Camouflaged Kia Seltos Spied: Hybrid Trim Testing?
The South Korean automotive giant Kia India has been enjoying the success of the newly launched second-generation Seltos mid-size SUV in India. However, in order to make sure that its success only increases in the coming period, it is working on the development of a strong hybrid version of the Seltos in India. Recently, a fully camouflaged version of the new Seltos hybrid was spotted testing on public roads. This highlights that the launch of the Seltos hybrid is very near.
The spy images of the upcoming Kia Seltos hybrid have been shared on Reddit. In the first image, we can note that the fully camouflaged Kia Seltos was driving on a national highway near Pune, Maharashtra. As can be seen in the image, this particular vehicle boasts the exact same connected LED taillights as the recently launched facelifted model.
Another image showing the side profile of this SUV has also been shared. It can be seen that this SUV has the same flush-type door handles and exact same alloy wheels as the higher-spec variants. Overall, from the outside, there is no major change, which means that the main change will be on the mechanical side of things, especially the powertrain.
It has been reported that Hyundai is gearing up to launch the second-generation Seltos with a brand-new 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine (it could also possibly be an Atkinson-cycle motor), which will come equipped with an electric motor and a small battery pack. It is believed that this strong hybrid powertrain will be capable of producing 155 bhp and 265 Nm of torque.
This will make it almost equally powerful as the 1.5-litre turbo petrol which is currently on offer. The turbo petrol makes 158 bhp and 253 Nm of torque. As per Kia India's plans, initially, this new 1.5-litre strong hybrid powertrain will be offered alongside the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, 1.5-litre turbo diesel, and the above-mentioned turbo petrol motor.
However, later on, the diesel engine will be discontinued, and the strong hybrid powertrain will help in filling the void as an economical workhorse drivetrain. It is believed that Kia will be launching the Seltos hybrid in India by early 2027.
Apart from the hybrid version, Kia is also preparing to launch two new top-end trims of the Seltos in India. The first will be the GTX+ variant, which will likely be positioned as the top-end trim among the GT Line versions. Meanwhile, the other variant will be the X-Line (O), which could also be referred to as X-Line+. Just like the GTX+, the X-Line (O) will be the top-of-the-line variant in the X-Line lineup.
Apart from the upcoming Kia Seltos, the same 1.5-litre naturally aspirated strong hybrid powertrain will also be seen on other SUVs from Kia India and Hyundai Motor India Limited. This powertrain, even before the Seltos, will be offered with the upcoming Kia Sorento premium 7-seater SUV. This SUV will become Kia India's first hybrid vehicle in India. It is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakh and arrive by the end of this year.
Additionally, the same strong hybrid powertrain will also be seen on the upcoming Hyundai Creta's third-generation model. This SUV is expected to make its debut by the end of this year. The new Creta, like the new Seltos, will grow in size and become a lot more butch, and will boast a ton of new features.