Fast Facts | 2027 Kia Seltos
🖥️ Displays: 30-inch dashboard panel with twin 12.3-inch screens and a 5-inch climate touch panel
⛽ Base Engine: 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and a CVT
🚀 Turbo Option: 1.6-liter turbo with 190 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic
🔋 Hybrid: First-ever Seltos hybrid arrives later in 2026
🪑 Rear Space: Roomy second row with strong legroom for a compact crossover
📦 Cargo: 27.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 64.1 cubic feet folded
Kia’s Budget Crossover Just Got More Serious
With the Soul gone from Kia's lineup, the compact Seltos steps up as the brand's most affordable crossover in the American market. For 2027, it's entering its second generation with a whole new look that's instantly recognizable as a modern Kia. It’s a bit larger than before, but it's still small enough to make a great urban runabout, and for the first time, it'll be offered with a choice of powertrains, including a hybrid.
Kia's New Look
When Kia launched the EV9 three-row electric crossover a few years back, it marked a significant change in the brand's design direction. That has since worked its way into every new model, and the new Seltos is no exception. In many ways, it feels like the younger sibling of the EV9 and the recently launched Telluride.
The side profile draws heavily from the EV9, with a more squared-off shape and a belt-line that sweeps toward the rear quarter, giving it a floating roof look. Up front, the swept-back face of the previous model is replaced with a bolder, more upright appearance, along with the twin vertical running lamps you'll recognize from the Telluride. The fenders have the EV9's sharp creases, and out back, the taillamps echo the vertically stretched look of the latest K4.
The new Seltos is slightly larger than before, but it still competes with rivals like the Nissan Kicks and Mazda CX-30. Overall length is up by 1.8 inches, width grows by 1.1 inches, it sits slightly lower at 63.0 inches tall, and the wheelbase stretches by 2.4 inches, which should mean more room for passengers, especially in the rear seat.
A Familiar Cabin
The family resemblance continues inside. It starts with the 30-inch display panel stretching across the dashboard, housing three separate display screens: a 12.3-inch instrument cluster in front of the driver, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and a 5-inch touch panel in between to control climate functions like defoggers and vent selection.
The squared-off steering wheel gives you a good view of the gauge panel, but, as in other recent Kias, it can block that climate panel, so you'll find yourself leaning right to see it. Fortunately, the most-used controls for temperature and fan speed are physical buttons below the infotainment screen. The vents are manually controlled too, skipping the frustrating trend of putting those controls into the touch interface.
The Seltos keeps a traditional mechanical shift lever, and the start/stop button is on the center console. A wireless phone charging pad sits at the front end of the console with three USB-C ports above it.
Despite its modest exterior size, the Seltos has one of the roomier back seats in the class. At 5-foot-10, I still had several inches of knee clearance with the driver's seat set for my height. Cargo space checks in at an ample 27.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 64.1 cubic feet when the seats are folded.
The Seltos comes equipped with a full array of standard driver-assist features, including lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Blind-spot monitoring and safe-exit assist — which prevents the rear doors from opening if a vehicle is approaching in the adjacent lane — are available as options. Kia also added a new generative AI voice assistant that promises better recognition and more voice functionality. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also supported.
Gas, Turbo, or Hybrid
For 2027, the Seltos gets three powertrain options. The two carry-over gas engines include a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder delivering 147 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission, and an optional turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder delivering 190 horsepower paired with an eight-speed automatic.
The exciting news is the addition of a hybrid drivetrain for the first time. A naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine pairs with an upgraded version of Kia's current-generation hybrid drive system — not the new two-motor setup that just debuted on the Telluride. Kia upgraded the electric motor this year for better efficiency, and the six-speed dual-clutch transmission carries over. The Seltos will be the first Kia to pair this system with an electric rear axle, giving it all-wheel drive. Specs for the hybrid haven't been released yet, but we should know more later this year.
Want to see how the new Seltos hybrid might stack up? Compare the compact hybrid field here ➜
Pricing and Availability
The 2027 Seltos with the two gas engines goes on sale in late spring 2026 in four trims: LX, S, EX, and X-Line. The 2.0-liter engine is available across all trims, while the turbo is exclusive to the X-Line. The hybrid will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2026.
There’s no pricing available yet, but it'll likely stay close to the 2026 model's starting point of around $25,000, keeping it the most affordable crossover in Kia's lineup.
Keep Cross-Shopping Smart
What Is the Best Compact Hybrid SUV?
This buyer-friendly roundup adds useful context if the new Seltos hybrid has you comparing the wider field instead of just one badge.
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Best Hybrid SUVs
A broader guide for shoppers who want to see where Kia’s hybrid SUV strategy fits into the bigger market picture.
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2027 Kia Telluride First Look
The new Telluride helps explain the styling, cabin layout, and design cues that now shape Kia’s next generation of SUVs.
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