2027 Kia Seltos Interior Review: A Great Blend of Design and Smart Details

You can stare at the new, of-the-moment exterior design of the 2027 Kia Seltos as long as you want, but the more important business is inside. That’s where Seltos drivers will battle traffic or create road-trip memories.

After spending two days driving gas and hybrid versions of the 2027 Seltos in Korea, we’ve come away with impressions of what distinguishes this subcompact SUV on the inside, and what we experienced was mostly positive. Here are the highlights.

The 2027 Seltos Feels Spacious

Step inside the 2027 Seltos, and the cabin immediately feels airy and spacious. Part of this is due to its open center console design.

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At the bottom of the center stack is a wireless phone charger with grippy material. Behind that is the same clever foldaway cupholder setup found on other Kias. In the standard layout, you have two cupholders plus space for smaller items. Or you can fold away the outer rims of the cupholders for a larger space that’s ready for a small purse or takeout container.

Rear-Seat Space Is Standard

Kia has added more rear-seat space, and it feels big for a subcompact SUV back there. The backseats recline 24 degrees via an easy-to-reach lever.

As for the cargo area, it can hold up to 27.8 cubic feet of stuff with the rear seats up, which is a lot for this class. We appreciate the details, like a cargo cover that rises with the liftgate when it’s open as well as a pass-through interior grab handle that’s easy to pull down on—important for trims without a power liftgate. You’d be surprised how many cheaper SUVs get that wrong.

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Big Displays

Every 2027 Kia Seltos gets a digital instrument panel display for the driver. Two versions are available, and they’ll be familiar to anyone who’s driven a recent Kia. The lower-end versions have limited functionality but still sport a modern appeal. Higher-trim models come equipped with what Kia calls a 12.3-inch Supervision TFT cluster. There’s additional customizability here, but we’d like even more: An expanded map view and an audio info/album cover screen would be great.

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As for the infotainment screen, it’s a version of Kia’s now familiar 12.3-inch unit, plus there’s a smaller HVAC screen that’s located between the two screens on the higher trims we drove. That screen, which can adjust air flow and recirculated air, is partially obstructed by the steering wheel. Those controls aren’t used all the time, however, so we don’t see the obstruction of the panel as a big issue.

Color!

The most charming part of both 2027 Kia Seltos interiors we experienced were their two-tone interiors. Both looked tasteful, with a light brown or dark gray over light beige. We hope one will be offered in the U.S.

The last Seltos once added an adventurous dark green interior; maybe these more conventional options will last longer on the options list.

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Hmm, Don’t Like That

Things aren’t perfect, of course. For starters, the drive stalk sticking out of the steering column may bump the right knee of taller drivers.

When looking through the rearview mirror, our Korean-spec SUVs also had a slight rear visibility obstruction created by an outward-facing camera at the top of the rear glass. It’s separate from the actual rear camera, which is in a different spot outside the car. Otherwise, all-around visibility is pretty good.

Other Details

Thank goodness the dual-function audio/HVAC screen on other Kia models isn’t used here. The 2027 Seltos has up/down tabs for temperature and airflow. Rotating knobs are even better, but even these physical controls can be operated without looking down.

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A couple of upscale details are worth noting. Premium features aren’t always the focus of the average subcompact SUV buyer, but it’s cool that the updated panoramic sunroof has a support beam farther back than some similar sunroofs. Kia says the new unit provides a larger opening than before.

Also cool: The 2027 Seltos X-Line trims have comfortable mesh headrests like the Telluride.

Verdict

The 2027 Seltos wins on spaciousness and integrates a few practical touches owners should appreciate. It’s not the only good interior in the enormous subcompact SUV segment, however. The Honda HR-V in particular has an interior that feels much more expensive than its price tag, even on lower trims.

We were driving higher-spec Seltos SUVs but think at least some of the overall appeal will remain in lower-spec models. The larger point is that the 2027 Seltos has a competitive interior, which could mean more consideration against the likes of the HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, and others.