Which 2026 Kia Seltos Has All-Wheel Drive?

Every 2026 Seltos can be equipped with all-wheel drive. On the LX, S, and EX, you start with front-wheel drive and choose AWD as an option, so an AWD build runs slightly higher than the starting price for that trim. The SX sits at the top of the line and pairs its turbocharged engine with AWD as standard equipment, so there is no box to check.

Here is how the lineup lays out, with the AWD fuel-economy numbers and the starting price for each trim. These are starting figures at launch, before destination charges, and adding the AWD option to one of the non-SX trims adds a little on top. Pricing and incentives move month to month, so it is worth checking what currently applies before you settle on a trim.

If AWD is the whole reason you are shopping, the LX is the most affordable way into it, since it has the lowest starting price of any trim and AWD is simply an option you add on top. If you want AWD without thinking about options, the SX gives you all-wheel drive and the stronger engine together, with nothing extra to select on the order sheet. The trade-off is straightforward: the three lower trims keep you in the more efficient 2.0L engine no matter which one you pick, so choosing among them is really about equipment level, not powertrain. Stepping up to the SX changes both the drivetrain default and the engine at the same time, which is why it costs more than simply adding AWD to an EX would.

The Seltos offers two engines, and the one you get shapes both the driving feel and the fuel numbers.

2.0L, 147 hp: The standard engine on every trim below the SX, paired with an intelligent variable transmission. It makes 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb-ft of torque. With AWD it returns 27 mpg city, 31 highway, and 29 combined, so it is the efficiency pick of the two.

1.6L turbo, 190 hp: Standard on the SX and paired with an 8-speed automatic. The turbo lifts output to 190 horsepower, which is the noticeable step up for merging onto I-79 or climbing the grades north of Butler. With AWD it returns 24 mpg city, 27 highway, and 25 combined.

Both engines send power to all four wheels when you choose AWD. The difference is character: the 2.0L is the steady, thrifty commuter, and the turbo adds the passing power a lot of Western PA drivers want on hilly two-lane roads.

The mpg gap between them (29 combined versus 25 combined with AWD) is the real cost of the SX's extra power, and it is worth thinking through in miles rather than just numbers. Over 12,000 miles a year, that four-mpg difference works out to roughly 65 gallons more fuel annually for the turbo, which is a fair trade for drivers who tow, load up the cargo area often, or simply want the SX's extra torque on the climbs north of town. Commuters who spend most of their week on flatter routes into Butler or Cranberry Township tend to be happiest with the 2.0L, since the SX's power advantage matters most on grades and merges, not stop-and-go traffic.

All-wheel drive earns its keep here. Butler County sees real snow, and the back roads that ring Cranberry Township and the Pittsburgh North Hills are hilly, curving, and often the last to get plowed. AWD sends power to all four wheels, which helps you get moving on a slick incline and hold a line through a snowy bend, exactly the situations that leave a front-wheel-drive crossover spinning.

Ground clearance is the other half of the winter story. The Seltos gives you 7.3 inches of it, which is enough to clear an unplowed driveway or a rutted lot without dragging. That clearance plus AWD is why the Seltos works as a genuine four-season vehicle for this part of Pennsylvania, not just a fair-weather commuter.

A fair note: AWD helps you go, but braking and cornering grip still come down to your tires. Drivers who face the worst of it often pair an AWD Seltos with a good set of winter tires, and that combination is hard to beat on a Butler County January morning.

The practical case for AWD here is less about a single blizzard and more about the everyday stretch from late November through March, when a plowed main road can still lead to an unplowed side street, a gravel driveway, or a church or work parking lot that never gets touched. A front-wheel-drive Seltos handles most of that fine, but the moments where AWD earns its keep are the ones you cannot predict in advance, which is exactly why so many Butler County buyers decide the option (or the SX's standard setup) is worth having rather than needing.

The Seltos is a compact SUV that parks like a small car but carries like a bigger one. Here are the figures that matter when you are sizing it up against your garage, your commute, and your cargo.

That 26.6 cubic feet behind the back seats swallows a weekly grocery run or a stroller, and folding the seats opens up 62.8 cubic feet for the bigger hauls. The 7.3 inches of ground clearance is the same number that helps in the snow, so it does double duty.

Here is a quick read by driver type, each one set up with AWD:

Commuter who wants AWD for the least money: The LX with the AWD option is the entry point, with the efficient 2.0L and 29 mpg combined. This is the right call if your daily drive is mostly commuting miles and the goal is simply not to worry about the first snow of the season without paying for equipment you will not use.

Family that wants a little more comfort: The S or EX keeps the thrifty 2.0L and steps up the equipment, while still letting you add AWD. The EX is also the trim where the Sunroof Package becomes available, so a family cross-shopping comfort features against price has a clear step-up path without leaving the efficient engine behind.

Driver who wants power and AWD without options: The SX brings the 190-hp turbo and standard all-wheel drive in one trim, the most capable Seltos for hilly Western PA roads. It suits drivers who tow occasionally, load the cargo area often, or simply want the strongest merge and passing power the Seltos offers, and who would rather buy AWD built in than treat it as a line-item option.

Buyer cross-shopping on total cost, not just sticker price: Because AWD is optional (and adds cost) on the lower trims but bundled into the SX's price, the real spread between "cheapest AWD Seltos" and "most capable AWD Seltos" is the gap between the LX and SX starting prices in the table above. Lining that up against the mpg difference and the equipment each trim carries is the fastest way to see which trim earns its price.

Two option packages are worth knowing about, each $800. The EX Sunroof Package adds a sunroof to the EX, and the SX Sunroof Package adds a digital key, a power sunroof, and ventilated front seats.

Every new Seltos is backed by Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, and the Seltos carries a top overall 5-star crash rating. As Butler County's Kia dealer since 2005, Mike Kelly Kia also backs your purchase with Kelly Confidence, a set of ownership benefits that comes with the store.

See the current Seltos inventory to check which AWD trims are on the lot right now, or schedule a test drive to feel the AWD Seltos on the roads you drive every day. When you are ready, you can explore financing and check the latest specials. Learn more about Kelly Confidence and what comes with buying here.