Kia Seltos won't be the brand's top seller due to supply – CEO

Kia Australia isn't expecting its new all-hybrid Seltos small SUV to become a runaway sales success like the related Hyundai Kona, because initial supply will be tight.

Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid range, the local boss of the Korean auto brand, Dennis Piccoli, said not to expect the Kona's current sales rate of about 1500-2000 per month due to global demand.

"There are [supply] restrictions because it has been launched abroad and it has been going really well – so I think there there's capacity constraints clearly," Mr Piccoli said.

"So 2000 a month, I think, with a little bit of lobbying and negotiating and going back and forth, it's a distinct possibility. But at this point in time, the first step is to get it to around 1000 [per month] or thereabouts, and then we go from there beyond that."

Last year the Kona was the top-seller in the VFACTS small SUV under $45,000 category with 22,769 registrations, putting it ahead of the Chery Tiggo 4 (20,149) and MG ZS (20,000).

That's an average of just under 1900 units registered per month, with 10,407 of those (or 45.7 per cent) being sales of the Kona Hybrid.

With that in mind, Mr Piccoli's initial projection of up to 1000 units per month is actually around the same running rate as the Kona Hybrid, and would rank the Seltos among Australia's top-selling self-charging hybrid nameplates based on last year's figures.

Kia's second-generation Seltos is based on the same Hyundai Motor Group 'K3' compact platform as the Kona, which also underpins the Kia K4 and Niro, as well as the Hyundai i30 Sedan (Elantra/Avante).

The Seltos gets the latest version of the Korean automaker's's 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol-electric powertrain, which debuts electrified all-wheel drive (e-AWD) for the brand's compact hybrids.

Rather than a mechanical AWD setup with a physical connection from the engine and gearbox to the rear axle, the Seltos' e-AWD system adds a second electric traction motor on the rear axle.

For the time being, this drivetrain is exclusively available on the top-spec Seltos GT-Line from a pricey $55,490 drive-away. However, the FWD range kicks off from $39,990 drive-away.

Key rivals include the related Kona Hybrid (from $39,990 drive-away), in addition to the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (from $37,440 plus on-road costs), GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid (from $32,990 drive-away), Chery C5 Hybrid (from $31,990 drive-away), MG ZS Hybrid+ (from $29,990 drive-away), Nissan Qashqai e-Power (from $45,850 plus ORCs), and Jaecoo J5 SHS-H (from $34,990 drive-away).

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

MORE: Explore the Kia Seltos showroom