2027 Kia Seltos and Seltos Hybrid First Drive + Video

I don’t know much about sports, but here’s a fun fact: The Kia Tigers are the most successful team in Korean baseball, so maybe that’s why, now that the Seltos is entering its second generation, the automaker is swinging for the fences.

Having already set the bar high for itself, and with competitors turning up the heat, it’s obvious that Kia has overhauled the 2027 Seltos with the goal of making it a segment leader. To continue with the baseball analogy, Kia’s got the bases loaded and is gearing up for a grand slam.

The Bold and the Boxy

In its quest to be the best, Kia updated the Seltos with a dramatically different boxy look that helps it stand out among its more bubbly competitors. Features like a bold, in-your-face upright grille, sharp lines, flush door handles (which I don’t love because they’re just not as practical as conventional ones), unique, futuristic lighting signatures, available matte paint finishes with big 18- and 19-inch wheels, and proper SUV proportions help it look a lot more aggressive and upmarket.

The interior is also drastically improved with more soft-touch materials and less hard black plastic. Higher trims get a two-tone interior that makes it look even nicer than some more expensive vehicles, and taking it even further, the Seltos offers equipment we’re more used to seeing in premium vehicles. Features like a huge sunroof, a chunky squared-off steering wheel, ventilated front seats, driver’s seat memory, a large colour head-up display, wireless phone charging, USB-C charging ports for every occupant, customizable ambient lighting with 64 colours, phone-as-key functionality, a panoramic parking camera, and a household electrical outlet in the trunk (for hybrid models) stand out as being unique in this segment.

The new safety features are also taken from more expensive vehicles: safe exit alert to prevent passengers from opening a door if there’s an oncoming vehicle or cyclist, forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot cameras, and junction turning assist that warns of incoming vehicles at an intersection.

Bigger Inside and Out

The new Seltos is longer, taller, wider, and sits on a longer wheelbase than before, which translates into a roomier cabin with more space for passengers and cargo.

The Seltos is classified as a subcompact crossover, but its newfound size puts it at the top of its segment in terms of space. While the Subaru Crosstrek’s larger size helped make it an award-winner in its category, the Seltos now offers a segment-leading 786 L behind the second row and 1,817 L with the back seats folded flat. Both figures have increased over the previous-generation model, and that’s a good lead over the Crosstrek’s 564 L behind its back seats and 1,549 L with them folded.

The trunk floor can also be lowered for more upright space or placed on a higher shelf for a flat load floor and more hidden underfloor storage.

The cabin has a new bin in the centre console with retractable cup holders that can be hidden ato hold larger items or deployed for beverages. There’s also a similar setup for the rear seats, making the storage space more versatile.

My 6-foot-6 co-driver during this media drive event had plenty of room in both front seats, and had plenty of headroom to spare even with the huge sunroof. While he couldn’t fit comfortably in the back behind his driver's seat position, there was still a lot more room in the rear than expected, and it was much more spacious than other vehicles in this segment for someone so tall.

The infotainment screens are also bigger, but thankfully the Seltos retains physical buttons and toggles for shortcuts and climate control that, along with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, ensure the Seltos doesn’t compromise on its user-friendliness.

Three Powertrains to Pick From

The new Kia Seltos becomes one of the rare subcompact crossovers to offer a trio of powertrains: an affordable 2.0L four-cylinder with a continuously-variable transmission (CVT), a punchier turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and an efficient hybrid powertrain with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is new for this generation.

The hybrid makes 141 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, though these numbers weren't yet confirmed for Canada at the time of this writing. The real draw with the hybrid, however, is that it uses an electric all-wheel drive (e-AWD) system. It uses an electric motor to drive the rear wheels when needed, providing extra traction without a significant impact on fuel economy. This is the first time this setup has been used in a Kia, but expect it to make its way to other vehicles in the lineup because it just makes so much sense.

The Seltos Hybrid is unique in its segment for pairing its powertrain with a more traditional automatic transmission rather than a CVT, which has traditionally been favoured for its efficiency. The transmission helps the hybrid feel more responsive, but under heavy acceleration or when driving up a hill, it struggles a bit to drop a gear and gets quite noisy, which isn’t out of the ordinary but isn't the most refined, either.

In normal driving, the hybrid is smooth and well-mannered with good steering feel, regenerative braking that feels natural, a well-sorted and comfortable suspension, and all packaged in a footprint that makes it easy to manoeuvre. Power delivery from a stop could be improved, but passing power is decent.

The 2.0L and 1.6L turbo engines are carryovers from the last generation. New output figures weren't confirmed for Canadian models as of this writing, but the outgoing Seltos made 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque and 195 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, respectively.

Official fuel economy figures weren't yet released, either, but the hybrid proved very promising, with a front-wheel-drive version averaging 5.4 L/100 km over a 150-km drive mostly on the highway, which is not typically where hybrids are most efficient. A nearly 100-km drive with the 1.6L turbo with AWD finished with an indicated average of 8.0 L/100 km.

The Seltos joins the Toyota Corolla Cross and Subaru Crosstrek as the only vehicles in this segment to offer a hybrid option. The Seltos’s more premium and practical interior, better driving dynamics, and standout style might give it a leg up on its competitors.

Final Thoughts

Canadian pricing for the new 2027 Kia Seltos wasn't available at the time of this writing, but the non-hybrid models are expected to arrive in showrooms this summer, with the hybrid model joining in the autumn. If Kia prices the new Seltos smartly, it has all the right ingredients to be the segment leader. And even if the price goes up (which it probably will), the more upscale features, efficient new hybrid powertrain, and overall packaging will do a lot to make it feel worth it. The new Kia Seltos is incredibly well-rounded and almost flawlessly executed. I wouldn’t be surprised if it racks up a bunch of “best-in-class” awards, the automotive equivalent of a World Series title.