How Kia is pushing the small-SUV boundaries with its segment-blurring Seltos

More details of Kia's segment-blurring Seltos have been revealed, with the Korean brand’s newest vehicle promising more space for passengers and luggage than in “any other segment competitor SUV”.

The international launch of the all-new Seltos has revealed the full equipment, dimensions and capacity details of the brand's new SUV, and the numbers sound promising.

The Seltos measures 4370mm in length, 1800mm in width and 1615mm in height, and it rides on a 2630mm wheelbase. Those numbers make it longer and wider than its segment competitors, including the Honda HR-V, the Toyota C-HR and the Mazda CX-3. In fact, the Seltos is only a handful of centimetres shorter than a Nissan Qashqai.

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Predictably, then, those numbers have a positive impact on passenger and cargo space, with Kia claiming best-in-class room for humans, and a whopping 498 litres of luggage space with the rear seat in place. Those rear seats also recline, and there are rear air vents and a USB charge point back there, too.

According to Kia, front-seat riders get 1051mm in legroom, 1409mm in shoulder space, and 1017mm in headroom. Backseat riders get what the brand is calling "the most accomodating cabin in the class", with 965mm in legroom, 975mm in headroom, and 1395mm in shoulder space.

The cabin tech is first class, too, with a choice of an 8.0- or 10.25-inch touchscreen that’s both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto equipped, while things like heated and cooled seats, push-button start, a head-up display, climate control and wireless charging are all available on international cars, depending on the trim level.

Under the bonnet, you’ll find a 110kW, 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with a CVT automatic that sends the power to the front wheels (producing a 9.5-second sprint to 100km/h) or a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that produces 130kW and sends power to all four wheels via a seven-sped DCT automatic (reducing the sprint time to 8.1secs). The FWD cars make use of a torsion beam at the rear, while AWD vehicles get a multi-link setup.

And in good news for Aussie buyers, Kia has confirmed the Seltos is already undergoing the same localisation process as the rest of the Kia range, with the ride and handling tuned here for local road conditions.

Internationally, the Seltos arrives in eight exterior colours, including black, white, a pair of greys, orange, blue, dark blue and yellow. The Seltos then ups the personalisation options with two-tone colour choices, with the roof painted black, gold or white.

On the safety front, expect six airbags and a host of active safety features, including front collision assist with AEB, blind spot warning and the debut of Kia's lane following assist, which keeps the car in the centre of its lane.

Australian pricing and specification details are yet to be revealed, so watch this space. The Seltos will touch down in Australia in October.

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