Kia's new Seltos small SUV goes hybrid-only in Australia, priced from $39,990

The second-generation Kia Seltos will reach Australian showrooms as a hybrid-only small SUV, priced from $39,990 drive-away for the entry S variant. Kia will offer six variants locally, running through S, S with Safety Pack, Sport, Sport+, GT-Line FWD and GT-Line e-AWD, with only the flagship carrying the Hyundai Motor Group's new electrified all-wheel drive system.

The move marks a clean break from the petrol-only first-generation Seltos, and it comes at a cost: entry pricing has climbed by nearly $7000 compared with the previous model, a rise Kia offsets in part through the hybridised powertrain and higher equipment levels.

Six variants, one hybrid powertrain

Front-wheel drive versions use a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder hybrid powertrain producing a combined 112kW and 265Nm, paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. The petrol engine alone is rated at 74kW at 5700rpm and 139Nm at 3700rpm, while the electric motor contributes 45kW at 2200-2500rpm and 293Nm at 0-2000rpm.

The GT-Line e-AWD adds a second electric motor on the rear axle, rated at 50kW at 2600-6800rpm and 185Nm at 0-2400rpm, lifting system output to around 126kW. Kia quotes no system torque figure for the e-AWD.

Both drivetrains carry a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery, and both meet Euro 6 emissions standards. Kia's claimed fuel economy is 5.1L/100km for the S, 5.3L/100km for Sport and Sport+, 5.4L/100km for the GT-Line FWD and 5.8L/100km for the e-AWD, with CO2 emissions of 115-123g/km for front-drive models and 131g/km for the all-wheel drive. The fuel tank holds 38 litres and the engine runs on 91-octane regular unleaded.

Kia has not published a 0-100km/h time for any Seltos variant, so acceleration figures for the range have not been announced.

Pricing across the range

The S with Safety Pack is listed at $42,490 drive-away, the Sport at $43,990, the Sport+ at $46,990 and the GT-Line FWD at $52,990, with the GT-Line e-AWD at $55,490 drive-away. Before on-road costs, those figures read $37,990, $40,150, $41,910, $44,970, $49,870 and $52,870 respectively.

At $39,990 drive-away, the base Seltos undercuts the Nissan Qashqai e-Power, which starts at $45,850 plus on-road costs, and matches the related Hyundai Kona Hybrid's $39,990 drive-away entry point. It sits above a cluster of cheaper Chinese hybrids: the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid from $37,440 plus on-roads, the Jaecoo J5 SHS-H from $34,990 drive-away, the GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid from $32,990 drive-away, the Chery C5 Hybrid from $31,990 drive-away and the MG ZS Hybrid+ from $29,990 drive-away.

That spread matters for buyers shopping the small hybrid SUV segment on price alone. The Seltos is no longer the budget pick it was as a petrol model, and Kia is clearly pitching it on drivetrain technology and equipment rather than a low entry sticker.

Size, weight and practicality

The new Seltos measures 4430mm long, 1830mm wide and 1605-1620mm tall on a 2690mm wheelbase. Tare weight is 1632kg for front-drive versions and 1722kg for the e-AWD.

Cargo capacity is quoted at 483 litres with the rear seats up under VDA measurement and 1441 litres with them folded. Braked towing capacity is 910kg for front-wheel drive models and 810kg for the e-AWD, so the extra rear motor and hardware trim 100kg from the tow rating. Buyers planning to tow should note that the flagship is the least capable variant in the range on that measure.

Kia plans a new-generation Sorento, an all-new Carnival and an updated Tasman range in 2028, according to official company documents leaked in South Korea. The same document outlines an all-new electric SUV, the Kia EV7, as part of a wider model rollout tied to the company's South Korean factories.

The plans surfaced through The Korean Car Blog, which reported that a document from Kia's Employment Stability Committee set out model launches scheduled for 2028. Kia has not publicly confirmed timing for any of the models named in the leak, so Kia Australia has made no announcement about when they would reach local showrooms. The details should therefore be treated as unconfirmed until the company comments.

What the leaked document covers

The document reportedly maps out Kia's plans across its South Korean plants, with significant launches grouped around 2028. Alongside the new Sorento three-row SUV and the new Carnival people mover, it lists an updated and expanded Tasman ute range, described as bringing product improvements and more derivative models.

Whether those derivatives include a Tasman-based SUV is not settled. Kia senior vice president and head of global planning Spencer Cho said earlier this year that a ladder-frame SUV spun off the Tasman could be an option, but that the current lineup is big enough. The leak does not confirm it either way.

Tasman update arrives after a slow start

An updated Tasman has some urgency behind it. The ute launched in 2025 as Kia's rival to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, supported by an elaborate marketing campaign, but it has not translated into showroom success. Between January and October 2026, 3998 Tasmans were sold in Australia, putting it on track for roughly 4800 sales across the full year against a launch forecast of 20,000 annually.

Cho has acknowledged the gap directly. "Currently we are working on every area in which we can improve the performance of the Tasman, especially in the Australian market," he told CarExpert earlier this year. He said Kia would provide counter-measures for the coming years and would add other powertrain choices if it could, along with design changes, new features, content and technologies.

The powertrain question is the one buyers keep raising. Early customer feedback reportedly put a hybrid high on potential buyers' wish lists, which would pitch a hybrid Tasman against the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid and the BYD Shark 6. Cho's comments leave the door open to additional powertrains, but the leak does not name them, so the exact Tasman lineup for the update has not been announced.

That matters because the Tasman's problem is not awareness but conversion. A broader powertrain range, particularly a hybrid, would put the ute into the conversation buyers are already having about electrified workhorses, rather than asking them to accept a diesel-only proposition in a segment that is moving.

Carnival and Sorento replacements in 2028

The Carnival is currently Australia's best-selling people mover by a considerable margin, and the leaked document points to a new generation in 2028, with a hydrogen-powered version following in 2029. The eight-seat Carnival range was updated in Australia last year, adding a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain across three model grades, which are also offered with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder.

A hydrogen Carnival would be a notable step for a mainstream people mover, though the leak gives no detail on which markets would receive it. For Australian buyers, the hybrid and turbo-diesel versions remain the confirmed choices until Kia says otherwise.

The new Sorento is the other major piece. A full generation change for the three-row SUV is listed among the 2028 launches, but the document does not spell out powertrains, dimensions or pricing, and Kia Australia has not commented on timing.

EV7 and the unanswered questions

The leaked plans also include a new electric SUV, the Kia EV7. Beyond its existence and its place in the rollout, the document reveals little: battery size, range, test cycle, charging speed, market availability and price have not been announced.

The same gap applies across the board. Kia has not publicly confirmed timing for any of the models in the leaked document, which means Australian arrival dates, specifications and pricing for the updated Tasman, new Sorento, new Carnival and EV7 all remain open. The 2028 dates are the plan as set out internally, not a published commitment.