Kia ended the special on the 2026 Seltos for October, and every 2026 Seltos now costs $115 to $157 a month more. The EV6 and EV9 lost some lease cash, $15 and $30 a month on every trim. The other 127 trims that can be compared with September did not move.
The 2027 Seltos kept its program, so it is now the cheaper Seltos by $86 to $138 a month on every trim sold in both years: ~$333 for the 2027 LX FWD against ~$471 for the 2026. The 2027 K4 and K4 Hatchback, which Kia priced on September 30, lease for $12 to $22 more than the 2026s, and the 2026 K4 LXS at ~$295 is still the cheapest Kia lease.
+$157
2026 Seltos LX FWD
Special ended: +$115 to +$157 on all seven trims
127 of 147
Trims Unchanged
All but the Seltos, EV6, EV9 and one Carnival
~$295
Cheapest Lease / mo
2026 K4 LXS, pre-tax, 36mo/12K
-$138
2027 Seltos vs 2026
LX FWD, ~$333 against ~$471
The Lineup, Cheapest First
The 2026 K4 LXS at ~$295 is the cheapest Kia lease and the 2027 Telluride Hybrid X-Line SX Prestige at ~$765 the most expensive. Kia prices 154 trims this month, so this is a selection: the cheapest and the most expensive of each model year, plus the trims that changed.
The trap at the bottom is the 2026 K4 LX. It has no special program, so it pays Kia's standard rate with no lease cash and leases for ~$415, $120 a month more than the LXS on a lower sticker. This month the 2026 Seltos is in the same position.
| Model / Trim | MSRP | ~Monthly* | vs September |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 K4 | |||
| LXS | $24,635 | ~$295 | Unchanged |
| GT-Line Turbo | $29,635 | ~$368 | Unchanged |
| LX | $23,535 | ~$415 | Unchanged |
| 2027 K4 | |||
| LXS | $24,835 | ~$314 | — |
| GT-Line Turbo | $29,735 | ~$390 | — |
| 2026 K4 Hatchback | |||
| EX | $26,235 | ~$324 | Unchanged |
| GT-Line Turbo | $30,135 | ~$375 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Seltos | |||
| LX FWD | $26,485 | ~$333 | Unchanged |
| X-Line SX AWD | $34,285 | ~$435 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Sportage | |||
| LX FWD | $30,285 | ~$340 | Unchanged |
| X-Pro Prestige AWD | $41,185 | ~$498 | Unchanged |
| 2026 K5 | |||
| LXS | $28,735 | ~$344 | Unchanged |
| EX | $36,235 | ~$447 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Niro Hybrid | |||
| LX | $28,885 | ~$344 | Unchanged |
| SX Touring | $37,285 | ~$464 | Unchanged |
| 2027 K4 Hatchback | |||
| EX | $26,335 | ~$344 | — |
| GT-Line Turbo | $30,235 | ~$387 | — |
| 2026 Sportage Hybrid | |||
| LX | $31,985 | ~$360 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige AWD | $42,085 | ~$500 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Sportage | |||
| LX FWD | $30,485 | ~$360 | Unchanged |
| X-Pro Prestige AWD | $41,385 | ~$514 | Unchanged |
| 2027 K5 | |||
| LXS | $28,935 | ~$364 | Unchanged |
| GT | $35,035 | ~$462 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Sportage Hybrid | |||
| LX | $32,085 | ~$370 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige AWD | $42,185 | ~$505 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Niro EV | |||
| Wind | $41,195 | ~$372 | Unchanged |
| Wave | $46,195 | ~$453 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Niro Hybrid | |||
| LX | $31,385 | ~$373 | Unchanged |
| SX Touring | $40,485 | ~$505 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Sorento | |||
| LX | $33,885 | ~$399 | Unchanged |
| X-Pro SX Prestige AWD | $49,285 | ~$600 | Unchanged |
| 2027 EV3 | |||
| Light | $31,385 | ~$408 | Unchanged |
| GT | $47,385 | ~$572 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Sportage Plug-in Hybrid | |||
| X-Line | $41,985 | ~$411 | Unchanged |
| X-Line Prestige | $48,685 | ~$514 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Sportage Plug-in Hybrid | |||
| X-Line | $42,085 | ~$450 | Unchanged |
| X-Line Prestige | $48,885 | ~$559 | Unchanged |
| 2026 EV6 | |||
| Light RWD | $39,445 | ~$464 | +$15/mo |
| Light Long Range RWD | $42,745 | ~$484 | +$15/mo |
| GT-Line AWD | $54,545 | ~$672 | +$15/mo |
| 2026 Seltos | |||
| LX FWD | $25,285 | ~$471 | +$157/mo |
| EX FWD | $27,985 | ~$472 | +$115/mo |
| SX AWD | $32,985 | ~$540 | +$122/mo |
| 2026 Carnival | |||
| LX | $38,935 | ~$478 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige | $53,035 | ~$668 | -$15/mo |
| 2026 Sorento Hybrid | |||
| EX FWD | $40,385 | ~$478 | Unchanged |
| X-Line SX Prestige AWD | $48,685 | ~$606 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Carnival | |||
| LX | $39,035 | ~$488 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige | $53,135 | ~$704 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Telluride | |||
| LX | $40,735 | ~$510 | Unchanged |
| X-Pro SX Prestige AWD | $58,335 | ~$744 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid | |||
| EX AWD | $49,785 | ~$529 | Unchanged |
| X-Line SX Prestige AWD | $54,985 | ~$604 | Unchanged |
| 2026 Carnival Hybrid | |||
| LXS | $42,935 | ~$537 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige | $55,035 | ~$716 | Unchanged |
| 2027 Carnival Hybrid | |||
| LXS | $43,035 | ~$547 | Unchanged |
| SX Prestige | $55,135 | ~$732 | Unchanged |
| 2026 EV9 | |||
| Light RWD | $56,545 | ~$551 | +$30/mo |
| Light Long Range RWD | $59,545 | ~$572 | +$30/mo |
| GT-Line AWD | $73,545 | ~$740 | +$30/mo |
| 2027 Telluride Hybrid | |||
| EX FWD | $48,035 | ~$578 | Unchanged |
| X-Line SX Prestige AWD | $59,135 | ~$765 | Unchanged |
*Pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, Northeast region. Cap cost = MSRP minus the lease cash every buyer qualifies for, no down payment and no dealer discount. Kia's lease offers state a payment and the amount due at signing, not a lease cash amount, so the cash is inside each payment and not printed here. MSRP is Kia base MSRP plus that model year's destination charge. In the vs September column a dash marks a trim that was not in September's data. Data: Kia Finance America, October 2026.
Verdict: October Kia
If you want a Seltos, lease the 2027: the 2026 lost its special and now costs $86 to $138 a month more for the same trim. The EV6 and EV9 cost a little more than in September. Everything else is September again, and the 2026 K4 LXS at ~$295 is still where the lineup starts.
These tables are one configuration.
36 months, 12,000 miles, Northeast. Your term, mileage, and state move the payment. Get your exact number, free.
What These Payments Are
Every payment here is full MSRP, nothing down, pre-tax. No discount, no trade, no fees. That makes them a ceiling, not a target. They exist so you can measure a dealer quote against the program the lender actually published.
$1,000 off the selling price is about $30 a month at 36 months. Kia's own October offers for New Jersey quote lower payments, $209 a month on the 2026 K4 LXS for one. They are this same program at full MSRP, with $3,499 to $4,999 due at signing and 10,000 miles a year instead of 12,000.
Three things move a real quote
A discount pulls the payment down at roughly $30 per $1,000. Money down pulls it down too, but you already paid that money, so it is not a saving. Tax and fees push it up, and how much depends on your state.
2026 Seltos: The Special Is Gone
Kia ended the special on the 2026 Seltos. All seven trims now lease on Kia's standard rate, more than a fifth higher than September's, with no lease cash, and the residual fell six points on each. The payments rose $115 to $157 a month: the LX FWD from ~$314 to ~$471 and the SX AWD from ~$418 to ~$540.
The 2027 Seltos kept its program. It is the only Seltos in Kia's October offers, and it is now the cheaper car on all six trims sold in both years, by $86 to $138 a month.
| Seltos | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| LX FWD | ~$471 | ~$333 | -$138/mo |
| LX AWD | ~$473 | ~$353 | -$120/mo |
| S FWD | ~$475 | ~$358 | -$117/mo |
| S AWD | ~$488 | ~$373 | -$115/mo |
| EX FWD | ~$472 | ~$386 | -$86/mo |
| EX AWD | ~$509 | ~$406 | -$103/mo |
Pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, Northeast region, full MSRP minus the lease cash every buyer qualifies for, nothing down. The 2027 carries a higher sticker on every trim and still leases for less. Data: Kia Finance America, October 2026.
September to October, 2026 Seltos
LX FWD ~$314 to ~$471. S FWD ~$343 to ~$475. EX FWD ~$357 to ~$472. SX AWD ~$418 to ~$540. Every trim +$115 to +$157 a month.
Verdict: Seltos
Lease the 2027. A 2026 Seltos needs a discount of several thousand dollars to match it. If you do take a 2026, ask for 48 months: without the special, 48 months is $37 to $51 a month cheaper than 36.
EV6 and EV9: Less Lease Cash
Kia trimmed the lease cash on every 2026 EV6 and EV9. Each EV6 trim costs $15 a month more than in September and each EV9 trim $30 more, with the rate and the residual unchanged. The EV6 Light RWD is ~$464 and the EV9 Light RWD ~$551.
The Niro EV and EV3 did not change. The Niro EV Wind at ~$372 is still the cheapest electric Kia to lease, ahead of the EV3 Light at ~$408.
Verdict: The EVs
A small step back, not a reason to rush or to wait. Kia's EV payments rest on lease cash, so on any EV confirm the full cash reached the cap cost before you negotiate the price.
2027 K4: Dearer Than the 2026
Kia announced pricing for the 2027 K4 and K4 Hatchback on September 30, and October's program prices seven of their trims. Each leases for $12 to $22 a month more than the same 2026: the 2027 K4 LXS is ~$314 against ~$295, and the 2027 K4 Hatchback EX ~$344 against ~$324.
The stickers rose only $100 to $200, so most of the gap is the program. The 2027 K4 Hatchback and the 2027 K4 GT-Line Turbo sit above the rate band the rest of the lineup shares, and Kia's October offers still advertise the 2026 K4.
Verdict: K4
Take a 2026 K4 or K4 Hatchback while dealers have them: it is the cheaper lease on every trim. Skip the 2026 K4 LX, which leases for ~$415 with no special program, $120 a month more than the LXS.
2026 or 2027: The 2026, Except the Seltos
The 2026 leases for less on 40 of the 46 trims Kia sells in both model years, by $5 to $45 a month. The six exceptions are all Seltos, where the 2027 is $86 to $138 cheaper.
| Trim | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| K4 LXS | ~$295 | ~$314 | +$19/mo |
| K4 Hatchback EX | ~$324 | ~$344 | +$20/mo |
| K5 LXS | ~$344 | ~$364 | +$20/mo |
| Seltos LX FWD | ~$471 | ~$333 | -$138/mo |
| Sportage LX FWD | ~$340 | ~$360 | +$20/mo |
| Sportage X-Line | ~$403 | ~$438 | +$35/mo |
| Sportage Hybrid LX | ~$360 | ~$370 | +$10/mo |
| Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige AWD | ~$500 | ~$505 | +$5/mo |
| Sportage Plug-in Hybrid X-Line Prestige | ~$514 | ~$559 | +$45/mo |
| Niro Hybrid LX | ~$344 | ~$373 | +$29/mo |
| Carnival LX | ~$478 | ~$488 | +$10/mo |
| Carnival SX Prestige | ~$668 | ~$704 | +$36/mo |
| Carnival Hybrid LXS | ~$537 | ~$547 | +$10/mo |
Pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, Northeast region, full MSRP minus the lease cash every buyer qualifies for, nothing down. Data: Kia Finance America, October 2026.
Verdict: Lease the 2026, except the Seltos
On the K4, K5, Sportage, Niro and Carnival the 2026 is the cheaper lease while dealers have them, by as much as $45 a month on the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid. On the Seltos, take the 2027.
The Markup Test
142 of Kia's 154 trims sit in one rate band about half a point of APR wide, from the $24,635 K4 LXS to the $73,545 EV9 GT-Line. Kia does not use the rate to sell its cars. It uses lease cash.
Outside the band are two groups. Eight trims have no special program and pay Kia's standard rate with no lease cash: the 2026 K4 LX and all seven 2026 Seltos. Four 2027s sit above it: the three K4 Hatchback trims and the K4 GT-Line Turbo.
Verdict: Ask for the money factor in writing
Get the money factor in writing and confirm the full lease cash appears as a cap cost reduction on the worksheet. On any trim inside the band, a higher rate is dealer markup, and at a brand this consistent it stands out. Paste your quote into QuoteDefender and it checks the rate against this month's Kia program.
Terms: 36 Months, or 48 Without a Special
The terms priced this month run 24, 36 and 48 months, and 36 is the cheapest of them on 139 of Kia's 154 trims. Forty-eight months costs a median $8 a month more than 36, because on 122 trims Kia adds lease cash at 48 months against a median 11 residual points. Twenty-four months costs a median $50 more.
Where there is no special, 48 months wins. On the seven 2026 Seltos and the 2026 K4 LX, 48 months is $28 to $51 a month cheaper than 36: the 2026 Seltos LX FWD is ~$420 at 48 against ~$471 at 36. The EV6 is a dollar or two cheaper at 48 as well. The Telluride and Telluride Hybrid carry no lease cash at any term, so 48 months costs them $35 to $61 more.
| Trim | 24mo | 36mo | 48mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 K4 LXS | ~$334 | ~$295 | ~$303 |
| 2026 K4 LX | ~$517 | ~$415 | ~$387 |
| 2026 Seltos LX FWD | ~$594 | ~$471 | ~$420 |
| 2027 Seltos LX FWD | ~$376 | ~$333 | ~$340 |
| 2026 Sportage LX FWD | ~$377 | ~$340 | ~$348 |
| 2026 EV6 Light RWD | ~$517 | ~$464 | ~$463 |
| 2026 EV9 Light RWD | ~$614 | ~$551 | ~$561 |
| 2026 Carnival LX | ~$524 | ~$478 | ~$485 |
| 2027 Telluride Hybrid EX FWD | ~$623 | ~$578 | ~$628 |
Pre-tax, 12K miles/year, Northeast region, full MSRP minus the lease cash every buyer qualifies for at that term, nothing down. Lowest payment per trim in green. Data: Kia Finance America, October 2026.
Verdict: Price 36 and 48
Ask for 36 and 48 months side by side. Thirty-six wins on almost every Kia, but on a trim with no special, a 2026 Seltos or the K4 LX, the 48-month lease is the cheaper one. At 12,000 miles a year a 48-month lease also ends inside Kia's 5-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty.
Payment Math & Assumptions
All monthly payments in this post are pre-tax estimates based on a 36-month term, 12,000 miles per year, and the Northeast region program. Cap cost = MSRP minus the lease cash every buyer qualifies for. No down payment, no dealer discount, no trade. Conditional money such as loyalty, military and competitive conquest is excluded because not everyone qualifies.
MSRP is Kia's base MSRP plus that model year's destination charge: $1,245 on the K4, K4 Hatchback and K5, $1,495 on most of the lineup, $1,545 on the Carnival, EV6 and Telluride, and $1,645 on the EV9. All 45 of Kia's October 36-month lease offers for New Jersey reproduce from the program behind these payments at full MSRP, stickers included. The 2027 K4 and K4 Hatchback rows show a dash because they were not in September's data.
Tax, registration, title, acquisition and dealer doc fees are excluded and vary by state. Kia also sets part of its program by region, so your own payment depends on your ZIP.
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