2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos - How Are They Different?

New Seltos vs Old Seltos: Buyers, when considering a new car in the compact SUV segment, have various options available in the market. One of the popular choices in the segment is the Kia Seltos. It was first launched in 2019, and has a sporty design and has always been a feature-loaded SUV. Later in 2023, the South Korean automaker launched the Seltos facelift with a more aggressive design, added new features, and a new interior design.

In 2025, Kia revealed the second generation of the Seltos, with a new exterior and interior design, and added more features, making it a tough rival in its segment. Some of the new features available in the Seltos are 64 colour ambient lighting, a heads-up display, driving and traction modes, and others.

Let us look at the changes that are received by the new Kia Seltos over the old Seltos:

2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos: Exterior Changes

The exteriors of the 2026 Kia Seltos have become more sporty and sharp compared to the 2023 Kia Seltos. There is a new design for the vertical LED DRL, LED projector headlamps, and grill is finished in gloss black paint shade. On the other side, the 2023 Kia Seltos came with a long LED DRL, which was integrated in the tiger-nose grill, LED headlamps, and ice-cube shaped LED foglamps.

On the side, the 2026 Kia Seltos comes with flush-door handles, a new design for the alloy wheels, and the overall silhouette remains unchanged. One of the biggest changes in the 2026 Kia Seltos is that the automaker has made the new Seltos longer, wider, and the wheelbase has also been extended, which results in extra interior space in the rear seats and boot space.

The rear of the 2026 Kia Seltos continues with a similar profile. In the new model, it comes with large LED taillamps, which now come with a welcome and goodbye function. The rear wiper and washer are now hidden under the spoiler, whereas on the other side, the older Seltos washer and wiper are exposed and present on the rear windshield.

2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos: Interiors

On the inside, there is a big leap in the 2026 Kia Seltos compared to the 2023 Kia Seltos. There is a new dashboard design, which is similar to the Syros, and it features 30-inch connected screens. On the other hand, the 2023 Kia Seltos came with dual 10.25-inch screens.

Talking about the steering wheel, the 2026 Kia Seltos comes with a double D-cut wheel, which looks more aggressive and sporty compared to the 2023 Kia Seltos.

The third update in the 2026 Kia Seltos is that it gets a new design for the front seats, and the headrests look more sporty and are slightly more comfortable than the previous version. On the other hand, the 2023 Kia Seltos came with a simple design for the seats and had limited adjustments.

2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos: Features

The 2023 Kia Seltos was a feature-loaded SUV in the market. However, in the 2026 Kia Seltos, there are new feature additions that make it a more promising option in its segment. Some of the new features in the 2026 Kia Seltos are a heads-up display, 64 colours for ambient lighting, front driver memory seats, lumbar adjustment for the driver seat, rear reclining seats, and others. However, some of the continued features in the 2026 Kia Seltos from the 2023 Kia Seltos are a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, driving and terrain modes, and others.

2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos: Engine Specifications

Mechanically, the 2026 Kia Seltos and the 2023 Kia Seltos are the same. The new 2026 Kia Seltos continues to come with a 1.5L turbo petrol engine, a 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol engine, and a 1.5L diesel engine. All the engines are available with various gearbox options. 

2026 Kia Seltos vs 2023 Kia Seltos: Price

The price of the 2026 Kia Seltos will be announced on January 2, 2026. However, we expect the price of the new Kia Seltos to start from ₹11.50 lakh onwards, which is roughly a ₹50-70k surge over the 2023 Kia Seltos.

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