Kia Seltos Review 2026

Kia is adding yet another SUV to its ranks — this time it's a smaller one that it hopes will pinch sales off the likes of the Ford Puma and the Volkswagen T-Roc. Is it good enough to take a big bite of that pie? We'll find out for sure when we drive it later this year — for now, here's everything you need to know in our Kia Seltos preview. 

Yes, it's another SUV and another a new one from Kia, which isn't exactly short on high-riding cars in its line-up. It reckons there's space for one between the Kia Niro and Kia Sportage — the vehicle plugging that gap is the Kia Seltos. 

Except, it's not entirely new as a model. The Seltos has been around since 2019 but it's not previously been sold in Europe. That all changes for this new, second-generation version, which is due to arrive in the UK later in 2026. 

At 4460mm long, the Seltos is 40mm larger than the Niro, while the wheelbase is 10mm longer than the Sportage's, which should be good news for interior space. Although the Sportage is 80mm longer than the Seltos overall, the difference in boot space isn't big.

Underneath the Seltos are the same underpinnings, known internally as K3, as those used for the Niro as well as the Kia K4 and the latest Hyundai Kona.

Styling-wise the Seltos looks closer to its maker's electric cars, such as the Kia EV2 and the larger Kia EV3, with its boxy, aggressive proportions. Those factors should help it stand out from the compact SUV masses.

Speaking of which, aside from the aforementioned Puma and T-Roc the Kia Seltos will have to battle a variety of other rivals including the Peugeot 2008 and the Renault Symbioz. We say 'some' because we'd be here all day if we listed each of them. Given that it's not drastically different in size to a Niro, you could consider that a rival that's very close to home, although there's more to it than dimensions alone.

While the Niro focuses on complicated and pricey self-charging and plug-in hybrids, in addition to a fully electric set-up, the Seltos will primarily use good old-fashioned petrol engines. There's even a naturally aspirated one on the menu and a manual gearbox, although we're not sure which combinations are coming to the UK just yet. There will also be the option of all-wheel drive. 

Another way that the Kia Seltos sets itself apart is the interior. Its minimalistic cabin with a massive panel made up of an infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster is very much the norm, but proper buttons for the climate settings are not. Thank you, Kia, for not adding to our increasing frustration with this car interior design misstep that so many manufacturers are gleefully following. 

It's an upmarket-looking interior, enhanced by 64-colour LED ambient lighting and a panoramic roof.

The ride and handling setup of the Kia Seltos will depend on whether or not you have picked the optional all-wheel drive system. Either way, you get conventional strut suspension at the front, but only all-wheel drive models get a more sophisticated multilink arrangement at the back.

Front-wheel drive versions make do with a torsion beam, linking the rear wheels together. In theory it's an inferior arrangement that makes for a car with slightly worse ride and handling characteristics. Whether or not most would-be buyers car for the difference is another matter. 

Another distinction between the two is the addition of a Terrain Mode for the all-wheel drive Seltos, which offers snow, mud and sand driving modes. Looking at the Kia's ground clearance, we're not expecting it to be some green-laning monster. 

We don't know exactly which engines will make it to the UK when the Kia Seltos reaches these shores, but the firm has detailed the three options it will be making across various markets, all of which are four-cylinder petrols.

Kicking things off is the 1.6-litre T-GDi Standard Output, which develops 180PS and 265Nm of torque. There's a choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox — remember those? — or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. 

Next up is the 1.6 T-GDi High Output, which bumps the power to 193PS but keeps the torque at the same level. It's exclusively available with an automatic gearbox, but not the same one as with the Standard Output. It has eight speeds and isn't a dual-clutch unit. 

Those two are turbocharged, as is now the norm for petrol engines, but there's also a 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated engine producing 149PS and 179Nm. A larger overall capacity but the least powerful choice. Kia hasn't confirmed which transmissions it will use.

We also don't yet know which of these engines will be available with the optional all-wheel drive system.

There'll be another way to get four driven wheels in the form of the Seltos Hybrid joining the range later on with an electric motor on the rear axle to give what Kia dubs e-4WD.

We're not expecting to see a Euro NCAP score for the Kia Seltos for a little while, but we do know some of the safety assistance systems the car will come with.

There are all of the usual suspects, such as lane-keeping assistance and autonomous emergency braking, plus some less common systems. These include a parking collision avoidance system that should hopefully stop you from reversing into something solid, plus a safe exit warning to warn of hazards when you're leaving the car. 

A braked towing capacity of up to 1300kg is promised for the Kia Seltos, although it's not yet clear which engine and gearbox combination this applies to. The later-arriving Seltos Hybrid will have a lower rating of 1000kg.

An emormous boot is promised for the Kia Seltos, with more cargo carrying capacity than several larger SUVs. There's 536 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, which compares very favourably with the Toyota CH-R with its paltry 310-388-litre boot. The Volkswagen T-Roc is somewhere between the two with 475 litres.

A figure for the total boot volume with the rear seats folded hasn't yet been given, but we do know that they are reclinable, with 24 degrees of overall movement. Boosting practicality further, Kia's AddGear system is included, with mounting points for various official accessories, including phone holders and tray tables. 

We won't know exactly how roomy the Seltos is until we've had a sit in it. For now, all we have to go on is the generous wheelbase and Kia's promises of spaciousness. An available panoramic roof should make the cabin feel lighter and airier still. 

The Kia Seltos's dashboard is dominated by a large panel, which is made up of two 12.3-inch displays — a digital instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system. It looks to be the same arrangement seen in other Kia models of late, so it should be responsive and easy to use. 

What we particularly like is that you don't have to use it for climate control functions. Just under the screen is a bank of proper, physical buttons for the two climate zones' fan speed and temperature. Sometimes, common sense prevails.

Pricing for the Kia Selton is yet to be confirmed, but the expectation is for it to start somewhere around £30,000. The Kia Niro Hybrid starts at £30,845 while the larger, non-hybrid Sportage is upwards of £30,935, meaning the entry-level Seltos should be cheaper than both.

Looking at some of the other cars the Seltos competes with the Volkswagen T-Roc starts from £31,620, while the Toyota CH-R is £31,615.

Running costs for the Kia Seltos should be on the lower side of average, although at this stage official fuel consumption figures have yet to be published.

VED car tax is charged at a flat rate of £195, while the threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement is £40,000, a figure that higher specification versions of the Seltos Hybrid might well fall foul of. That being the case, it's an extra £425 annually charged from years two to six of ownership based on current rates.

Kia usually performs well as a brand in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, most recently placed eighth out of 33 manufacturers for reliability. Should you experience an issue, Kia's excellent seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is there to lean on.