2026 Kia Seltos: All you need to know

The 2026 Seltos is built on a new K3 platform and has grown considerably over its predecessor.

3 min read•5 Dec '25

Dipan Sur

8K+ views

The Kia Seltos, on sale since 2019, has now been unveiled in its second-generation avatar, with a more aggressive-looking exterior, a more premium interior and an enhanced feature suite. While prices are yet to be announced, Kia has revealed every other detail about the new Seltos. Here’s everything you need to know about the midsize SUV’s next-gen model.

1. When will the new-generation Seltos launch in India?

Prices to be revealed on January 2, 2026

The new Kia Seltos will be launched in India on January 2, 2026. Official bookings for the Seltos will commence at 12 am on December 11, with deliveries scheduled to start from mid-January.

2. How many engine options does the new Seltos offer?

Continues with the same petrol, turbo-petrol and diesel options as the old model

The new Kia Seltos retains the outgoing model’s powertrain options, offering two petrol engines and a diesel. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 115hp and 144Nm and is mated with a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, putting out 160hp and 253Nm, is the most powerful option in the Seltos line-up. This mill is available with an iMT (clutchless manual transmission) or a 7-speed DCT.

The new Seltos is among a handful of midsize SUVs, alongside the Hyundai Creta and Tata Sierra, to offer a diesel engine. It is a 1.5-litre unit that pushes 116hp and 250Nm, paired with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

3. How different is the new-generation Seltos’s exterior from its predecessor’s?

The new Seltos features a bolder and more contemporary design

The new Seltos marks the India debut of the manufacturer’s new K3 platform, moving on from the K2 platform that still underpins the Hyundai Creta and Kia Carens Clavis.

The second-gen Seltos gets a more aggressive exterior design inspired by the globally available Kia Telluride that features the brand’s ‘Tiger Face’ grille with LED headlights and multiple LED daytime running lamps (DRLs). On both sides of the grille, it has additional LED DRL strips, which double up as turn indicators. The bumper features body-coloured trims around the fog lamps, a faux silver skid plate and some gloss-black elements.

As for the profile, the new Seltos has flush-type door handles, lending it a modern appeal. It also gets gloss-black wheel arches, roof rails and 18-inch alloy wheels.

At the rear, it features connected tail-lights inspired by the Kia Carens Clavis. The bumper is finished in a gloss-black hue, but it also features body-coloured elements and a faux silver skid plate, just like the front bumper does, to break the monotony.

Notably, the second-generation Seltos is 95mm longer (which has also made it the longest SUV in its segment) and 30mm wider, and its wheelbase is up by 80mm. The height, however, has dipped by a marginal 10mm.

4. What features does the new Kia Seltos offer?

Comes with a new dashboard that borrows the Syros’s triple screens

The new Seltos gets a fresh dashboard with a layered design that houses 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and the driver’s display, along with a 5-inch climate control display, all borrowed from the Kia Syros. Also new is a 3-spoke steering wheel with buttons for drive and terrain modes.

The new-generation Seltos also gets a 10-way powered driver’s seat with electronically adjustable lumbar support, as well as memory and welcome functions. This seat memory function is synchronised with the outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs). Other features include an 8-speaker Bose sound system, ventilated front seats, a 2-step reclining rear seat, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, rear sunshades and 64-colour customisable ambient lighting.

In its safety suite, the new Seltos packs 6 airbags as standard, a 360-degree camera, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, disc brakes on all wheels, a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and Level 2 ADAS. It is also equipped with ESC, traction control, hill-start assist, hill-descent control and ISOFIX child seat anchorages.

5. What is the expected price of the new Kia Seltos?

Ex-showroom prices are likely to start at Rs 11.25 lakh

The new-generation Kia Seltos is expected to have a slight premium over the old model, which was priced between Rs 10.79 lakh and Rs 19.81 lakh. It will continue to rival the Hyundai Creta, Tata Sierra, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder and Honda Elevate.