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The Drive writer Adam Ismail says Kia’s current design direction, as seen in the redesigned Seltos, has lost appeal for him. At the same time, the report says Seltos sales in 2026 were up 45% through September compared with the same period a year earlier, suggesting his reaction is not shared by the market as a whole.
Kia’s redesigned Seltos is drawing sharply different judgments from one automotive writer and the U.S. market: The Drive’s Adam Ismail says its styling and some cabin controls no longer work for him, while reporting that Seltos sales rose 45% in 2026 through September compared with the same period a year earlier. The contrast underscores how design criticism does not necessarily translate into weaker demand.
Ismail’s report focuses on Kia’s latest design direction, which he describes as rigid, blocky and technology-focused. He contrasts the new Seltos with the previous model, whose curved front and subtly flared fenders he preferred. His reaction is an individual design judgment, not a finding about how buyers broadly view the vehicle.
He also criticizes a climate-control panel positioned between the instrument cluster and infotainment screen. In his account, the steering wheel partly blocks the panel, making it difficult to see and use without looking around the wheel. He describes the cabin materials as acceptable for an affordable model but calls some plastics bland and tacky, while noting that the car retains physical buttons.
The review is not wholly negative about the vehicle. Ismail says the Seltos has pleasant road manners and considers it broadly a fine car. He questions the value of his SX all-wheel-drive test vehicle, which carried a reported $37,250 sticker price, and says that amount is more than he would pay for it. The report does not provide a broader price comparison or buyer survey.
Sales Tell a Different Story
The gap between Ismail’s response and the reported sales result matters because it shows the limits of treating an individual review as a measure of consumer taste. The 45% year-to-date increase suggests the redesigned Seltos has continued to find buyers, even as one reviewer questions whether Kia’s styling will age well. Sales alone, however, do not explain why customers chose the vehicle or whether its design was a deciding factor.
The Seltos sits in an affordable part of the market, where distinctive styling and equipment may help a model stand out. Ismail speculates that buyers might welcome the more assertive look in a category he describes as lacking enthusiasm. That is his interpretation; the report offers no customer research establishing what Seltos buyers think of the styling or cabin layout.
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Kia’s New Design Direction
Ismail recalls initially liking the design of the Kia K4, whose combination of muscular forms and diagonal lines struck him as a clear identity for a brand he felt had previously lacked one. His concern is that highly contemporary styling can lose its appeal as fashions change. He says he has become less persuaded by the approach as it appears across newer Kia models.
His report also mentions Hyundai’s recent designs, including the new Tucson and an Avante model expected to underpin the U.S. Elantra. These comparisons place his criticism within a wider reaction to related brands’ styling, but the article’s sales figure concerns the Kia Seltos, not Hyundai models. The supplied report does not provide sales figures for those vehicles.
““Rigid, blocky, techy, and busy””
— Adam Ismail, The Drive
What the Sales Figure Cannot Show
The report gives a 45% sales increase through September 2026, but the supplied material does not specify the underlying vehicle count, provide monthly figures, or identify any factors that may have contributed to the change. The comparison is with the same period in the prior year, but the figure does not establish that redesign alone caused the increase.
It is also unclear how representative Ismail’s objections are. The report cites no customer survey, dealer feedback, or independent usability testing of the climate panel. Whether buyers consider the panel hard to reach, or share his concerns about the Seltos’s appearance and test-car price, is not established by the article.
More Sales Data Will Add Context
The immediate next point of comparison is full-year Seltos sales, which would show whether the increase reported through September continued through the end of 2026. Additional monthly or annual results could help clarify the trend, though sales data by itself would not identify the reasons behind it.
For now, the report offers two different measures of the redesign’s reception: one reviewer’s criticism and a strong year-to-date sales comparison. More buyer feedback or usability research would be needed to assess whether the design and control concerns extend beyond that review.
Key Questions
What is the main development in the report?
The Drive published Adam Ismail’s criticism of Kia’s recent design direction, including the redesigned Seltos, while reporting that Seltos sales rose 45% through September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Does the report say the redesigned Seltos is selling poorly?
No. The reported sales comparison is an increase of 45% through September 2026. Ismail’s negative design assessment is personal opinion and does not describe the views of all buyers.
What does Ismail criticize about the Seltos interior?
He says the climate-control panel is partly hidden behind the steering wheel and difficult to use without looking around it. He also describes some cabin plastics as bland and tacky, while noting that the car has physical buttons.
What was the price of the test vehicle?
Ismail reports a $37,250 sticker price for the SX all-wheel-drive Seltos he tested. He says he considers that too much to pay for the vehicle; the report does not provide a wider pricing analysis.
Source: thedrive.com
