South Korean car maker Kia Motors has begun testing the second generation Seltos mid-size SUV. Spyshots of the new Seltos show that styling will be inspired by the Telluride – a much larger SUV that Kia sells in markets abroad. Here’s a speculative render that shows what the new Seltos will look like, with a design inspired by the Telluride.
As the render indicates, the new Seltos gets a butch front-end, making it look more SUV-like than crossover-ish. It’s a clean departure from the current version of the Seltos, which has distinct crossover-ish cues.
The front grille is larger, flatter and more prominent while the sculpted bonnet slopes down, but just enough to retain the snub-nosed look that’s very typical of larger SUVs. The headlamps are no longer sleek units that wrap around the front-end but large, rectangular LEDs with daytime running lights around them.
The turn indicators seem to sit on the edges of the front bumper, and seem to double up as daytime running LEDs. So, the new Kia Seltos could get plenty of lighting up front, giving it a very distinct look. The bumper gets a large air dam while wheel arches remain round rather than square, at least in the render.
Squarish wheel arches on the production versions of the new Seltos will give is a more SUV-like appearance. Ideally, this cue should make it to the production version but even the test mules – as evidenced by the spyshots – seem to operate with round wheel arches.
There’s cladding around the car, beginning from the lower part of the front bumper, moving to the sides and then to the rear of the car. A matte finish for the cladding is likely, and this will add some more ‘SUV’ character to the new Seltos. To sum up the design, the new Kia Seltos promises to be more butch and imposing than before. SUV lovers are going to dig this!
Under the hood, Kia Motors is expected to bring in a petrol strong hybrid powertrain that will deliver the best of both worlds: high performance and stellar fuel efficiency. More details on the strong hybrid motor are awaited. For now, speculation suggests a 1.6 liter unit that pushes out 141 Bhp-265 Nm, which should be ample for the Seltos’ size.
On whether Kia Motors will continue offering the current range of engines – the 1.5 liter naturally aspirated and turbocharged petrols, and the 1.5 liter turbo diesel – remains to be seen. Automatic and manual gearbox options will be standard with whatever engines Kia is expected to offer on the new Seltos, just as is the case currently.
Expect Kia to offer a host of segment-leading safety and luxury features on the new Seltos, underscoring the SUV’s appeal to those who want a feature-rich SUV that combines butch looks, thrilling performance and sophisticated interiors.
The new Seltos is expected to make its international debut by the middle or end of next year (2025), followed by an India launch in 2026. The Seltos has been a best seller in India, and the new version will hope to build upon this. What’s not known is whether an all-electric model would join the new Seltos’ range. The possibility of that happening remains high.
