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CarKnowledgeable’s verdict on the Seltos
Good
The new Seltos brings marked enhancements over its predecessor, maybe two generations’ price. However, whereas it has made robust strides in expertise and effectivity, efficiency and worth (significantly greater up within the vary) aren’t robust sufficient to make it a standout in an ever-competitive small SUV market phase.
What we love
- Newfound effectivity, tech ranges
- Segment busting cabin area
- Solid worth in S and Sport grades
Worth a thought
- Powertrain lacks punch
- GT-Line grades too expensive
- Some annoying spec oversights
Are there different score labels?
- Excellent
- An excellent automobile in virtually each manner. A pleasure to drive, full of nice options, and extremely really useful.
- Very Good
- A well-rounded automobile that is pleasing to drive, provides nice worth or options, and is simple to advocate.
- Good
- A stable alternative that does most issues properly. Comfortable, succesful, and price contemplating on this phase.
- Average
- Meets the usual for this phase. May not stand out, however nonetheless a reliable and affordable choice.
- Below Average
- Falls a bit behind others within the phase, however nonetheless passes security checks and should go well with particular wants or budgets.
Introduction
Kia’s second-generation Seltos small SUV has lastly arrived in Australia, and it is going all-in on hybrid.
That’s proper, the 2027 Kia Seltos is hybrid-only in Australia, very like the UK. The Korean model is hoping to money in on quickly rising urge for food for hybrid SUVs in Australia, significantly smaller ones.
While it is the primary hybrid-powered Seltos, it is not the primary time Kia has provided a hybrid small SUV in Australia. The now-defunct Niro was out there with hybrid (HEV) and battery electrical (EV) powertrains, however excessive pricing relative to the direct competitors all the time made it a distinct segment participant right here.
Now with the brand new Seltos HEV, Kia is placing all 10 toes (or 4 tyres) down in what is among the hottest market segments within the nation. Small SUVs at present account for 18 per cent of Australia’s new-vehicle market, putting it second solely to medium SUVs when it comes to reputation.
There’s additionally some household rivalry at play right here. Sister model Hyundai has seen nice success with its associated Kona, which provides petrol, hybrid and electrical powertrains. Halfway by means of 2026, the Kona Hybrid was Australia’s third-best promoting hybrid mannequin with 8086 deliveries – accounting 61.6 per cent of general Kona gross sales.
The Seltos has been a core mannequin for Kia because it was launched in 2019, and with the previous mannequin being phased out this yr it has value the Korean model stable quantity in one among Australia’s largest and most hotly contested elements of the market.
We have been impressed by Kia’s new electrified compact SUV in Korea, however has that sentiment translated to the native mannequin which has acquired in depth home tuning? Read on to search out out.
How a lot does the Kia Seltos value?
The value of entry into the brand new Seltos vary has risen by practically $7000, although that is considerably offset by the hybridised powertrain and elevated normal gear ranges.
| Model | Price earlier than on-road prices | Drive-away pricing |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Kia Seltos S HEV FWD | $37,990 | $39,990 |
| 2027 Kia Seltos S w/ Safety Pack HEV FWD | $40,150 | $42,490 |
| 2027 Kia Seltos Sport HEV FWD | $41,910 | $43,990 |
| 2027 Kia Seltos Sport+ HEV FWD | $44,970 | $46,990 |
| 2027 Kia Seltos GT-Line HEV FWD | $49,870 | $52,990 |
| 2027 Kia Seltos GT-Line HEV AWD | $52,870 | $55,490 |
Key petrol-electric rivals for the Seltos embrace the associated Hyundai Kona Hybrid (from $39,990 drive-away), along with the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (from $37,440 plus on-road prices), GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid (from $32,990 drive-away), Chery C5 Hybrid (from $31,990 drive-away), MG ZS Hybrid+ (from $29,990 drive-away), Nissan Qashqai e-Power (from $45,850 plus ORCs), and Jaecoo J5 SHS-H (from $34,990 drive-away).
It’s additionally price noting that Kia will promote you the bigger (and turbocharged) Sportage Hybrid mid-size SUV for as little as $44,490 drive-away, which is $500 greater than the brand new mid-spec Seltos Sport in the event you’re after dimension and area greater than function inclusions – dimension issues extra to some…
Compare the Kia Seltos
Want to see how the Kia Seltos traces up in opposition to the competitors?
Use our comparability software for a side-by-side have a look at the specs, options and costs of the Seltos and its rivals.
What is the Kia Seltos like on the within?
Kia has executed a superb job at proliferating high-grade tech throughout the vary, and letting the upholsteries and materials trimmings be the principle differentiator between mannequin grades.
All variations get the Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) with 12.3-inch widescreen shows for the instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, sandwiching a 5.0-inch touch-capacitive local weather management panel.
For reference, the bigger Sportage and Sorento SUVs get a clock-radio-style ‘primary’ instrument cluster with a 4.3-inch color supervision show, somewhat than the extra premium digital setup. It’s good to see Kia giving cheaper fashions the identical high-end tech really feel, which actually elevates the cabin of the bottom S.
Dual-tone material seat trim and tougher plastic surfaces line the cabin of the S, S with Safety Pack and Sport; although every little thing feels fairly properly screwed collectively and the tactility of the controls and switchgear is constant throughout the lineup.
That stated, it is a disgrace soft-touch door trims aren’t included till the penultimate Sport+ grade, which at $46,990 drive-away is comparable in value to the top-spec Hyundai Kona Highlander. Still, the Kia’s cabin feels extra upmarket in design and execution whereas providing extra space.
As we discovered throughout our worldwide drive of the brand new Seltos, in addition to current Kia and Hyundai fashions with the Group’s newest ccNC infotainment setup, the clear tiled interface and user-friendly menu construction make the Seltos’ infotainment system straightforward to make use of regardless of its lengthy listing of capabilities and options.
Standard Kia Connect providers for seven years consists of stuff like climate data and on-line navigation routing, in addition to compatibility with the Kia Connect smartphone app which opens up entry to automobile information and analytics on the fly in addition to distant capabilities so you may find your automobile in addition to, for instance, flip the lights on and off or pre-condition the cabin utilizing the local weather management system.
More broadly, it is also fast and snappy in operation with engaging and clear graphics. It could not have the gloss and showboaty options of some rival fashions from Chinese manufacturers, however I feel many will recognize its simplicity and ease of use.
The GT-Line’s eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system is stronger than the six-speaker setup in all different variants, however even the bottom unit gives clear sound high quality, with the premium system dialling up the depth and bass.