Photo: TopElectricSUV.com
That's a full soccer team, plus reserves! Of course, not all models have the latest design language in production at any given time: currently, the EV3, EV5, EV6, EV9, and Sorento share these features. No worries; the company will update them all soon. For example, the rumor mill believes that the 2026 Sportage is the next to fall in line with the Sportage and Carnival MPV because it is the brand's best-selling name. After that, the changes will also spill over to the smaller models. At least, that's the case according to the parallel universes of vehicular CGI and the fictional realm of automotive digital content creators.
For example, the latest behind the scenes video of the TopElectricSUV channel on YouTube feels ready to give us all the details on the potential arrival of the Seltos in 2026, as the team cites South Korean reports that claim the subcompact crossover Off-road introduced in 2019 between the Soul or Sonet and Sportage will soon receive a second generation.
In fact, the facelift was announced in 2023 and we could see the 2026 Kia Seltos line up alongside the refreshed Kia Sportage, Sorento and Carnival large MPV to receive the styling first showcased by the EV9 and continued with the EV6 facelift plus the launches of the EV3 and EV5. In addition to the interior and exterior design overhaul, the latest information from the rumor mill also suggests that Kia will treat its next iteration of the Seltos to an all-new next-generation hybrid system designed for subcompact models.
The U.S. launch is scheduled for early 2026, and it's entirely possible that the new Seltos Hybrid variant will also come to North America. All this speculation aside, which should always be taken with a grain of salt, the model that has already outsold the Soul and Niro models, is also presented by the CGI studio imagination land by the channel's resident pixel master.
Let’s assume that the 2026 or 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid rumors come true. If so, the subcompact crossover SUV will not only join the refreshed Sportage and Sorento plus the Carnival MPV in the latest design hall of fame, but it could also end up being the company’s cheapest electrified crossover SUV with a rumored price tag under $30k, meaning it could undermine the competition in terms of both performance and efficiency, as well as affordability.
That said, what do you think? Kia is moving fast and in the coming months we will not only see the refreshed Sportage fall in line with the new styling set by the Sorento and Carnival MPV, but also a brand new generation of the smaller Seltos that adopts it? Would you expect it to arrive as a hybrid model too?
