New Kia Seltos to retain diesel engine option in SA

Unveiled in December 2025, the new Kia Seltos is heading to South Africa…and it will retain the South Korean automaker’s frugal 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine option.

New Kia Seltos front

Image: Kia

The second-generation Seltos was revealed with a selection of powertrain options: 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol producing 110 kW/179 N.m, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol (T-GDI) available in 132 kW and 142 kW states of tune, and hybrid – the latter setup pairing a 1.6-litre atmospheric four-pot with either a single or dual electric motors for combined power outputs of 113 and 131 kW, respectively. At the time, there was no word on whether the frugal 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel unit that’s available with the outgoing model, which claimed top honours in the ‘Compact crossover’ category at CAR magazine’s Top 12 Best Buys awards, will be offered with the box-fresh Seltos.

However, at the May 2026 launch of the Carens seven-seater in Johannesburg, Kia’s local arm told us that, when the new Seltos arrives in our market, which we expect will be later this year, will be available with the 1.5CRDi motor in SA. As a reminder, the 1.5CRDi engine produces 85 kW and 250 N.m of torque – the latter delivered to the front axle via a six-speed automatic transmission. Kia claims an average fuel consumption of 5.2 L/100 km, which translates to a driving range of over 960 km on a full, 50-litre tank of fuel.

The new Seltos is underpinned by Hyundai-Kia’s latest K3 platform. The second iteration measures 4 430 mm long, front to rear, and 1 830 mm in width; making it 65 mm longer and 30 mm wider than the first generation. The wheelbase is longer, too – up 80 mm to 2 690 mm.

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The post New Kia Seltos to retain diesel engine option in SA appeared first on CAR Magazine.


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