Kia Seltos 2026 Vs Old Kia Seltos: New Design, New Features, Same Badass DNA

The Kia Seltos has always been one of the most polished and well-rounded SUVs in its segment, and with the introduction of a new generation, Kia plans on taking things to the next level. 

The all-new Seltos comes with a sharper look, a modern and upmarket cabin, and some new features. But how does it stack up against the outgoing model? Here’s a quick look at their comparison:

Kia Seltos 2026 Vs Old Seltos: Exterior Changes

The exterior styling of the Kia Seltos has always been one of its strongest selling points. Right from when it was first introduced in 2019, the Seltos was clearly the smartest-looking in its class. The squared-off silhouette and well-proportioned panels, along with neat chrome elements, made it look elegant yet sporty.

The new Seltos 2026, however, comes with a more boxy, upright, and dominating stance as compared to the outgoing model.

The front profile of the SUV gets a completely redesigned look featuring new bumpers with squarer lines, a noticeably larger and more sculpted grille finished in high gloss, flanked by vertical LED DRLs and a reworked ice-cube LED headlight setup, giving the SUV a more mature and confident look than before.

At the side, it gets new 18-inch alloy wheels, flush door handles, body claddings, and subtle revisions along the profile to complete the visual aesthetics.

Moving towards the rear, the 2026 Seltos gets newly designed LED taillights, which are connected by a full-width LED light bar, along with a cleaner, more refined tailgate design.

Overall, Kia seems to be aiming towards a stronger road presence while still retaining the core styling identity that has defined the Seltos so far. 

Here is a detailed comparison of their size:

Thanks to a new platform, it is evident that the new Kia Seltos has grown in size in all aspects, except for the height, where it lost 10 mm, but it should not be a big problem. Being big in size means more space inside, hence the car provides a spacious cabin. 

Kia Seltos 2026 Vs Old Seltos: Interior Changes 

The Kia Seltos 2026 comes with an all-new cabin layout with fresh colour themes, which is a step up from the outgoing model. It now gets a more modern and mature layout with cleaner lines and a noticeably more premium touch. The steering wheel is a new 3-spoke unit finished in a dual-tone black and cream-white finish. The dashboard design has been completely reworked to feel wider and more upmarket than before, with soft-touch inserts across the dash, door trims, and console areas.

The AC vents are now horizontal and sleeker, which helps widen the visual spread of the dashboard. The cabin continues to focus on practicality with the use of physical buttons for key functions, avoiding an overload of touch controls or oversized screens. 

Also new are the leatherette seats with quilting patterns that offer more lateral support built into the bolstering; these have been revised for better cushioning and more comfort, especially for long journeys. The backrest for rear occupants now reclines slightly more than before. 

With the grown outer dimensions, the new Seltos offers more space on the inside, especially on the rear seats. This means good knee room, ample headroom, and enough space to seat three occupants. The sense of comfort is further enhanced with a panoramic sunroof, rear AC vents, and window sun shades.  

Kia Seltos 2026 Vs Old Seltos: Features And Safety 

The Kia Seltos has always been one of the most feature-loaded cars in its segment, and that legacy is continued with the new model as well. Apart from all the standard features, what's new is a dual 12.3-inch screen setup comprising a touchscreen infotainment and another one for the driver’s display, and a 10-way electrically adjustable driver seat with lumbar support. 

Features that are carried over from the outgoing Seltos include a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, an 8-speaker BOSE sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, ambient lighting, drive and traction modes, wireless phone connectivity with the infotainment screen, connected car tech, and rear window sunshades. 

The list of safety equipment also remains unchanged in the new Seltos. This includes a Level-2 ADAS suite, a 360-degree camera with front and rear sensors, 6 airbags, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, all-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill-hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system and impact sensing auto door unlock. 

Kia Seltos 2026 Vs Old Seltos: Powertrain Options 

The powertrain options on the Kia Seltos 2026 remain unchanged. It retains the same powertrain options as the outgoing model, which include a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. These engines are available with manual, clutchless manual, torque converter automatic, CVT, and DCT transmission options.

Here are the detailed specifications:

Engine	1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol	1.5-litre turbo-petrol	1.5-litre diesel
Transmission	6-speed manual/iVT	6-speed iMT/7-speed DCT	6-speed manual/6-speed AT
Power (PS)	115 PS	160 PS	116 PS
Torque (Nm)	144 Nm	253 Nm	250 Nm

Kia Seltos 2026 Expected Price And Launch Timeline 

Kia will release the pricelist of the new Seltos on January 2, 2026, during the official launch of the car. To give you a tentative pricing considering the prices of the older model, and the amount of updates and new features on the updated model, we expect the 2026 Seltos to be priced from Rs 11.2 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base Petrol NA manual, while the top-of-the-line Diesel AT could be priced at around Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom).

Bookings for the new Seltos are now open, and deliveries are expected to start by mid-January 2026.

Kia Seltos 2026 Rivals 

Once launched, the Seltos will continue to rival popular cars like the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Victoris, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Tata Sierra and Curvv, Honda Elevate, MG Astor, and the German siblings, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. Renault's upcoming Duster and its sibling, the Nissan Tekton, are also expected to be strong contenders against the new Seltos.

ZigSays…

The new Kia Seltos delivers a strong mix of features, performance, and safety, and now has an all-new avatar that is surely going to impress many. 

But if you’re looking for an even more attractive deal, the outgoing Seltos isn’t bad either; it gets most of the features as the new model, has the same engine, and what really has changed is the dimensions and styling, both inside and out. 

With the year-end benefits along with stock clearance discounts, this could possibly be the smartest time to pick one up. 

Which generation of the Kia Seltos do you like more? New or old? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!