Introduction
Kia uses words such as chic, active, unique and individual to describe both the Soul and its likely buyers. That’s Soul, not Seoul, although this is the newest model from the South Korean automaker. It makes its debut in October at the Paris Motor Show, and then arrives at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. A concept version of the Kia Soul first appeared at the Detroit auto show in 2006. In the spring of 2007, the company said the car-based crossover would join its U.S. lineup in 2008 as a 2009 model. It now appears ready to arrive in 2009 as a 2010 model, but the company’s U.S. representatives have only released photos of the Soul, and no updated details. It goes on sale in Europe in early 2009. Manufacturing, at Kia’s Gwangju factory, starts in November.
The Soul’s boxy shape might remind U.S. buyers of the Scion xB, the Honda Element, or the MINI Cooper. Besides its exterior styling (of which the forward-sloping roofline is the distinctive feature), the emphasis is on the size of the passenger cabin, ride height, and interior design, including a triple-dial instrument cluster and a thick-rimmed steering wheel. The concept’s rear hatch featured a backpack-like compartment, able to hold wet clothes or even a skateboard. It’s unknown if the feature will appear in the production version. The concept was powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
