The all-new Kia Seltos has officially made its global debut, featuring a bolder and more assertive design. The Korean automaker shared that the next-generation Seltos embodies Kia’s vision of a confident and versatile subcompact crossover SUV, developed under its Opposites United design language.
Design-wise, the all-new Kia Seltos comes with a bolder exterior, and the difference is night and day as compared to the first-generation model that’s currently available in the Philippines. The leap in design is expected since the Seltos, which just made its global debut, is an all-new model.
Up front, the all-new Kia Seltos has a wide grille that’s finished in black, which shares a bit of similarity to the next-gen Kia Telluride. The most striking design detail on the all-new Seltos is arguably its headlights and daytime running lights that give the vehicle a modern and futuristic look. Rounding up the front end is the refined bumper that’s integrated with black cladding and a silver trim.
Turning at the side, the second-generation Kia Seltos comes with crisp character lines as well as prominent wheel arches and a contrasting body cladding in black and silver. The side mirrors come with a two-tone finish, adding style points to the vehicle, while the flush door handles make the all-new Seltos a sleek-looking car. It also comes with a floating roofline, roof rails, a two-tone roof, and a shark-fin antenna.
The rear is equally assertive as the front and the side profile, and we can’t help but notice that the 2026 Kia Seltos’ taillight pattern looks similar to the EV5. The vertical taillights that extend across the tailgate give the Seltos a distinctive look.
In terms of size, the all-new Kia Seltos measures 4,430mm long, 1,830mm wide, and 1,600mm tall, along with a wheelbase of 2,690mm. To put those numbers in perspective, the next-gen Seltos is shorter but wider than the old model. The all-new Seltos also comes with an increased wheelbase, translating to a roomier cabin space.
Of note, the all-new 2026 Kia Seltos comes with different trims: Standard, X-Line (with dark gunmetal finishes), and GT-Line (sportier aesthetics).
Inside, the all-new Kia Seltos has a refined cabin, featuring a modern and sleek look. Its dashboard comes with a clean-looking layout that’s integrated with dual 12.3-inch screens (digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen). Meanwhile, the air con vents are seamlessly fitted into the dashboard, creating a sleek and clean dashboard finish.
Kia also decided to equip the Seltos with a column-type Shift-by-Wire gear selector, which frees up the center console, translating to a more spacious cabin. The Seltos also features a customizable 64-color mood lighting, Harman Kardon and Bose audio systems, head-up display, and Over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Safety-wise, the all-new Kia Seltos comes with a suite of advanced driver-assistance features that includes the following: Highway Driving Assist 2, Lane Following Assist 2, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, Safe Exit Warning, Surround View Monitor, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse, and Parking Distance Warning-Front/Side/Reverse.
Powering the 2026 Kia Seltos is a choice of three engine options. The first option is a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that puts out 178 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque, paired with either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a six-speed manual.
The second option is a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that delivers 190 hp and 265 Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The third one is a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that produces 145 hp and 179 Nm.
Kia added that the all-new Seltos can be had with all-wheel drive (depending on the variant). Drive modes available for the Seltos include Eco, Normal, and Sport.
A hybrid Seltos variant will join the lineup in 2026, along with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality for powering external devices. Global production of the all-new Seltos begins in December 2025, starting with India, followed by launches in Korea, North America, Europe, and China throughout 2026.
