Photo: vburlapp / Instagram
The South Korean automaker Kia is not treating things lightly across the North American market. In the United States, for example, it has no less than 12 nameplates, and more are coming.
The electric field will soon be a parallel universe of its own, with the Niro EV, EV6, and EV9 crossovers already out and the EV3 plus EV4 incoming, as well as a rumored EV8 sedan. The ICE and hybrid sector is also looking brightly – and even a little crowded. For example, the compact crossover SUV range includes the Soul, Seltos, Niro, and Sportage in the span of $20 to $27k!
That's quite a handful, especially considering the Soul is $20,190, and then the Seltos starts from $24,490, followed by the Niro Hybrid at $26,490, as well as the Sportage from just $27,190. If those aren't enough, there is the Sportage Hybrid from $28,590, the Niro PHEV from $34,390, and the Niro EV, which is currently the cheapest all-electric model, starting at less than $40k.
Quite the selection and a tough choice, right? Well, Kia might soon make it easier for us to decide if they follow the rumor mill's advice to come up with the second-generation Seltos subcompact crossover SUV for the 2026 model year, sometime later this year or early in 2025. If they don't, they should at least take a look at what the imaginative realm of digital car content creators has prepared for them because it's quite instructive.
At least, we think so, based on the latest design project from Vince Burlapp (aka vburlapp on social media), a prolific virtual artist who loves to dream of all the latest models across the wide-ranging automotive realm. This time around, he stopped by Kia's CGI shop and decided the tiny Seltos crossover SUV needed to look ready for any ritzy adventure across imagination land. At least some fans seem to appreciate the unofficial next-gen treatment, as one even likens the virtual styling to a 1970s design icon among small cars – AMC's Pacer.
Others, on the other hand, think there's too much black applied to the tailgate, C pillars, and the bumper plus side sills – but that's exactly why the hypothetical Kia Seltos looks a lot ritzier than the current iteration and also provides a nice contrast to the full-width LED taillights. Unfortunately, the pixel master doesn't give an additional POV besides the rear three-quarters one, as we would have loved to see his interpretation of the front and what could hide inside the cabin.
Of course, the author also has a point – why work hard for a few other POVs when Kia could suddenly decide it has more than enough options in the under-$30k segment and drop the Seltos altogether from the lineup?
That's quite a handful, especially considering the Soul is $20,190, and then the Seltos starts from $24,490, followed by the Niro Hybrid at $26,490, as well as the Sportage from just $27,190. If those aren't enough, there is the Sportage Hybrid from $28,590, the Niro PHEV from $34,390, and the Niro EV, which is currently the cheapest all-electric model, starting at less than $40k.
Quite the selection and a tough choice, right? Well, Kia might soon make it easier for us to decide if they follow the rumor mill's advice to come up with the second-generation Seltos subcompact crossover SUV for the 2026 model year, sometime later this year or early in 2025. If they don't, they should at least take a look at what the imaginative realm of digital car content creators has prepared for them because it's quite instructive.
At least, we think so, based on the latest design project from Vince Burlapp (aka vburlapp on social media), a prolific virtual artist who loves to dream of all the latest models across the wide-ranging automotive realm. This time around, he stopped by Kia's CGI shop and decided the tiny Seltos crossover SUV needed to look ready for any ritzy adventure across imagination land. At least some fans seem to appreciate the unofficial next-gen treatment, as one even likens the virtual styling to a 1970s design icon among small cars – AMC's Pacer.
Others, on the other hand, think there's too much black applied to the tailgate, C pillars, and the bumper plus side sills – but that's exactly why the hypothetical Kia Seltos looks a lot ritzier than the current iteration and also provides a nice contrast to the full-width LED taillights. Unfortunately, the pixel master doesn't give an additional POV besides the rear three-quarters one, as we would have loved to see his interpretation of the front and what could hide inside the cabin.
Of course, the author also has a point – why work hard for a few other POVs when Kia could suddenly decide it has more than enough options in the under-$30k segment and drop the Seltos altogether from the lineup?
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