Kia Seltos crossover: Aimed at millennials, named from mythology

In news that touches on proper placement of carts and horses,

Kia

announced that its new global compact

crossover

will be called the Seltos. This should surprise no one, since we posted

a batch of “spy” shots last week

of a naked Seltos that was decorated with Seltos badges and placards. What might surprise is the inspiration for the name: Greek mythology. Kia says we have the legend of “‘Celtos,’ the son of Hercules” to thank for the moniker.

In case you ever need to take a test on this, you should know that Heracles was the Greek god. Hercules was the later Roman version, and the Romans focused more on

Hercules’ early, dismal relationships

. Herc, as the story goes, got tricked by a princess named

Celtine

during a stint herding cattle, when he stopped by her father’s place. The episode resulted in a boy named Celtus (or Celtos), one of

his multitudinous brood

, and that boy became the mythological father of the Celts.

The Seltos crossover has a job almost as challenging as fathering a nation, that of being a lure to millennials the world over. Kia’s tried to give the little people hauler a head start on the job by changing the first letter of Celtos’ name to “S,” said to imply speed and sportiness. Conveniently, that also fits into the carmaker’s crossover and

minivan

naming scheme that already includes

Soul

,

Sportage

,

Sorento

and

Sedona

.

Without details on available engines, we can’t tell how much speed or sportiness there will be, but the design looks sophisticated enough. Designers have managed to put plenty of muscle and flourish into a small space without making a mess. With the

exterior matching the sketches faithfully

, we expect the same handsome results inside, led by

the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen

.

Kia says it will reveal the Seltos later this month. Sales will begin in South Korea in the latter half of the year, with other markets to follow.