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The Kia Seltos small SUV will follow the Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Qashqai in going hybrid-only in Australia.
The first new-generation Kia model to completely ditch petrol-only engines in Australia has been confirmed, amid tightening regulations and increased customer demand for hybrids.
Due in local Kia showrooms between October and December this year, the 2027 Kia Seltos will introduce a petrol-electric hybrid system to the small SUV – and it will be the only powertrain on offer, similar to the Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Qashqai.
Related to the K4 hatch and sedan, as well as the Hyundai Kona, the second-generation Seltos will exclusively feature a 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid system, as offered in the Kona.
Overseas, the Seltos will retain its familiar 2.0-litre non-turbo and 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine options, but "future proofing" – including Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) and the Euro 6d emissions standard – has seen them ruled out for Australia.
The Seltos hybrid will be offered in front- or all-wheel drive, marking the first time a Kia hybrid model has been offered with all-wheel-drive traction through a rear electric motor – similar to an electric vehicle, or a Toyota Corolla Cross AWD – rather than a mechanical linkage.
European specifications indicate the Kia Seltos hybrid will have a 113kW combined system output in front-wheel-drive guise, or 131kW with its electronic all-wheel-drive (E-AWD) system.
Combined fuel consumption is expected to be around 4.0 litres per 100 kilometres, similar to the Kona hybrid (3.9L/100km), under current Australian testing standards.
However, Australia will introduce the more-stringent WLTP criteria for new vehicles from 1 July 2026, which could see its windscreen sticker read a slightly higher figure that is more reflective of real-world driving conditions.
Kia Australia has confirmed the 2WD hybrid retains a space-saver spare wheel – matching the current model – while the AWD is expected to feature a tyre repair kit, due to the fitment of its rear electric motor.
Australian-market versions will miss out on the vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality available in the Seltos hybrid overseas, and commonly seen on fully electric vehicles such as the EV3, EV4, EV5 and EV6, to power electronic devices and small appliances from its high-voltage battery pack.
Kia Australia said this is because the power inverter for the V2L function is installed under the boot floor, where the spare wheel in the FWD model will sit.
The Seltos AWD will also lack V2L support "due to trim complexity," a Kia Australia spokesperson said.
It also debuts a more advanced regenerative braking system for a Kia hybrid vehicle, which "automatically adjusts regenerative braking based on traffic flow and navigation data to optimise energy recovery".
Neither ANCAP or its Euro NCAP counterpart are yet to assess the new-generation Seltos under its latest 2026-2028 testing criteria, but Kia Australia admits it's targeting a dual four- and five-star rating, similar to the K4.
A split ANCAP rating would likely result from the fitment of fewer crash-avoidance technologies to entry-level Seltos grades, rather than physical differences.
The brand has confirmed it will conduct a localised ride-and-handling tune for the new-generation Seltos to improve dynamics on "urban and rough country roads".
Kia Australia chief executive officer Damien Meredith said the second-generation Seltos will meet "the evolving needs of Australian new-car buyers, many of whom are now seriously considering the move to a hybrid vehicle for the first time".
"We are confident that production from Korea factory ensures we can deliver a consistent and high-quality product, that our customers have come to expect from a Kia vehicle," Meredith added.
"This new generation of the Seltos reinforces Kia’s commitment to expanding our electrified vehicle portfolio, delivering a more advanced package that will appeal to both private and fleet customers."
The latest model is longer and wider than the current Seltos, with a longer wheelbase, resulting in increased head and shoulder room in the front, and more head, leg and shoulder room in the rear.
Its luggage capacity has also increased by 15 litres to 483 litres, in versions with a space-saver spare wheel.
Features listed for Australia include a 12.3-inch ccNC infotainment touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, second-row reclining seats, and a steering wheel-column-mounted gear selector.
New technology available globally includes digital phone key support, a windscreen-projected head-up display, 64-colour interior ambient lighting, 100-watt USB-C charge ports, semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist 2, and a ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant.
More Australian details on the 2027 Kia Seltos, including pricing and specifications, will be confirmed closer to local showroom arrivals between October and December this year.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
