Review: 2027 Kia Seltos is a Little Wonder

Since its rolled into the market in 2019, the Kia Seltos has become one of the Korean carmaker’s major product lines. But, in a highly competitive segment, it needed some major updates to keep momentum building. As Headlight.News discovered during a drive adventure in South Korea, the second-generation 2027 Kia Seltos comes through. Here’s our review.

Sure, Kia has shown what it can do with a vehicle like the Telluride at a price tag that can nudge close to $60,000. But can it deliver with an entry-level SUV that has to go up against tough competition like the Toyota Corolla Cross, the Subaru Crosstrek and even the Venue from sibling Korean brand Hyundai?

The old adage: “Big things come in small packages” still holds true, though the 2027 Kia Seltos is actually a bit bigger – and roomier. But what matters even more is what Kia packs in.

The new crossover offers the sort of features one might expect in a larger and more expensive class. There’s streaming video, lots of safety gear and even an optional head-up display system. Add the unusual option of three separate powertrain packages, including a first-time hybrid that delivered as much as 52 mpg during a first drive across South Korea.

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.

For 2027, Seltos gets a near ground-up makeover and comes in larger in all key dimensions. It also adopts new styling cues suggestive of Kia’s flagship models – a grille largely derived from the latest Telluride, for example, and flush, pop-out door handles derived from the EV9.

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 second-generation crossover grows larger in all 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.

The added dimensions may be modest but they give the crossover a bit more presence, executed by the design team led by Karim Habib. “Seltos combines a familiar legacy of a traditional SUV with the sleek, futuristic feel of all new Kia models,” he explained back in April.

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 will offer three different internal combustion engine options for the 2027 Seltos. In U.S. spec that means:

• A base 2.0-liter inline-four mated to a CVT. The only carryover engine makes 146 hp and will be offered with a choice of front or all-wheel-drive;
• A new turbocharged 1.6-liter upgrade delivers 190 hp. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic and sends power to all four wheels;
• A first-ever hybrid package for Seltos pairs a 1.6-liter inline-four mated to a 6-speed DCT with an electric drive system drawing power from a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The hybrid will be available with a choice of front- or all-wheel-drive. More precisely, it’s an e-AWD system with no mechanical links between axles. The rear wheels get power from a second motor that also kicks in 25 extra hp, on top of the FWD package’s 154 ponies.

Fuel economy

Kia has yet to reveal fuel economy for the hybrid but, considering the big Telluride carries a 35 mpg rating, a number north of 40 would seem a reasonable expectation. When driving “prudently,” we found ourselves getting more than 50 mpg on some portions of our cross-Korea jaunt.

As for the other packages:

• Kia expects the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter package will get an EPA combined rating of 29 mpg in FWD configuration, 27 in AWD;
• The turbo-four, meanwhile, is expected to come in around 26 mpg.

Technology

Twin 12.3-inch display, seamlessly linked under a single sheet of glass – and framing a 5-inch touchscreen for the climate system — 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. Seltos also gets the ability to automatically download software updates over-the-air, smartphone-style.

The hybrid system, meanwhile, offers vehicle-to-load capabilities, meaning you can plug in an adapter to draw power for, say, a TV or appliances at a picnic or work site. The battery, it should be stressed, cannot be plugged in to charge up and, at just 1.49 kWh, it’s not going to keep your refrigerator running long in the event of a blackout.

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.

X-Line

The 2027 Seltos offers a range of choices not often found in today’s entry models. Along with the various powertrain configurations there are a variety of trim packages. For those interested in modest off-roading, X marks the spot.

Since COVID struck, millions of Americans have discovered the joys of the great outdoors – behind the wheel. Like a number of other Kia products, the 2027 Seltos is offered with a variety of packages that includes the most robust X-Line. No, you won’t take it out on the Rubicon Trail but it does offer some useful features for those who want to stray off hard pavement.

That includes a higher 8.1-inch ground clearance, modest underbody protection and additional cladding. The crossover also gets useful roof rails and, inside, more rugged water and dirt-resistant materials like synthetic “syntax” leather for the seats, as well as rubber floor mats.

Driving Impressions

My trip to Seoul offered a chance to check out the new Seltos a couple months ahead of its normal U.S. media rollout, a chance I couldn’t turn down. That said, be aware that these were Korean models. That meant a few things will change by the time the crossover makes it to the States, most notably suspension tuning.

Sadly, the country is a virtual speed trap with cameras on virtually every road – and speed bumps determined to slow you down if the electronic nannies don’t get you first.

On the plus side, that gave us a chance to see what sort of mileage the new hybrid could muster. The FWD package yielded as much as 52 mpg at various time and, unless we nailed the throttle – risking a few tickets – it routinely averaged well above 40 mpg. The downside? The package is far from compelling when it comes to performance, with our rough estimate of 8 seconds 0-60. The e-AWD upgrade wasn’t available for our drive. The system is primarily designed to kick in some rear torque when you need better traction. But the added 25 hp should up the fun-to-drive factor, as well.

The turbo option, while not exactly falling into the boy racer category, is clearly an improvement, cutting a couple seconds off launch time. It’s also pleasantly responsive, especially when the selectable drive mode is set to “Sport.” The downside was the almost squishy nature of the Korean-market suspension. It forced us to rein things in once we finally found some mountain roads sans speed bumps and cameras. But Kia officials stressed that the home market likes that sort of boulevard ride. We can expect a much stiffer suspension set-up when the 2027 Seltos lands in the U.S.

Final thoughts

On the whole, the 2027 Kia Seltos appears, at first glance, to be the product to beat in the affordable subcompact segment. Sure, there are some nits to pick though, as mentioned, I’ll wait to see if the suspension is retuned well enough in the U.S. spec package.

From a design standpoint, the 2027 Seltos is a class-above contender, especially in the cabin with its soft-touch materials, sophisticated hues and textures. The weird exception: the flat, untextured piece of plastic on the door armrests. It’s the wart on the fashion model’s nose, so to speak.

Look for the 2027 Kia Seltos to arrive in U.S. showrooms by early in Q3 – 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. I don’t expect the base model to change much, Kia well aware of current economic realities. The automaker is determined to keep growing demand in what, so far this year, has been a down market. Expectations are that the X-Line will come in somewhere in the low $30,000 range, with a fully loaded hybrid with e-AWD possibly pushing as high as $38,000.