Inbound 2026 Kia Seltos Hybrid specs leaked

The first concrete specs of Kia’s new-generation Seltos have surfaced locally, with government approval documents revealing the hybrid-only small SUV will be offered here in both front- and all-wheel drive forms with up to 169kW of power on tap.

Unsurprisingly, it will be the dual-motor ‘e-AWD’ versions offering up the hot hatch-ish combined power output; the single-motor (front-drive) variants will be good for a total system output of 119kW.

Both those figures are considerably higher than the 113kW (FWD) and 131kW (AWD) figures cited in the UK, especially the latter seeing as the Aussie cars will seemingly pack an extra 38kW.

How or where the extra power comes from is unclear at the time of writing seeing as you’d expect the motors to be the same across most major markets, but there must be some difference since the documents confirm both Aussie powertrains will be based around a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine – as per Korea and the UK.

Whatever the case, the all-paw setup will deliver a handy increase in kilowatts over the outgoing 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (146kW/265Nm) and undoubtedly a major increase in torque.

The documents don’t reveal anything to do with fuel consumption or emissions, but do reveal the inclusion of 16-, 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels, aligning with previous suggestions and expectations of the trim levels remaining largely the same.

All variants supposedly share the same suspension arrangement – but the localised tunes will be different – which, based on other markets and the Hyundai Kona, should mean a multi-link rear end across the board.

Ground clearance is rated at 160mm regardless of the powertrain while the braked towing capacity – not necessarily a compact SUV hallmark but still worth knowing – is 910kg for the FWDs and just 810kg for the AWDs.

The new-generation Kia Seltos will arrive Down Under in the fourth quarter of the year, almost certainly priced above the outbound range, which starts from $28,180 plus on-road costs.

For reference, the current Hyundai Kona Hybrid starts from $36,950.

Local pricing and spec for the new Seltos will be announced closer to its release.

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