Kia Seltos Sales Drop 18.6% in H1 as Buyers Shift to Small EVs
Creatrip Team
19 days ago
Kia’s popular compact SUV Seltos sold 23,545 units in South Korea during the first half of 2026, an 18.6% decline from the same period last year. Despite launching a fully redesigned second-generation model in January with a new 1.6 hybrid (141 hp, 19.5 km/L) and advanced features like Smart Regenerative Braking 3.0 and V2L (vehicle-to-load), hybrid variants accounted for only 25.3% of Seltos sales (5,970 units), far below Kia’s 60% target. High fuel prices after the Middle East conflict and stronger demand for affordable electric vehicles pushed many buyers toward small EVs. Kia’s EV sales rose 151.2% year-on-year to 72,078 units in H1, with the small EV3 (18,431 units) and mid-size EV5 (15,965 units) ranking first and second in brand sales. A roughly 4 million KRW price premium for Seltos hybrids—starting at 29.4 million KRW, similar to the larger Sportage gasoline model—also discouraged price-sensitive small-SUV buyers.
