Seven years after it rolled into Indian showrooms as the first car from a brand most buyers had barely heard of, the Kia Seltos has crossed a line no made-in-India SUV has crossed before. Cumulative domestic sales of the midsize SUV have reached 7,04,829 units, making it the first SUV built in India to pass the seven lakh mark at home.
The milestone, reported by Autocar Professional on Friday, is a measure of just how far both the Seltos and Kia have come since August 2019. Back then, Kia was a new name in India. Today, the Seltos alone accounts for about 42 percent of the 16.88 lakh vehicles Kia has sold in the country, and it remains the company’s bestseller by a wide margin.
A comeback led by the new model
The seven lakh figure was crossed in October 2026, and the timing says a lot about the second-generation Seltos. The new model, launched on January 2 this year, has sold 1,13,078 units between January and October, up 87 percent over the same period last year. In fact, the last one lakh Seltos SUVs were sold in just nine months, with 1,02,439 units finding buyers between February and October.
October itself was a record month for Kia India. The company dispatched 33,462 vehicles, its highest monthly total ever, and the Seltos contributed 13,423 of those, a 40 percent share. It was the Seltos’ second-best month ever, behind only the 15,000 units it sold in January 2020, five months after launch.
The consistency through 2026 has been striking. After January’s 10,639 units, the Seltos stayed in five figures in almost every month: 10,308 in February, 11,041 in March, 10,566 in April, 10,597 in May, 12,541 in July, 11,716 in August, 12,593 in September and 13,423 in October. Only June, at 9,654 units, dipped below the 10,000 mark.
From unknown brand to household name
When the Seltos launched on August 22, 2019, it arrived with 16 variants, a long features list and a price that undercut established rivals. It sold 6,236 units in its very first month and broke into India’s top five utility vehicles straight away. In the last eight months of that financial year alone, Kia sold 81,717 Seltos SUVs, enough to put the brand among India’s top five carmakers.
The pandemic years did not slow it down. Sales held at 89,173 units in FY2021 and 95,929 in FY2022, then crossed one lakh a year for the first time in FY2023 with 1,00,132 units. Competition in the midsize SUV segment caught up after that. FY2024 was nearly flat at 1,00,423 units, and FY2025 saw sales fall 27 percent to 72,618 units.
The turnaround began with the new generation. Demand rose 5 percent in FY2026 to 83,747 units, helped by strong growth in the January to March quarter, and the momentum has only built through this year.
What buyers get for the money
The current Seltos, priced from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 21.82 lakh ex-showroom, has won a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating. Buyers can choose between three 1.5-litre engines: a 115hp naturally aspirated petrol, a 116hp turbo-diesel and a 160hp turbo-petrol, all available with manual and automatic gearboxes.
Claimed fuel efficiency is 19.1 kmpl for the diesel automatic and up to 17.9 kmpl for the petrol engines. Inside, the SUV gets leatherette upholstery, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with a matching digital driver’s display, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and dual-zone climate control.
A crowded segment, and a fourth-place fight
The Seltos competes in one of India’s toughest segments, with more than 20 models on sale, including eight electric SUVs and several hybrids. In the current financial year so far, it ranks fourth with 81,090 units, behind the Mahindra Scorpio at 1,12,841, the Hyundai Creta at 1,07,682 and the Maruti Victoris at 88,804.
Within Kia’s own range, the gap is clearer. The Sonet compact SUV, the company’s second bestseller, trails the Seltos by around 1.1 lakh units in domestic sales, while the Carens MPV has sold 3,31,186 units. The Seltos is also Kia India’s biggest export, with more than 1.6 lakh units shipped overseas.
What the milestone means for Kia
The Seltos’ run is now feeding into a record year for Kia India as a whole. The company has sold 2,86,470 vehicles between January and October 2026, up 21 percent year on year and already past its previous best annual total of 2,80,286 units in 2025. With just 13,530 units to go, Kia is set to cross 3,00,000 annual sales for the first time ever this month, helped by the new Sorento flagship, which has sold 4,242 units since August.
Seven years ago, the Seltos had to prove that Indian buyers would trust a new Korean brand with their money. With 7,04,829 sales behind it and its strongest year yet under way, that question has been answered many times over.
FAQs
How many Kia Seltos SUVs have been sold in India?
Kia has sold 7,04,829 Seltos SUVs in the domestic market between its launch in August 2019 and October 2026, making it the first made-in-India SUV to cross seven lakh sales at home.
How much does the new Kia Seltos cost?
The second-generation Seltos, launched in January 2026, is priced from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 21.82 lakh ex-showroom. It has a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating.
How many Seltos SUVs has Kia sold in 2026?
The new Seltos has sold 1,13,078 units between January and October 2026, up 87 percent over the same period last year.
Which engine options does the Seltos offer?
Three 1.5-litre engines: a 115hp petrol, a 116hp turbo-diesel and a 160hp turbo-petrol, all with manual and automatic gearbox choices.
What is Kia India’s sales record for 2026?
Kia India has sold 2,86,470 vehicles in the first ten months of 2026 and is set to cross 3,00,000 annual sales for the first time in November.
Sales figures: Autocar Professional, November 13, 2026. Photo: Alexander-93 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
