Kia raises global sales target for new Seltos

Kia has unveiled The All-New Seltos, its top-selling subcompact SUV, setting an ambitious global sales target of over 430,000 units, with the US, Mexico and India as priority markets.

“Kia aims to sell 130,000 units in North America — 100,000 in the US and 30,000 in Mexico — and around 100,000 units in India, where the first-generation Seltos debuted and helped the brand secure more than 6 percent market share,” Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said Tuesday during an online press briefing.

The first-generation Seltos, launched in 2019, has sold approximately 2 million units worldwide. For the redesigned model, Kia is also targeting sales of 54,000 units in Korea, 62,000 in Europe, and about 30,000 each in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

The new Seltos will have a hybrid variant to expand customer choice. Song said regional demand will vary: Gasoline models will dominate in the US and India, while Europe is expected to favor hybrids. In Korea, hybrids are growing but gasoline remains strong in this price segment.

Overall, gasoline versions are projected to account for roughly 65 percent of total sales.

To avoid lineup overlap, Song stressed that the Niro Hybrid targets buyers seeking class-leading fuel efficiency, while the Seltos Hybrid is aimed at customers wanting a practical small SUV with better mileage than gasoline vehicles.

Seo Ha-joon, head of Kia’s domestic product division, said the Seltos Hybrid shares its powertrain with the Niro Hybrid, but with added features such as charging points for other devices and enhanced regenerative braking.

Built on Kia’s new K3 platform for improved efficiency, safety and driving dynamics, the new Seltos has grown noticeably in size. Overall length has increased by 40 millimeters to 4,430 millimeters, width by 30 millimeters to 1,830 millimeters and wheelbase by 60 millimeters to 2,690 millimeters, offering a more versatile interior space.

The gasoline model continues to use the 1.5-liter turbo engine, delivering performance similar to the previous model, while a new 1.6-liter hybrid powertrain provides improved efficiency.

Karim Habib, Kia’s executive vice president of design, said The All-New Seltos reflects the brand’s “Opposites United” philosophy while incorporating technologies used in Kia’s flagship electric vehicles. Habib highlighted the star-map lighting signature shared with the EV lineup and noted that the interior features the same infotainment system introduced in the EV9 — a three-row, large electric SUV.