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We’ve enjoyed driving the Kia Seltos on two occasions. During our extensive testing, we have driven it off pavement on some great dirt trails in New Hampshire, blasted down some twisty mountain roads, and used it as a daily driver and family car for weeks at a time. This is a great small crossover from a company we think is worthy of anyone’s consideration. The latest news on the Kia Seltos is that for 2026, its entry price drops by $1,500.
Kia Seltos Price Changes 2025 - 2026
Kia is dropping prices on vehicles across its price range. We recently highlighted how the EV9 flagship just had a big price drop on many trims. Now, it is the most affordable Kia that gets the same treatment. The starting trim of the Seltos for 2026 is the LX FWD, and the MSRP was just announced at $23,690. Add in the $1,395 destination, and your price is just a smidge over $25K. That makes the Seltos one of America’s most affordable vehicles.
Last year, the entry trim was the Seltos S FWD, which carried an MSRP of $25,190. We did the math, and the result was a $1,500 reduction in the price to purchase the lowest-cost Seltos. Given the hysteria over global trade negotiations, this news is worthy of reporting. Media outlets, large and small, continue to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt stories about big jumps in vehicle prices, when the facts say otherwise. ATPS for many brands have dropped over the past months, and some 2026 model year vehicles are being priced lower, not higher.
Kia’s new LX trim features the very same powertrain found in the S and EX trims. It also has standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. That’s a great feature you won’t find on any Tesla. The Seltos LX even has a standard spare tire, a feature that many upscale models no longer include. With a 31 MPG Combined EPA estimated fuel economy, and 34 Highway, the Seltos is also affordable to run. With gas in our area priced at $2.69/gallon, the Seltos has a price of about 8 cents per mile. That’s competitive with powering an EV on a DC charger in Metro Boston.
Full Price List 2026 Seltos
Apart from the new LX entry trim, the Seltos sees a very small change in price for 2026 of $200. That’s a roughly 1% change. Much lower than the rate of inflation. Kia’s Seltos is actually getting more and more affordable if you adjust for the changing value of the dollar. Shown above is the full 2026 price list. Don’t forget to add in the destination fee, and budget a few hundred dollars for the dealer's Doc Fee.
Why Buy a New Kia?
One thing that sets Kia apart from Honda and Toyota is its warranty. Kia has a standard 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty for first owners. That is a lot better than the five-year, 60K mile warranty most of its peers come with. We also find Kia to be among the most modern and stylish brands heading into 2026. In the newly-released 2025 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, Kia ranked well above average, topping brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and even Toyota!
Seltos Fast Facts
1) The five-passenger Seltos has a maximum cargo capacity of 62.8 cubic feet.
2) Seltos has 26.6 cu ft behind its second row of seats.
3) A 2.0-liter engine is standard, and the top trim SX AWD has a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 190 horsepower. An intelligent variable transmission is standard, and the SX has an 8-speed geared automatic transmission.
For more details on the Seltos, check out our feature story titled 5 Reasons To Buy The Kia Seltos.
Do you think that $25K is an attractive starting price for 2026? Are you surprised the entry price is lower for 2026 than 2025? Tell us in the comments below.
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John Goreham is a long-standing member of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
Image and 2026 Kia Seltos price chart courtesy of Kia.
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