Second-gen Seltos is expected to get petrol-hybrid powertrain; India launch next year.
12 Nov 2025 | 7794 Views | By Akbar Merchant
The next-gen Kia Seltos will see a world premier next month. Kia’s answer to the Creta will be shown for the first time on December 10, according to Korean Car Blog. The new Kia Seltos India launch is expected to take place sometime in 2026 replacing the first-gen SUV ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
The next-gen Kia Seltos will see a world premier next month. Kia’s answer to the Creta will be shown for the first time on December 10, according to Korean Car Blog. The new Kia Seltos India launch is expected to take place sometime in 2026 replacing the first-gen SUV that made its global debut back in 2019 in India.
The new Kia Seltos (Codename: SP3) is expected to be a major step ahead in terms of powertrain, platform and technology over the first-gen model. Expected to sit on the same platform as the current-gen Creta, the new Seltos is expected to come with pure petrol and petrol-hybrid powertrain options globally. For India, there could be an inclusion of diesel engine options as well. There are talks of the new Seltos getting an e-AWD system too, however it remains to be seen whether it makes it to the one sold in India.
Kia has been evaluating petrol-hybrid powertrains for India and as reported earlier, the Seltos could be one of the first made-in-India Kia models to feature a petrol-hybrid powertrain, which will help Kia compete strongly with the likes of the Grand Vitara and the Hyryder SUVs that come with petrol hybrid powertrain, providing high fuel efficiency and lower emissions than others.
As far as styling goes, the new Seltos will be completely different from its predecessor and will feature latest design cues shared with current Kia models globally including the Kia EV5 and other SUVs like the recently unveiled Telluride. The new Seltos will have more of an upright and boxy look all around with a wide grille that has vertical slats that look similar to the styling direction seen on the Telluride. On the inside, expect a completely new interior with better quality materials, more tech and added cabin space along with a long list of features and creature comforts.
Expected to go on sale in India sometime next year, the new Kia Seltos will be pitted against the likes of the ever growing mid-size SUV segment that includes the upcoming Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Citroen C3X, VW Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq among other similarly sized SUVs.
Image source