Unveiled in December 2025, the new Kia Seltos is heading to South Africa and will keep the local market’s frugal 1.5-litre turbodiesel option.
Image: Kia – The Seltos front
The second-generation Seltos was revealed with a range of powertrains: a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 110 kW and 179 N.m of torque, a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol (T-GDI) available in 132 kW and 142 kW tunes, and a hybrid setup that pairs a 1.6-litre atmospheric four-pot with either a single or dual electric motor for combined outputs of 113 and 131 kW, respectively. At the time, there was no word on whether the frugal 1.5-litre turbodiesel that’s offered with the outgoing model would be available with the new Seltos.
However, at the May 2026 launch of the Carens seven-seater in Johannesburg, Kia South Africa told us that when the new Seltos arrives in our market (which we expect later this year), it will be available in SA with the 1.5 CRDi motor. The 1.5CRDi engine makes 85 kW and 250 N.m of torque, driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Kia claims an average fuel consumption of 5.2 L/100 km, which translates to a driving range of over 960 km on a full 50-litre tank.
The new Seltos sits on Hyundai-Kia’s latest K3 platform. It measures 4 430 mm in length and 1 830 mm in width, making it 65 mm longer and 30 mm wider than the first-generation model. The wheelbase is longer too, up by 80 mm to 2 690 mm.
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