Posted on Wednesday 27 August 2008
Updated with new images of Soul’s interior.
Kia has confirmed that its new Soul hatchback will be sold in the U.S., with the first models set to arrive in April next year. The U.S. will receive two petrol models, displacing 1.6 and 2.0L, respectively, while Europe will receive an additional 1.6L turbodiesel. Production of the Soul will begin in November in South Korea, one month after the car makes its official public debut at the Paris Motor Show.
The Soul was shown in concept form shown as far back as the 2006 Detroit show but it was restyled this year by Kia’s new head of design Peter Schreyer to showcase the carmaker’s latest design language.
The original concept was designed jointly by Kia’s Californian and Korean design studios but the final production model was created by Kia’s European design team.
Kia is hoping to double its sales in global markets by 2010 with the introduction of several new and updated models. The first of these will be a facelifted Sportage SUV in July, followed by the Soul and two new sedan models next year. The carmaker is also scheduled to option its first U.S. plant next year and is planning to build up to 300,000 vehicles per year at the new Georgia site.
Kia Soul interior spied
Kia Soul official photos
I know there aren’t many fans of the Scion xB, but this has definitely inherited the mantle. The latest Scion xB threw the baby out with the bath water and became little more than a poor man’s Honda Element. This Kia model doesn’t make that mistake. I’m not saying I’d buy one, but I am saying that this is the car Scion should have built, given what a sales success the original xB was.
My … diesels are everywhere.
The interior is nice and more toned down and, I guess mature then concept one.
I’m with Roy, my wife and I own both generations of the Scion xB’s and see styling cues in this Kia.