2027 Kia Seltos pricing: Hybrid SUV arrives from under $40,000 drive-away

The second-generation Kia Seltos range is due to hit Australian showrooms later this month, priced from $39,990 drive-away.

Full specifications will be revealed "soon", or closer to the new SUV's arrival, though we do know the range will be split across four main trim levels, and be offered exclusively with hybrid powertrains.

The Australian lineup will again kick off with a base S, which like the related Kia K4 will be available with an optional Safety Pack (details again TBC); followed by familiar Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line grades.

All versions for Australia will be powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, with only the flagship GT-Line offering an electrified all-wheel drive (e-AWD) option.

That launch pricing structure puts the Seltos HEV around $4500 under the base pricing of the larger and more powerful Sportage HEV (from $44,490 D/A), while the Seltos' price of entry has risen by more than $4000 compared to the ageing, petrol-only first-generation Seltos that's in runout.

Kia has matched the base pricing of the related Hyundai Kona Hybrid (from $39,990 D/A), though the Seltos adopts an updated version of the same 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain, and uniquely offers the new electrified all-wheel drive system.

Other key rivals include the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (from $37,440 plus on-roads), GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid (from $32,990 D/A), Chery C5 Hybrid (from $31,990 D/A), MG ZS Hybrid+ (from $29,990 D/A), Nissan Qashqai e-Power (from $45,850 + ORCs), and Jaecoo J5 SHS-H (from $34,990 D/A).

While final specifications for local models are still to be detailed, Kia Australia has previously confirmed the new Seltos will get localised suspension and steering tunes for "a more responsive, firmly damped and with reduced body roll for local Australian tastes... [including] adjustments made to the damper and spring rates, with a different steering tune".

Front-wheel drive versions will get a 113kW/265Nm 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder hybrid setup, while e-AWD models will add another electric motor on the rear axle for electrified AWD, with system power boosted to around 133kW.

The Kia Seltos is the first model from the Hyundai Motor Group to utilise the new electrified AWD (e-AWD) setup.

Expect variations of the connected car navigation cockpit (ccNC) across the lineup, with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen as well as an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. In some other Kia models, the high-end digital cluster is swapped out for a more basic LCD version with a 4.3-inch screen.

Otherwise, expect a full complement of airbags, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic assists, and a reversing camera to be standard across the range, with up-spec models adding premium features like Kia's Blind Spot View Monitor camera feeds, surround-view camera system, and the semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist system with automated Lane Change Assist.

We also already know the Australian-delivered Seltos range won't offer the vehicle-to-load function available in overseas markets, as our market has a preference for spare wheels – according to Kia Australia.

Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Kia Seltos coverage in the coming weeks.

Pricing

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