2027 Kia Seltos Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Kia sells the new Seltos in LX, S, EX, X-Line S, and X-Line SX trim levels, at prices ranging from $26,485 to $34,285, including the $1,495 destination charge. Both X-Line versions include standard all-wheel drive (AWD), which is a pricey option for the LX, S, and EX at $1,700. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard on those models. The top-shelf X-Line SX gets a turbocharged engine.

We spent a week test-driving the X-Line SX in Southern California. It had the Prestige Package ($2,500), which includes a long list of desirable features such as the fanciest dashboard displays, a Harman Kardon premium sound system, ventilated front seats, camera-based visibility aids, and Highway Driving Assist technology. That package, plus carpeted floor mats, a cargo cover, and a first-aid kit, brought the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to $37,190.

That’s steep for a small SUV, but the X-Line SX rarely looks or feels like it should cost less. Occasionally, drivers will spot something that reminds them of how affordable the base LX trim level is, but otherwise the top-of-the-line model seems worth the money.

For starters, the Seltos sure doesn’t look cheap. The styling is a terrific mashup of Kia EV9 and Kia Telluride elements, shrunk down to the Seltos’ compact size. The Seltos looks technical and tough, and the Terrain Brown paint resulted in at least one conversation with a pedestrian who stopped in his tracks at the sight of this Kia.

Inside, the EV9/Telluride theme continues with an available panoramic display screen, simple but intuitive controls, and quality materials. The transmission shifter feels solid and smooth, conveying a sense of excellence and attention to detail that extends to the robust interior door handle pulls, the SynTex artificial leather upholstery, and the overall build quality.

However, even with its panoramic glass sunroof letting in extra light, the X-Line SX model’s Saturn Black interior is dark and dreary. It's begging for a high-contrast light gray or amber brown color option to elevate the cabin beyond the competition.

Every 2027 Seltos except the X-Line SX is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The LX, S, and EX trims have a torsion-beam rear suspension in FWD form. With AWD, Kia swaps that for a more sophisticated multi-link independent rear suspension.

While we spent most of our time in an AWD X-Line SX model, we also briefly sampled a Seltos EX with FWD. Because the 2.0-liter makes only 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, it is slow when merging onto a fast-flowing freeway, for passing other vehicles, or for accelerating up a hill. In those situations, the CVT creates quite a racket, too, and the ride isn’t as composed due to the unsophisticated rear suspension design. However, for a typical small SUV buyer in typical driving situations, it's an adequate powertrain.

The X-Line SX introduces a rousing turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, whipping up 190 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with an eight-speed automatic and a torque-vectoring AWD system with a 4WD Lock function and a Terrain driving mode. This model sits on 19-inch wheels and offers 8.1 inches of ground clearance, but likely isn’t a suitable replacement for a Subaru Crosstrek for those planning to travel far from civilization.

A Seltos Hybrid is scheduled to arrive in early 2027. At the time of writing, Kia hadn’t announced many details about it, other than to confirm that it will use a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an available e-AWD system. If that gas engine is turbocharged, like the one in the larger Kia Sportage Hybrid, the Seltos Hybrid will offer plenty of power and impressive fuel economy.

In the meantime, for those who can’t wait and don’t mind the X-Line SX’s official EPA fuel economy rating of 26 mpg in combined city and highway driving, we think it’s satisfying to drive. In Normal mode, it averaged 26.5 mpg on our Southern California fuel-economy evaluation route, which is a 50:50 mix of city and highway driving in a relatively flat area.

However, the powertrain can seem a little lazy in Normal mode. There's a small delay in response when accelerating from a stop or when turning left across traffic, and the transmission resists downshifting when trying to pass or quickly change lanes. Switching to Sport mode cures much of that behavior, but may result in added fuel consumption.

On the 405 freeway in West Los Angeles, the Seltos soaked up expansion joints and bridge crossings that can cause a jittery ride in many vehicles, but on the lumpy mountain roads laced across the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, the Seltos rocked, rolled, and bounced. With the optional independent rear suspension, the handling is secure and the Seltos is even tossable, but all of that body motion could cause passengers to feel a little ill on imperfect roads.

The new Seltos shines brightest in urban environments. With its small size, boxy dimensions, tall ride height, and impressive outward visibility, it’s a snap to park and maneuver. In thick traffic, it's easy to see all around, including a good distance forward to tell when other vehicles ahead are slowing down.

One of the best things about the new Kia Seltos is its interior space. Four large adults easily fit into this small SUV, and kids of all ages will think the back seat is particularly spacious. Not only that, but the cargo area is especially practical, offering nearly as much utility as some compact crossovers in the next class up.

Our loaded test vehicle had heated and ventilated front seats, a thick-rimmed heated steering wheel, and seemingly endless power adjustments to ensure a driver could find a perfect seating position. Even lower trim levels are well-equipped, though; the standard manual seat-height adjuster for the front passenger seat is a particularly thoughtful touch that other automakers miss.

The Prestige Package adds a “relaxation seat” mode for the driver, which lowers and reclines the seat, apparently for napping or watching streaming video through the center touchscreen display.

Rear seat room is remarkably spacious for this segment, and the seat is comfortable for longer trips thanks to a bottom cushion shaped to provide proper leg support. Our test vehicle even had rear air conditioning vents, dual USB charging ports, and a center armrest equipped with cupholders.

Though Kia uses a traditional PRNDL shifter in the Seltos, storage space is reasonably good. Each door panel has a small tray embedded into the armrest with bottle holders nestled into the lower pockets, and the bin under the center armrest is a decent size. Kia tucks a wireless smartphone charger under the dashboard ahead of the shifter, and it has a rubber surface to stop devices from sliding off when rounding a corner.

An optional “smart” hands-free power liftgate opens after a few seconds as long as the key fob is close. Unlike kick-activated systems, the smart liftgate doesn't require the driver to wave a foot under the bumper or bump an elbow into a sensor to activate it, so both feet remain planted while both hands are full. However, it also means that those who linger behind the Seltos might unintentionally cause the liftgate to open (automatic opening can be turned off).

When the liftgate does open, it reveals up to 27.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat. The load floor is a dual-level design, meaning it can be kept in a raised position with hidden storage underneath, or dropped to maximize carrying capacity. With the load floor down, a full-size suitcase loaded on its side fits into the Seltos under the optional cargo cover without any trouble.

Fold the back seat down, and the Seltos can hold 64.2 cubic feet of cargo. For comparison purposes, the Subaru Forester—which is in the class above—offers 69.1 cubic feet behind the first row when equipped with a panoramic sunroof, and 27.5 cubic feet behind the back seat.

Our test vehicle had an impressive panoramic display containing a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a 5-inch climate control panel, and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The latter is standard for 2027, but the driver display and climate panel are not.

We found that the steering wheel blocks the driver's ability to see the climate panel, but that’s an issue only when the front and rear defog/defrost functions are required, or when activating or deactivating the automatic mode. Kia provides toggles on the dashboard for temperature adjustment, fan speed, and fan mode. Likewise, there is a physical volume knob, steering wheel controls for volume and radio tuning, and large shortcut buttons for the infotainment system’s primary menus and settings. Drivers can also program the Star button as a custom shortcut.

The infotainment system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Kia Connect connected services. Our test car came with a complimentary three-year subscription to the Kia Connect Ultimate plan, which equips the Seltos with numerous safety and convenience features such as Kia Connect Voice Assist voice recognition. We found it accurate but slow to respond, so we mostly relied on Apple CarPlay, which worked flawlessly.

One feature we really like about the Seltos, and Kias in general, is Leading Vehicle Departure Alert. When the car is sitting in traffic, at an intersection waiting for a light to change, during the commute on a freeway, or in a long drive-thru line, this feature will notify the driver when the vehicle ahead has started moving again. Worth noting: it won't prevent honking if the Seltos happens to be first in line.

As buyers would expect in a brand-new vehicle, the Seltos is equipped with a generous list of standard driver assistance features. However, a neither blind-spot monitoring system nor rear cross-traffic alert is available with the base LX trim level. For that reason alone, we recommend upgrading to the Seltos S, which also has a safe-exit warning system.

Forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking with intersection turning assist, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-centering assist are standard on all trim levels. When using the latter feature, the standard hands-on-detection steering wheel reduces system warnings to keep the driver's hands on the wheel, minimizing distraction and annoyance.

Adaptive cruise control is also standard, with Kia’s Highway Driving Assist (HDA) technology available with the Prestige Package on the X-Line SX. We used HDA extensively, and while it can struggle in moderate traffic on LA's densely packed multi-lane freeways, it demonstrates remarkable sophistication in lighter traffic. And that hands-on steering wheel detection feature makes HDA a real pleasure to use.

The Prestige Package also adds a camera-based blind-spot monitor that shows a live camera view of the blind spots within the digital instrumentation panel. It’s a neat feature, but we don’t find it replaces checking the side mirrors and the traditional blind-spot warning lights and notifications.

A surround-view camera system is also a part of the Prestige Package, along with additional side parking sensors and rear automatic braking. We experienced the latter feature while reversing into a parking space with people gathered behind the SUV; it was jarring and unpleasant, but effective.

At the time of writing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not published safety ratings for the 2027 Seltos.

Considering this small crossover SUV’s appealing design, cavernous cabin, and impressive technology, it seems like a bargain even before factoring in Kia’s generous 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain, five-year/60,000-mile standard warranty, and five-year/60,000-mile complimentary roadside assistance coverage. The test vehicle’s free three-year Kia Connect Ultimate plan subscription is also a $720 value (it normally costs $20 per month).

However, our X-Line SX Prestige test vehicle’s MSRP of $37,190 is an eye-popper that makes a case for investigating Kia’s own Sportage lineup in addition to larger alternatives from other automakers.

Still, among its competitors, the top-of-the-line Seltos is not alone in this price territory. For example, a similarly equipped but less powerful Toyota Corolla Cross runs almost $36,000, and a turbocharged Mazda CX-30 that’s much smaller inside costs almost $40,000, so our test vehicle’s price is not extraordinary in context.

That said, if cost effectiveness is a priority, we think buyers should wait for the upcoming 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid. It might not cost less to buy, but it should save money at the gas pump and seems like it will offer a more satisfying driving experience.