The mid-size SUV segment is among the most competitive spaces in our market
A prominent virtual rendering allegedly encapsulates a near-production iteration of the upcoming new-gen Kia Seltos. Seltos has been an extremely successful product from the Korean car marque in India. Remember, it started the operations for Kia in our market back in August 2019. Thereafter, Kia launched cars like the Sonet, Carens, Carnival, EV6, Clavis EV and Syros. Over the years, it attained the title of the fastest foreign carmaker to reach 1 million (10 lakh) sales in just 59 months. The global debut of the new Seltos is slated for the first quarter of 2026. For now, let us take a look at the details of the new Seltos’ rendering.
New-Gen Kia Seltos Rendered
This image surfaced from koreancarblog on Instagram. The visuals capture a rather professional illustration of the upcoming new-gen Kia Seltos. In fact, the post description mentions that this rendition is almost 90% similar to what the production model will look like. I must admit I don’t have enough information to prove or disprove this claim. In any case, this image certainly encapsulates the latest global design language from Kia. At the front, we witness the striking and sleek LED DRLs on the extreme edges of the bumper with a massive Tiger Nose grille in the centre.
The LED headlamps are neatly tucked inside the extreme corners of the grille with additional LED DRLs. Down below, the skid plate adds a component of ruggedness. We also get a glimpse of the side section with sturdy body claddings, prominent wheel arches, elegant alloy wheel design, faux roof rails, black side pillars, etc. Unfortunately, the tail section is not entirely visible in these images. Apart from that, we can expect the new Seltos to come loaded with the latest tech, connectivity, convenience and safety features.
Expected Specs
This is an interesting aspect since the global model might come equipped with a hybrid mill and an all-wheel-drive configuration. We know that the Indian version has the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine with manual and automatic transmissions. These are borrowed from the Hyundai Creta. I must say that it would be quite interesting to see if the Korean auto giant decides to introduce a hybrid mill to challenge the Maruti Grand Vitara and Victoris.
Editor’s Note
Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor
Having closely tracked Kia’s journey in India since the original Seltos debuted in 2019, I can confidently say this model remains the brand’s strongest pillar in our market. A new-generation Seltos will have to do more than just look sharper, it must evolve meaningfully to fend off the growing onslaught from hybrid-powered rivals and an increasingly tech-focused SUV segment. If Kia brings the hybrid and AWD options seen abroad, it could not only future-proof the Seltos but also reaffirm its position as the benchmark in the midsize SUV space.
Also Read: New Maruti Victoris vs Kia Seltos – Which SUV To Buy?
