2023 Kia Seltos gets new look and more gear, but no hybrid in sight for Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V, and Nissan Qashqai rival

Kia Australia has announced a raft of updates for its Seltos small SUV range, with a styling update giving the budget-friendly small SUV a fresh new face for 2023, along with a bevy of in-car tech upgrades to boost its level of comfort and convenience.

Set to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, pricing has yet to be announced. However, one more thing is also still a tightly-held secret: when is a hybrid coming for the Seltos?

A hybrid had previously been reported as being on the way, to be introduced as part of the Seltos’ mid-life update. However, Kia Australia makes no mention of any electrified options for its updated small SUV, confirming only that the car’s two-engine line-up will consist of carry-over 110kW/180Nm 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle and 130kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo engines.

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The former is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and drives the front wheels, and the latter being exclusive to the Sport+ and GT-Line grades and gaining an eight-speed auto (which replaces the outgoing seven-speed dual-clutch auto) and all-wheel drive.

Why is a hybrid important? Toyota has proved that the Australian appetite for hybrids is rapidly growing, and it currently offers two small SUVs with petrol-electric powertrains: the C-HR and smaller Yaris Cross. 

The Corolla Cross will join them soon, while Nissan will also launch its first hybrid small SUV in the form of the Qashqai e-Power, which is due to arrive sometime in the first half of 2023 following the launch of its conventionally powered siblings late this year. With fuel prices currently experiencing extreme volatility, any vehicle with fuel-sipping tech will have a competitive advantage.

But despite no news of a hybrid and no changes to powertrains, Kia Australia isn’t exactly sitting on its hands with the updated Seltos. The headlamp jewellery is new, the upper grille is reshaped and nests within a new front bumper design, while more subtle changes to the rear bumpers and lamps balance out the changes made to the front.

Alloy wheels are now standard too, which is good news for the entry-level S grade that previously made do with steel wheels and hubcaps. The changes that will be more readily appreciated, however, are on the inside.

Analogue dials are banished from the instrument panel, instead replaced by all-electronic displays that measure 4.2 inches in the base Seltos S, and 10.25 inches in the Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line. For Sport grades and up, that instrument panel is twinned with another 10.25-inch display for the multimedia display, with both screens butted up side-by-side like the EV6, Niro, and Sportage.

The climate control panel is also redesigned, while all models now sport rear air vents, USB-C charge ports and a full-size spare. All models from the Sport grade up also receive Kia’s ‘Kia Connect’ telematics system, while GT-Line grades now gain a powered driver’s seat with two-position memory as well as a powered tailgate – which is in addition to the head-up display, wireless phone charge pad, heated and ventilated front seats, LED headlamps, Bose premium audio system and leather upholstery that was already standard on that variant.

Entry-level S models don’t miss out on big changes either, with Kia boosting the safety fit-out for its most affordable Seltos grade by making lane keep assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance, blind spot monitoring and intelligent speed limit assist all part of that model’s standard equipment. 

It’s unclear whether the safety pack will continue to be offered on S and Sport grades, which bundles AEB with junction assist, active cruise control, driver fatigue monitoring, an electronic parking brake, power folding wing mirrors and larger rear brakes. Full pricing and specifications will be announced closer to the updated Seltos’ local launch.