2020 KIA Soul

[DACH]

2020 KIA SOUL MOSTLY REVEALED IN NEW TEASER

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020-kia-soul-mostly-revealed-in-new-teaser/

 

 

We're exactly one week away from the reveal of the 2020 Kia Soul, and we have a pretty good idea what it will look like thanks to this new teaser. KIA has also dropped more information on engines and trim levels.

The Soul adopts more of a crossover appearance up front. When viewed form the side profile, the front end looks more rounded and less boxy than before. KIA also reworked the side window design to give the illusion of a sharply sloped roofline. The model gets a new floating roof that melds into the vertical taillights.

Other teasers show off bits of the interior, including the steering wheel and door handles. In one teaser, we can see the Soul's new central screen.

In a press release, Kia confirms the Soul will offer a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and a 1.6-liter turbo-four. No mention was made of a return for the base 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Kia says it will continue to offer a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, without specifying which other gearboxes may be available. An all-electric variant will be sold in select markets.

The gas-powered Soul will come in multiple trims: LX, EX, S, and GT-Line. Kia is also adding a "ruggedly styled" X-Line model. Beyond that, Kia promises increased cargo room.

[DACH]

NEW KIA SOUL

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/new-cars/2019-kia-soul-specs-images-and-details/

 

 

THE NEW Kia Soul has been unveiled at the 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show. Here’s everything you need to know about the quirky compact crossover ahead of its launch in the UK.

What is the Kia Soul?

The Kia Soul is the Korean car maker’s distinctively-designed SUV-style hatchback that’s been standing out from the crowd since the first generation car went on sale in 2009.

It hasn’t been a top seller in the UK to date, though demand for the Soul has been strong enough for Kia to justify unveiling its third-generation car here.

Though the car’s biggest draw is its “quirky, fun-loving and crowd-pleasing” design, there’s more to the Kia Soul than aesthetic flourishes. The boxy shape helps maximise interior space and practicality, for instance, as well as making the car that bit easier to squeeze into tight parking spots. It’s also a model that comes with a variety of powertrains, including pure electric.

The Kia Soul also promises a peace-of-mind ownership experience, too, courtesy of its seven-year/100,000 miles warranty.

What engines will the Kia Soul come with?

Though the bluff-sided urban runabout was revealed with petrol engines at the LA Motor Show, Mk 3 Kia Souls sold in the UK won’t be powered by any form of internal combustion. Instead, the new Soul will only be offered as an electric car.

Powering the 2019 Kia Soul EV will be an electric motor with a 64kWh battery pack, with claimed outputs of 201bhp and 291 lb ft of torque. The range is still yet to be verified but, as the Soul uses the same powertrain as the Kia e-Niro electric SUV, we expect the Soul will have a similar range to that car’s claimed 301 miles per charge.

What tech does the Kia Soul have?

The electric powertrain’s arguably the tech highlight, but the Kia Soul comes with many more interesting gadgets. Many of the controls are operated through a 10.25in touchscreen on the centre console, and Kia says the Soul’s telematics system allows drivers to see the car’s charging status and where the nearest charging spots are.

The new Kia Soul also be available with lots of safety equipment. Buyers will be able to have lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking, though Kia didn’t say whether these will be standard fit or only offered as optional extras.

When will the Kia Soul go on sale?

A release date hasn’t been announced for the new Soul, but as it will be launched in continental Europe early next year, it’s expected the car will arrive on our shores before the end of 2019.

How much will the new Kia Soul cost?

UK prices for the 2019 Kia Soul will also be revealed next year, though it’s expected the car will be similarly priced to the £30,495 current Kia Soul EV. It should qualify for a £3,500 new car discount when it goes on sale too, assuming the government’s current Plug-In Car Grant terms remain as they are when the new Kia Soul is launched.

What are the Kia Soul’s rivals?

When the Kia Soul goes on sale in the UK, its closest rivals will be the Nissan Leaf, the Renault Zoe and the BMW i3 hatchbacks. As the Soul is described by Kia as an SUV, the electric Hyundai Kona crossover is also a competitor.

 

[DACH]

Preview: 2020 Kia Soul

https://www.autotrader.ca/expert/20181128/preview-2020-kia-soul/

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Kia has unveiled its new Soul hatchback and it looks funkier than ever.

While interest in tiny Japanese boxes-on-wheels was fleeting at best (Nissan Cube, Scion xB, Honda Element are all long gone), North American buyers have embraced Korea’s version wholeheartedly; enough to warrant this third generation of the model.

While the motoring media generally love how fun it is to drive, its good value, and practical shape; much of the Soul’s popularity can be attributed to its styling. Where the Soul has been – and remains – “geek chic”, its former competitors largely got stuck on the “geek” part.

The third generation is instantly recognizable as a Soul with its profile remaining roughly as it has been for the past two generations, but with a host of significant visual details having been updated to keep the practical sub-compact contemporary, and yes, extra funky.

The Soul’s new face is more serious due mostly to its squinty LED headlights that are linked visually by a grille-wide trim piece to help the quirky style to mature somewhat. The clam-shell hood and accent stamping in the fender, combined with the new headlight trim actually remind this observer of the Range Rover Velar (though that’s where the similarity ends). The shoulder line sweeps upward into the D-Pillar, where a SOUL wordmark is stamped into the black plastic and giving the roof line a floating appearance. The tail lights now rise beyond the D-pillars, encircling the top of the hatch.

Inside, the Soul remains youthful in its spirit, offering a broad palette of funky colour choices and neat materials to adorn it. Plus, as has always been the case, the Soul offers contemporary media technology to be particularly appealing to tech-savvy and music-loving buyers. The latter point is served by the available 640-watt Harman Kardon audio system, with its 10 speakers. Plus, an adaptive lighting system can now change the ambiance of the interior based on a selection of “moods” that range from Party Time to Romance, and can work in conjunction with the audio system.

There’s an available 10.25-inch HD colour touchscreen with split-screen functionality standard on upper trim levels, and of course Android Auto and Apple CarPlay remain part of the package.

Passenger space dimensions are virtually unchanged, but the cargo capacity has increased by a notable 142 L. Additionally, the rear liftgate opening is wider and lower, making loading and unloading of cargo easier. Plus, there’s a dual-level cargo area floor to increase space to accommodate taller items.

In terms of safety, the 2020 Soul is also available with a host of impressive features including lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, smart cruise and high-beam assist – all features that were generally associated with high end premium cars only a few years ago.

Kia has also done a good job of keeping the Soul interesting with a variety of powertrain options, ranging from run-of-the-mill economy car, to sprightly turbocharged variant, and even a plug-in EV, and the same will continue now.

The base engine for the 2020 Soul is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder delivering 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. It can be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or Kia’s new Intelligent Variable Transmission.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from the Hyundai Kona is optional on the Soul and produces 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Arguably, the top-tier drivetrain will be the new Soul EV with its immediate 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque (up from 210 in last year’s Soul EV). And while final efficiency results are not yet available, the new Soul EV has a liquid-cooled lithium-ion polymer 64 kWh battery that should result in reduced need for daily charging. Plus, a fast-charge system will be standard equipment and a smart regenerative braking system can be adjusted through three levels depending on how aggressively the driver wishes to recoup kinetic energy through deceleration.

[Thecarboy302]

With the Stonic coming, chances of Soul returning to local lineup will be even lower. I like the looks of this new 2020 Soul.

[DACH]

@RadX

@Carbon82

@Spring

@Jman888