltos starts at $25,135, including delivery fees.

Considering much of today’s market for Seltos consists of budget-minded buyers, the automaker is clearly aware of the limits of elasticity. On top of that, it clearly sees more opportunities to grow demand should it not price itself out of contention. Seltos is currently on track to generate 400,000 sales for 2025. Song is targeting 430,000 once the new model is fully rolled out.

As a result, said Ho Sung Song, the company’s global president and CEO,, “To be (Kia’s) best-selling product in the world we have to be competitive in pricing.”