Kia to produce Seltos hybrid in April 2026

Kia to produce Seltos hybrid in April 2026

최초입력 2025.07.16 11:27:25

Kia Seltos

Kia Corp. will begin producing a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) version of its popular compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Seltos, in April 2026. The move reflects the South Korean automaker‘s strategy shift to prioritize hybrids amid stagnant EV demand.
According to industry sources on Tuesday, the company’s labor and management have recently agreed on the Seltos hybrid production schedule at its Hwaseong Plant 2.
The hybrid option will be added to the second-generation Seltos, launched in 2019, with production to start in April 2026. To meet market demand, Kia will build the Seltos hybrid at both Gwangju Plant 1, which currently manufactures the first-generation Seltos, and Hwaseong Plant 2.
Allocating Seltos hybrid production to Hwaseong Plant 2 is aimed at addressing weak EV sales. The plant currently produces the Niro electric model and EV6, but while hybrid versions of the Niro are selling well, EV sales have fallen short, leaving the plant underutilized. Kia aims to balance workloads by distributing Seltos hybrid output between the two plants.
In preparation, Hwaseong Plant 2 will undergo a total of eight weeks of temporary shutdowns using long holidays from this summer, to reorganize its production lines.
The Seltos hybrid launch will complete Kia’s eco-friendly SUV lineup, as the Seltos had been the only model among Kia’s SUVs—from Niro to Sportage and Sorento—without a hybrid variant.
Adding a hybrid option to the Seltos, a leader in the domestic compact SUV market, is expected to drive significant sales growth. The Seltos was Kia’s second best-selling model globally last year, with 300,000 units sold, following the Sportage at 580,000 units.
Hybrids have gained traction in the SUV segment.
Kia’s Sorento, Korea’s best-selling car, recorded a hybrid sales share of about 72 percent from January to May this year, nearly triple its gasoline sales.
Hyundai Motor Group’s eco-friendly vehicle sales continue to rise, driven primarily by hybrids. While hybrids accounted for less than 50 percent of the group’s eco-friendly vehicle sales in 2022 amid surging EV demand, their share rebounded to 64.1 percent last year.
In response, the auto group has been rapidly expanding its hybrid lineup. Hyundai Motor Co. launched a hybrid version of its flagship Palisade SUV this year, which sold 3,526 units in April and 6,166 units in May, even surpassing the Sorento hybrid in monthly sales in May.
Kia also plans to add a hybrid version of the Telluride, its most popular model in North America, next year. Genesis, which previously lacked hybrid offerings, plans to introduce hybrid versions of the GV80 and G80 next year and expand hybrid options across all models except its dedicated EV lineup.
“Rising demand for eco-friendly options is being seen even for SUVs, which are popular for their spacious interiors, as consumers focus on fuel efficiency,” said an industry insider.
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Kia to produce Seltos hybrid in April 2026

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