Introduced in mid-2019, the Seltos is positioned between the smaller Stonic, Soul, or Sonet and the larger Sportage in Kia's global SUV lineup.

The first variation is the largest version of the Seltos, which is manufactured in South Korea (codename: SP2) mainly aimed at developed markets, including North America and Australasia.

The SP2i and SP2c models are the low-cost versions of the Seltos to penetrate emerging markets, built on the Hyundai-Kia K2 platform and closely related to the second-generation Hyundai Creta/ix25.

[25] The Seltos was launched in South Korea on 18 July 2019, India on 22 August 2019, and the Philippines on 6 November 2019 with a release in various global markets except Europe by the end of the year.

[31] According to Kia Motors Europe COO Emilio Herrera, Kia does not offer Seltos in Europe due to the popularity of larger SUV offerings such as the Sportage and Sorento,[17] and the release of the Stonic and XCeed in the small SUV segment.

[32] In 2020 and 2021, the Seltos was the second best-selling Kia model globally after the Sportage, with India as its largest single market.

[33] SP2 is the internal codename designated to the South Korean built Seltos (unlike the Chinese-built SP2c and the Indian-built SP2i).

[40][41] The refreshed model features redesigned front clip, rear tailgate assembly, and other revisions.

The North American Kia Seltos offers a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter with 149 PS (110 kW; 147 hp) and 18.3 kg⋅m (179 N⋅m; 132 lb⋅ft) of torque, standard on LX, S, and EX trims with a CVT gearbox marketed as "Intelligent Variable Transmission" (IVT).

All-wheel drive is available and standard on most trims except for the S model, where it is optional and has similar mechanical components as the larger Telluride.

The affected units are to be fitted with an antitheft locking mechanism in the steering wheel column shaft to meet Australian Design Rules.

SP2i is the internally designated codename for the Seltos model manufactured in India and exported mostly to emerging markets.

New equipment were introduced, such as a dual screen set-up with two 10.25-inch displays, electronic parking brake, panoramic sunroof, and an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS).

[77] The exported pre-facelift version of the Seltos from India was available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, which is not offered in the Indian domestic market.

[78] Since August 2023, with the facelifted model Kia Mexico started sourcing the Seltos from China instead of India.

Head-protecting curtain airbags are available on higher trim levels, as are tyre pressure monitoring and blind spot detection.

[86] Body-in-white repair manuals confirm that the SP2i has different dimensions, shapes and parts from the SP2, and also show that hot-formed reinforcements that aid energy dissipation in the IIHS driver-side small overlap test, which are present in the SP2, are missing in the SP2i.

[87] In September 2019, the Seltos was unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show as the second-generation Kia KX3, with the local name KX3 Aopao (傲跑).

[91] The facelifted SP2c replaced the Korea-built SP2 in the Philippines in December 2023 and the Indian-built SP2i for the UAE, and Latin America in August 2023.