Kia Report Leaks Kia Seltos EV

December 27th, 2019 by

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Kia Motors has quite the surprise in store during the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of November 2019. The overseas compact crossover that has been doing so well in India is going to have a global debut after all. During the 2019 LA Auto Show, we got a good look at the U.S. specifications for the new Seltos , with the 2021 model making its way to America. Soon after, as per the pattern for Kia Motors, word is an all-electric Kia Seltos could be added to the lineup by the time the 2021 arrives. If this plan goes into production, the Kia Seltos EV will be joining the Kia Soul EV and the Kia Niro EV as the first pure-electric lineup offered by Kia Motors, a soon-to-be all-electric automaker .

Two powertrains were mentioned for the 2021 Kia Seltos, a now with a 145hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a continuously variable transmission, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is able to generate up to 175 hp and 195 lb-ft. The latter is tied to a dual-clutch transmission. Whether or not Kia Motors will supply two different electric powertrains to match this is so far unclear. With the Kia Seltos crossover sitting between the Kia Soul and Kia Sportage in the model lineup, it is possible that the Seltos will receive a similar powertrain.

If the Seltos does follow the lead of the Soul EV and Niro EV, then two powertrains are possible. At this time, offered on the Kia Soul EV and Niro EV are a standard 39.2 kWh battery that powers a 134hp electric motor or an upgraded 64 kWh battery that powers a 201-horsepower electric motor. Using the latter, the Soul EV has a 280-mile range and the Niro EV gets about 301 miles, but if going with the standard powertrain, consumers can expect a 172- and 193-mile range, respectively. These are pretty good numbers that could crossover to the Seltos EV.

Sadly, the holidays are losing a little spirit. Although an electric version of the Kia Seltos is good news, a report from _ TheKeea _ that leaked the information on the Seltos EV states that Kia Motors has no intention of launching the Seltos EV in markets outside Asia. We doubt this will hold true for very long, but at launch, the Seltos EV won’t be available in Europe or North America. The first rounds will probably make it to South Korea, followed by India, and quite possibly China with the high-demand for more zero-emission vehicles.

If anything, plans for production won’t start up until August 2020. That’s a whole lot of time for Kia Motors to expand the availability of the Kia Seltos EV in other markets. If the automaker is aiming to become the next all-electric automaker, limiting their market reach should be the first mistake to avoid. What are your thoughts on the upcoming Kia Seltos and overseas Kia Seltos EV? Tell us on Miami Lakes Kia social media .

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Motors

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