The Kia Seltos is selling like hotcakes and was named the fastest-selling vehicle on the US market in October last year. With an average of 7.7 days for the dealers to find a new owner, the South Korean entry-level crossover left behind the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Honda CR-V. However, even the hottest products on the automotive market require facelifts and Kia is already working on a refresh for the Seltos.
Our spy photographers in Scandinavia captured a heavily camouflaged prototype of the new Seltos testing on public roads. Unfortunately, they were given a surprising greeting from the test pilots, who were probably upset by the camera. Nevertheless, our spies managed to take a solid portion of shots with the facelifted Seltos.
Gallery: Kia Seltos facelift spy photos
This prototype had a lot of camouflage and this is a little surprising for us given the fact that we are looking at a mid-cycle refresh rather than a brand new model. It’s difficult to see what’s happening at the front, though we have unofficial information that the front fascia will get a new bumper and redesigned headlights. A new grille could also be in the cards, but nothing of this can be confirmed for now.
When we drove the Seltos back in 2020, our Senior Editor Brett T. Evans was happy with the overall feeling behind the wheel, but discovered that “looking at the interior is a lot more enjoyable than sitting in it.” The quality of the materials and the selection of upholsteries are not on par with the segment’s best performers and we believe Kia will work to improve the atmosphere in the cabin.
No changes are expected under the hood where power will continue to be provided by two gasoline engines. The lower trim levels will probably carry over with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine, while optionally available will be a 1.6-liter turbo with more power. Minimal tweaks to those two engines are possible.
