The next generation Kia Seltos was teased ahead of its Dec. 10 debut and, like a bride, wears something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
The latter might be a bit of an exaggeration, as the seafoam-colored exterior paint may be a little greener.
Still, there’s a lot that’s familiar here – the Seltos’ boxy, upright proportions and its signature D-pillar, as well as design details from Kia’s electric vehicles like the EV5, including the large, thin and angular taillights and flush door handles.
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However, the new Seltos manages to avoid looking like an EV5 clone with some unique design features like the small lighting elements integrated into the grille.
The slim, vertically oriented headlights give it a familial resemblance to other recently launched Kias without making the Seltos look like a clone.
“The design combines the rugged heritage of previous ICE SUVs with the clean, aerodynamic sophistication of Kia’s latest electric vehicles,” the company says in a press release, noting that the Seltos is “guided by Kia’s Opposites United design philosophy.”
Kia will stream the Seltos unveiling on its YouTube channel.
The second-generation Seltos will offer a “wider range of exterior color options” as well as “distinctive features such as X-Line and GT-Line”.
It replaces the current model, which was launched in 2019 and is one of Australia’s best-selling small SUVs.
The Seltos will get a hybrid powertrain like its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Kona… although Kia already has a small hybrid SUV in the Niro, which also has an electric version that overlaps with the EV3.
According to reports from Korea, the new Seltos Hybrid will feature the same powertrain as the Kona Hybrid but offer the option of an electronic all-wheel drive (E-AWD) system.
The purely front-wheel drive Kona Hybrid combines a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine with a 32 kW/172 Nm electric motor, a 1.32 kWh battery and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The total output of the system is 104 kW and 265 Nm.
The traditional gasoline powertrain is also expected to remain. The current Seltos is offered with either a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine or a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine.
The Seltos is Kia’s small SUV in most markets, including China, India and the US. However, in most European markets, Kia instead offers the Xceed, which is based on the Ceed subcompact car, which is being phased out.
MORE: Explore the Kia Seltos showroom
