2027 Kia Seltos: "No plans" for cheaper, petrol-only small SUV

Kia Australia says it won't be introducing versions of the new Seltos with petrol-only or mild-hybrid powertrains to lower the price of entry to the all-new small SUV lineup any time soon.

Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the second-generation Seltos range, senior manager for product planning at Kia Australia, Raymond Pok, said that opting for an all-hybrid lineup Down Under is "the right fit".

"I think at this point we don't have any firm plans on introducing any other alternative powertrains that are available globally," Mr Pok told CarExpert.

"Often we do have a number of powertrains that we might be able to select from, but we're pretty confident in Seltos Hybrid, and we think it's the right fit for Seltos, and it's the right fit, most importantly, for the Australian market."

Mr Pok added that the Korean brand has seen an uptick in hybrid demand across its other SUV model lines, namely the Sportage mid-size SUV.

"We think that's where the market's at," Mr Pok said.

Pricing for the 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid (HEV) starts from $37,990 plus on-road costs or $39,990 drive-away, compared to the $31,250 plus ORCs starting point for its petrol-only predecessor.

In overseas markets like Europe, the Seltos is available with an updated version of the 1.6-litre T-GDI four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from its predecessor, outputting 132kW/265Nm and offering the choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Meanwhile, the Korean domestic market gets a 142kW/265Nm version of the same engine paired with an eight-speed automatic, offering both front-wheel drive and AWD options.

All versions of the new Seltos in Australia are powered by a 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain familiar from the likes of the now-defunct-in-Australia Niro HEV, as well as the Hyundai Kona and i30 Sedan HEVs.

In the Seltos, which gets the latest version of this hybrid system, it makes 112kW/265Nm in FWD form and 126kW with the new e-AWD version, which adds a second 50kW electric motor on the rear axle.

Fuel consumption is rated between 5.1-5.8L/100km depending on the grade, with CO2 emissions quoted at 115-131g/km. The previous-generation Seltos quoted 6.9-7.4L/100km depending on variant, based on official figures.

The Seltos is also one of the first models in the Kia lineup to be subject to an updated ADR compliance test method, which more closely aligns local fuel and energy consumption claims with the newer, more accurate WLTP standard, rather than the outdated NEDC system.

Kia's local representatives made a point to acknowledge this, given the Seltos' higher official fuel consumption versus the related Kona Hybrid (3.9L/100km), which bases its fuel economy claim on the previous test method.

As such, the company claims owners should expect indicated fuel consumption to be much closer, if not bang-on the official claim in the real world, unlike vehicles rated under the NEDC standard which usually return much more variance in real-world use.

Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive review of the new Kia Seltos HEV on Friday, November 6.

MORE: Explore the Kia Seltos showroom