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Review
2026 Kia Seltos preview: price, specs and release date in Australia
RACV
December 11, 2025
A new Kia Seltos SUV is coming to Australia, bringing bolder looks, extra room, higher tech and a hybrid powertrain option. Here’s what to expect ahead of its local launch.
The bigger, more advanced and bolder-looking second-generation Kia Seltos has broken cover overseas ahead of the new small SUV’s Australian launch towards the end of 2026.
And it can’t come soon enough for the South Korean brand, with the current Kia Seltos now being overrun in the popular segment in which it was a leading contender just two years ago but now sits well behind its main competitors.
The new 2026 Kia Seltos has a low-set, horizontal dashboard design with dual 12.3-inch digital screens.
When does the 2026 Kia Seltos go on sale in Australia?
Australians have a long wait until the 2026 Kia Seltos becomes available, with a local launch set down for the final quarter of 2026.
Local suspension tuning will get underway early in 2026, which is an important process before the first cars arrive, while the extended wait time might also work in Kia Australia’s favour in that the promised hybrid powertrain slated for the new Seltos could be available at launch here.
Kia Australia is yet to lock in details on powertrains, model grades and pricing for the 2026 Kia Seltos, saying only at this stage that such information will be announced “in due course”. We will update this preview when the local specs become available, but the extensive updates to the Kia Seltos are expected to bring price rises.
This will still be in line with its major competitors. As a guide, the current 2026 Hyundai Kona, which has a comparable powertrain line-up to the related Seltos, opens at $32,950 plus on-road costs for the front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre petrol variant and previously offered a sportier AWD 1.6-litre turbo-petrol option from $40,500 plus ORCs. The 1.6T was discontinued for MY26, leaving the FWD-only 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid as Kona’s second-tier powertrain.
The Hyundai Kona Hybrid carries a $4000 premium over equivalent petrol variants, starting from $36,950 at the entry level and climbing as high as $48,950 plus ORCs for the flagship Premium N Line. Expect a similar strategy with Seltos, although Kia has shown a willingness on other model lines – such as with the Kia Sportage medium SUV – to offer a broader range of powertrain options.
The Gen 2 Kia Seltos is bigger and roomier than the current model, stretching 4430mm from nose to tail.
2026 Kia Seltos exterior design and dimensions
The designers of the 2026 Kia Seltos describe the new small SUV as having “authentic SUV styling” – which is a way of suggesting it looks tougher and more capable than the original.
Built on the same K3 platform as the Kia K4 sedan and hatch and the Hyundai Kona small SUV, the new Kia Seltos has a bigger, broader and more upright stance than before, measuring 4430mm long (+45mm) and 1830mm wide (+30mm), though hunkered down a little at 1600mm in overall height (-35mm). It also rests on a longer 2690mm wheelbase (+60mm), which enables a more spacious interior.
As found with other SUVs in this genre, Kia has aimed to create an impression of strength in a small package that has a modern feel about it, rather than mimic an old-school 4x4 off-roader.
The front end has a wider grille with a Jeep-like vertical pattern that blends into the LED headlight cluster. Along the flanks there are flush door handles, some triangular sculpting in the doors and a floating roofline effect (with two-tone options) that draws attention to the rear pillar, where the solid rear shoulders are emphasised. Vertical LED tail-lights and a light bar across the tailgate also aim to reinforce the SUV’s width and stronger stance.
Kia has highlighted two premium model grades at the international launch: X-Line, which has dark gunmetal grey finishes and 19-inch alloy wheels, and its traditional GT-Line flagship with body-coloured accents and a sportier look overall. Lower-series variants such as S and Sport will continue.
The brand has also developed a handful of new hero colours for Seltos: metallic Iceberg Green and Gravity Gray and matte Magma Red, Ivory Silver and Dark Gun Metal.
The 2026 Kia Seltos has a premium feel with distinctive trim and lots of tech.
Roomy centre console in 2026 Kia Seltos with the gear shifter relocated to the steering column.
High-grade materials and strong attention to detail with trim on new Kia Seltos.
X-Line grade in new Kia Seltos has a darker, sportier interior design theme.
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What is the new Kia Seltos like inside?
The 2026 Kia Seltos has undergone a full redesign of its five-seater cabin, now offering more room and a much more modern look and feel throughout.
The move to shift-by-wire transmission control allows the gear selector to be placed on the steering column, freeing up room in the centre console where there’s a lot more storage space and a wireless phone charging pad.
The biggest attractions, however, are the dual 12.3-inch digital screens – centre touchscreen and driver’s instrument panel – that combine to create a seamless widescreen effect across the low, horizontal dash. It looks minimalist, but a range of lower hard shortcut buttons, a tactile volume dial and separate climate control switchgear should facilitate ease of use for the driver.
Premium materials and a strong attention to detail are evident in the overseas models used for the Gen 2 Seltos’ unveiling, while other high-grade interior features include a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient interior lighting, Harman Kardon or Bose stereo systems and a host of extra amenities, from upgraded device charging ports (including a 100W USB outlet up front) to new digital connected services and novel screen customisation options.
The second-row seats now have a 24-degree backrest adjustment range (moving 12 degrees forward and back) and the cargo area is 80mm longer with a larger capacity of up to 536 litres (VDA) with the rear seats upright – up from 468 litres in the current model when a space-saver spare wheel is fitted.
Kia claims this is class-leading luggage space and that it’s more versatile than ever, too, thanks to a foldable dual-level cargo board in the floor and a range of accessories (dubbed AddGear) to go with it.
From the side, Kia’s designers point to the diagonal character lines, floating roofline and strong shoulder contours on the new 2026 Kia Seltos.
What powers the 2026 Kia Seltos?
The 2026 Kia Seltos is powered by a familiar range of four-cylinder petrol engines, as per the current model. These include an entry-level 2.0-litre unit and a more powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. There’s no sign of an EV powertrain option – leaving the Kia EV3 as the brand’s dedicated small electric SUV for now – but a hybrid powerplant will be added to the global Seltos range during 2026 and should be a surefire starter for Australia.
Little change has been wrought on the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre and force-fed 1.6-litre engines. The 2.0-litre produces 110kW of power and 179Nm of torque – lineball with the current model – and drives the front wheels only via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
There are two versions of the 1.6T in service worldwide, but if Kia Australia sticks with its current formula the higher-output version is the one we can expect to be offered here. In the new Seltos it produces 142kW and 265Nm – the same maximum torque as the current model and a bit less power (-4kW) – and again mates with a conventional eight-speed torque-converter automatic. It continues to be available with either FWD or AWD drivelines.
For the record, the other 1.6T offered overseas is a 132kW/265Nm unit with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto (DCT) or six-speed manual gearbox.
Kia has not confirmed details of the hybrid powertrain, but you can expect it to mirror the one offered in the related Hyundai Kona, pairing a 1.6-litre non-turbocharged petrol engine (77kW/144Nm) with an electric motor (32kW/170Nm) and a small lithium-ion polymer battery (1.32kWh) for a total system output of 104kW/265Nm. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed DCT.
If all this is sounding a bit standpat, Kia claims the new Seltos will nonetheless deliver a better driving experience given the engineering changes made across the board. These are claimed to have enhanced body rigidity and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, while Australian chassis tuning will also feed into the mix. The suspension hardware remains MacPherson struts up front with either a torsion beam (on 2.0-litre and 1.6T FWD models) or more sophisticated multi-link configuration (on 1.6T AWD variants) at the rear.
The 1.6 Hybrid should also offer a multi-link rear suspension, while the AWD Seltos adds Terrain Mode with Snow, Mud and Sand drive settings. All Seltos models continue with Eco, Normal and Sport modes via the Drive Mode Select system.
The Seltos Hybrid will offer the latest 3.0 version of Kia’s regenerative braking system, automatically adjusting the regen based on traffic flow and navigation data to optimise energy recovery. It will also offer Vehicle to Load (V2L) functionality to power external appliances such as camping equipment.
Parking Distance Warning – Front, Side and Reverse (PDW-F/S/R)
A 12-inch head-up display (HUD) has also been developed for the new Kia Seltos, while infotainment tech takes a big step forward in conjunction with the digital widescreen format across the dash.
Owners will be able to receive over-the-air (OTA) software updates and employ an AI assistant powered by ChatGPT for “natural, conversation interaction”. A Digital Key 2 replaces a conventional ignition key for what Kia promises is secure vehicle access and sharing with compatible smartphones.
Also count on an emergency call system (eCall), which automatically contacts emergency services in the event of a serious collision, being included as part of the tech package in the new Kia Seltos.
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.
