2023 Kia Seltos

Information

The Kia Seltos (Korean: 기아 셀토스) is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by Kia. Introduced in mid-2019, the Seltos is positioned between the smaller Stonic, Soul, or Sonet and the larger Sportage in Kia’s global SUV lineup.

The Seltos is designated as a global product with three variations introduced for different markets. The first variation is the largest version of the Seltos, which is manufactured in South Korea (codename: SP2) mainly aimed at developed markets, including North America and Australasia. The two other variations are the Indian-made Seltos (codename: SP2i) and the closely related Chinese version badged as the Kia KX3 (codename: SP2c). The SP2i and SP2c models are the low-cost versions of the Seltos to penetrate emerging markets, built on the Hyundai-Kia K2 platform and closely related to the second-generation Hyundai Creta/ix25. Despite being a globally marketed model, the Seltos is not sold in the European market.

The name “Seltos” is derived from “Celtos”, the son of Hercules and Celtine in Greek mythology. According to Kia, the Seltos will be marketed to millennials.

Overview
The Seltos started as two concept cars, the SP Concept, which was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in February 2018, and the SP Signature showcased at the 2019 Seoul Motor Show in March 2019. Both concept cars have a close resemblance with the current mass-production versions. The SP Concept previewed the SP2i Seltos built in India, while the SP Signature is the concept version of the South Korean-made SP2 Seltos.

The Seltos was launched in South Korea on 18 July 2019, India on 22 August 2019, and the Philippines on 6 November 2019 with a release in various global markets except Europe by the end of the year. The Seltos was also launched in Indonesia on 20 January 2020. The Seltos was launched in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in early 2020 for the 2021 model year. It was also introduced in Russia in June 2020.

According to Kia Motors Europe COO Emilio Herrera, Kia does not offer Seltos in Europe due to the popularity of larger SUV offerings such as the Sportage and Sorento, and the release of the Stonic and XCeed in the small SUV segment.

In 2020 and 2021, the Seltos was the second best-selling Kia model globally after the Sportage, with India as its largest single market.