Kia said on the 13th that the second-generation Seltos, launched as a full redesign after six years, sold 4,983 units in Korea on the 13th. This was the highest sales figure among small sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
According to Kia, an analysis of actual contract customers for the second-generation Seltos, "The All New Seltos," showed that customers in their 20s and 30s accounted for 30.5% of Seltos buyers. Kia said this indicates increased preference among people in their 20s and 30s compared with 27.8% for the first-generation model. The male-to-female ratio was 51 to 49.
Based on cumulative vehicle registrations by the Seoul city government last year, customers in their 20s and 30s accounted for 18.1%, and the male-to-female ratio was 73 to 27. This suggests the second-generation Seltos is gaining popularity among younger generations and showing broad appeal regardless of gender.
Among Seltos units delivered last month, the top Signature trim accounted for 45.5%, and the design-focused trim "X-Line" accounted for 21.9%. Kia said this suggests that even in the small SUV segment, purchase criteria are expanding from price-centered considerations to design completeness, convenience features, and overall quality.
In addition, hybrid models accounted for 38.6% of sales.
Kia also released a video titled "Adding intelligence to movement" and introduced the features and operating principles of the fuel-efficiency enhancement technology applied to the Seltos hybrid model, "hybrid layered predictive control (HPC)," and the "vibro sound seat."
Hybrid layered predictive control predicts upcoming driving conditions using navigation information and radar data when a destination is set in the navigation system. It then optimizes the high-voltage battery charging flow based on the prediction to improve real-world fuel economy.
A Kia official said, "The All New Seltos is a hexagonal SUV with well-balanced competitiveness in design, efficiency, practicality, and convenience," adding, "As a model that satisfies diverse lifestyles, it will continue to set the standard in the small SUV market."
Orders for the new Seltos opened in Jan.