The Kia Seltos was supposed to be Kia’s latest attempt at penetrating the compact CUV segment and while the Seltos did manage to get a respectable amount of sales during its time in production. There’s no denying that the current generation Seltos is beginning to look dated.

Kia is out to recitfy this with the 2027 Seltos which blends old and new features into a new CUV that will finally put the nameplate in the same design space as some of its bigger brandmates.

New styling brings Seltos closer to Telluride

The 2027 Seltos rides on Kia’s new K3 platform and this new underpinning allows the CUV to be larger than before with the Seltos also getting a bump in both width and wheelbase. This newfound width is noticeable in the front grille, with the 2027 Seltos getting a reworked front fascia that not only gets a bigger grille, but also sharper lighting elements, newfound creases, and a flowing roofline that gives it a sportier look than before.

This look also brings it closer to the bigger Telluride and this is also reflected in the interior which gets heavily revamped for the 2027 model year. Dual 12.3-inc screens dominate the dashboard while the squircle steering wheel is less extreme than what we have seen in other Kia models. Thankfully, Kia did retain some analog controls with the bulk of them being reserved for the climate control system.

Familiar powertrains carryover

With the exterior and the interior being heavily revamped, Kia chose to play it safe when it came to performance hardware with the 2027 Seltos still offering three familiar engines. A naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine continues to be the base engine but it’s joined by two 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. In the U.S. the Seltos gets two engines and we suspect they will match the 147 and 190 hp ratings seen in the current model.

The turbocharged engine will continue to be offered with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive will also continue to be an option. A hybrid model is also coming with this version of the Seltos getting a powertrain that will feature Vehicle to Load capability. Details were sparse but there’s a chance the Seltos might borrow the Niro’s powertrain to help make it all work. Kia will continue to offer the Seltos in EX, LX, and SX trims, with GT-Line and X-Line trims also available that serve as style options in the family. The Seltos can also receive OTA updates and comes bundled with an AI assistant feature.

When can I buy one?

Kia didn’t reveal pricing for the 2027 Seltos but the new CUV will go on sale early next year with the brand starting production in December. In the meantime, the 2026 Seltos will continue to hold down the fort and we suspect the 2027 version won’t stray too far away from the exiting pricing ladder with those models having a base price of $25,135.