The 2027 Kia Seltos has officially arrived in North America, and it comes with a hybrid variant. At the 2026 New York Auto Show, the smallest Kia SUV brings baby Telluride vibes with its vertical headlights, upright greenhouse, and rugged personality. Even the interior borrows heavily from its big brother’s design. One big difference? The taillights, which evoke the EV3 and EV9 more than the Telluride. Compared to the outgoing model, the 2027 Seltos’ wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer. Meanwhile, ground clearance ranges from 7.3 to 8.1 inches.
When it arrives in the second quarter of 2026, the 2027 Kia Seltos will offer five trims: LX, S, EX, and X-Line. Yup, that’s right, the rugged-looking treatment has reached the smallest Kia SUV. It features unique bumpers and side sills with Piano Black trim and Dark Gunmetal accents, and 19-inch black alloy wheels. In addition, the 2027 Seltos adds three new exterior colors: Terrain Brown, Frost Blue, and Snow White Pearl with a black roof.
Stepping inside, the 2027 Seltos continues to draw inspiration from the Telluride and EV9. It features a squared-off steering wheel and an open center console design, connecting it to its big brothers. X-Line models feature black SynTex upholstery and mesh headrests inspired by the Telluride. Additionally, the X-Line Prestige adds the Relaxation Seat for the driver. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, passenger space increases, including a 1-inch increase in leg room. Cargo space also jumps to 27.8 cubic feet behind the second row, expanding to 64.1 cubic feet with them folded. The Seltos adds a luggage board that folds for added flexibility.
2027 Kia Seltos: Top-Class Tech
As with every Kia model, the 2027 Seltos features great tech. A 12.3-inch touchscreen comes standard, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air update capability. A 12.3-inch digital cluster and a 5-inch climate display panel are available. On the other hand, Kia’s generative AI assistant and a massive selection of display themes are available.
A full suite of driver assistance tech comes standard and includes similar features found on larger SUVs. On the X-Line trim, the Seltos now offers an available blind spot view monitor and surround-view camera system. It joins only a handful of vehicles that offer the latter in the subcompact SUV segment, including the Subaru Crosstrek, Nissan Kicks, and Mazda CX-30.
Familiar Yet New
Kia carried over two powertrain options from the last-generation Seltos. For 2027, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder returns as the base engine paired to a CVT. Expect it to retain the same 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque as before. The 190-hp 1.6-liter turbo-four also returns paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard Multi-Mode AWD. However, this powertrain combination is only available on the X-Line trim.
Finally, the Seltos Hybrid joins the lineup, ready to take on the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. It uses a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder hybrid setup with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This also marks the first application of Kia’s new e-AWD system, which is an option on the Seltos Hybrid. More details will be announced at a later date, including horsepower and fuel economy.
The 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid arrives in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Source: Kia
