2027 Kia Seltos to be hybrid-only

The new-generation Kia Seltos will reach Australia in the fourth quarter of 2026 exclusively motivated by hybrid drivetrains. The outbound model added useful volume for the brand, being its third-biggest seller in 2025, with the new one expected to appeal to buyers with its improved fuel efficiency and greater size.

Hybrid power will be the only option for the 2027 Kia Seltos when it arrives in Australia towards the end of 2026, but buyers will have the choice of front- or all-wheel drive as well as varying trim levels.

While pricing and exact specifications are yet to be determined, Kia confirmed the new Seltos range will be very similar to the current car: S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line, the latter two offering all-wheel drive.

Local power figures are yet to be revealed, but in the UK the front-drive Seltos produces 113kW thanks to its 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor combo, while the all-wheel drive adds a second electric motor (on the rear axle) for a total of 131kW.

Both versions use a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but no fuel efficiency figures have yet been offered. The decision to only offer hybrids in Australia was to future-proof the model as it meets Euro 6d emissions regulations.

Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith said that despite the challenges proffered by the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), pure-ICE models aren’t dead, but when it came to the new Seltos, making it hybrid-only “was a pretty easy call”.

The electrified powertrain opened the door to V2L (vehicle-to-load) technology to power appliances through an AC outlet, but Kia Australia decided to prioritise a space saver spare wheel for this market instead.

Apparently, the Seltos being one of the larger small SUVs was a key consideration for many buyers and the new model is 45mm longer, 30mm wider, 30mm shorter in height for even more space, especially considering the 60mm wheelbase stretch. Boot space has increased 15 litres to 483 litres.

The new Seltos will be locally tuned for Australian roads as usual, but a five-star ANCAP safety rating is not expected across the entire range.

“We want a breadth of offering with the new Seltos and appeal to a wide range of customers; but at the same time, the ANCAP protocol is a big step up for 2026,” Kia Australia product planning manager Raymond Pok said.

As such, and as per other Kia models like the K4, expect the base Seltos S to achieve four stars to keep the entry price as sharp as possible, with an optional safety pack lifting this to five stars for fleet compatibility.

While many details about the new Kia Seltos are still under wraps, carsales can shed some light on the specification thanks to having had an audience with a flagship GT-Line.

It sits on 19-inch alloy wheels and has a useful amount of space inside with plenty of tech and equipment: a head-up display, wireless charging, powered leather front seats with memory function, heating and cooling, a panoramic sunroof, a Harman/Kardon stereo, 100-Watt fast charging USB-C ports and the shift-by-wire column gear selector.

A trio of screens dominate the dash, a smaller climate control display sandwiched between the giant widescreen displays for the driving instruments and infotainment.

Happily, physical controls remain for adjusting HVAC fan speed and temperature for the dual-zone climate control.

We’ll have further information on the 2027 Kia Seltos closer to its local release.

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