The Scion xB may have written the book on small-and-boxy, but it appears that Kia may add another volume to the work with the Soul. We have no idea how the new Soul will go on the road, or how it will hold up – either materially or financially – but taking a seat in the giant shoe on wheels was a revelation. For a car that isn't expected to cost too much, the details alone would almost have to be worth the price: the chunky moldings around the grille and bumper, the contrasting surrounds for the headlights and contrasting panels for the doors, the gearshift knob housing a ball within a plexiglass ball, the court jester seats. And when we put the driver's seat all the way back, we could sit in the back seat without our legs touching anything else. And we're not short. If the Soul can mind its manners on the road, there's no reason it shouldn't go straight to sales heaven.
In the lead up to the Kia Soul's production debut at the Paris Motor Show, we've seen dozens of images, a trio of concepts and a spy shot or two, but today we finally get a taste of what Kia's answer to the Scion xB will be packing underhood. When the Soul goes on sale in Europe this February, Kia's targeted demographic of hip, urban youths will be able to choose from either a 1.6-liter inline-four putting out 124 hp and 115 lb.-ft. of torque or a 1.6-liter turbodiesel producing the same amount of horsepower and 188 lb.-ft. of torque. Those of us in the States will have only one engine to choose from -- a 140-hp, 2.0-liter four – when sales begin early next year. All three engines will be available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
A glimpse inside the Kia Soul has revealed a lot of black tape and some shiny knobs, but nothing that's any cause for alarm. In fact, if lit properly -- that is, lit cool enough to please the demographic the car is aiming at -- it should be pretty swish inside. The center pod looks to keep things quite simple, but we would like to know what the button-like appendage above the radio screen opens; just a cubby, or navigation? The tape on the top of the dash is hiding quite a few lumps -- we would expect the semicircle up top to be interesting, while the bands over the passenger area are anyone's guess. Also of note: the Soul appears to have an enormous key fob for just two buttons...
We've seen plenty early pictures of the upcoming Kia Soul, but only a few in any of the available production colors. No longer. Kia-World has managed to snag what appears to be some leaked official shots of the upcoming mini 'ute in all its production hues. We think there's a good chance that the Soul will fill a boxy void left when the last-gen Scion xB was lost as Toyota's entry-level brand went upmarket. Take a gander at the gallery below as Kia bares its Soul in Green Tea Latte, Cocktail Orange, Java Brown, Tomato Red, Moonlight Blue, Black Soul, and Clear White. Also available, though not officially shown as of yet, will be Blue Stone, Titanium Silver, Vanilla Shake and Bright Silver. That's a lot of choices, which is a good thing since buyers in this segment historically like to individualize their whips. The production model should debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and go on sale in the U.S. next April in all of its technicolor glory.
In April of 2009, the Scion xB will finally get some stiff competition from Kia in the form of the Soul. As reported previously, the new model will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, measuring 161 inches long, 70 inches wide and 63 inches tall. According to Automotive News, the Soul will be packing either a 1.6- or 2.0-liter gasoline engine powering the front wheels when it arrives in the States, while European consumers get a choice of a 1.6-liter gasoline or diesel engine.
In addition to aping the xB's boxy shape, Kia will be offering a similar line of customization parts to make each Soul unique, so expect a variety of accessories, options and color combinations inspired by the Soul Burner, Diva and Searcher concepts that debuted in Geneva. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if Kia expects to compete with Scion, the Soul won't be knocking on the $20k ceiling.
While the production Kia Soul won't be revealed until later this year at the Paris Motor Show, the opening of the London show brings the release of more official images from the automaker. One thing's certain: it'll be hip to be square in 2009, when both the Soul and the Nissan Cube arrive to give the Scion xB some company. Kia also officially announced that the car will be offered exclusively in a front-engine/front drive layout and that it's 4,105 mm (161 in) long, 1,785 mm (70 in) wide, 1,610 mm (63 in) tall, and has a 2,550 mm (100 in) wheelbase. In case you were wondering, compared to the xB, it's got a shorter wheelbase and overall length, but is a hair wider and taller. The engine selection in Europe will consist of 1.6L gasoline and diesel four-cylinders. As you can see, the photos show a neat package that'll probably have plenty of folks embracing their inner geeks when it arrives in U.S. showrooms next April.
Looking startlingly like a Vans shoe, preproduction versions of Kia's Soul will be doing their roadie routine with the Vans Warped Tour in the U.S. this summer. The front and rear of the car will be hidden under camo tape done up like Vans trademark checkerboard pattern, and dark windows will keep prying eyes out, but kids will still get a good look at what's on offer.
Taking what appears to be more than a few pages from the Scion playbook, the Warped Tour sponsorship will also include things like interactive Soul Lounges with live DJs, airbrush tattoo artists, and plenty of contests. There's even going to be a solar powered stage.
Kia has released the first official image of the production Soul. And that's pretty much it. The press release accompanying it is several paragraphs of filler that tells you exactly nothing of value, other than that the car keeps "it's" concept forebear's name and will be formally unveiled in October at the Paris Motor Show (which we knew). Kia also says that the Soul "defies classification," which is elaborate automaker code for, "it's a small crossover that's our answer to the Scion xB." Yes, but this is better-looking.
While it could be argued that Volkswagen was really the company that started the box-that-it-came-in styling trend with its old vans, vehicles like the Honda Element and Scion xB made it popular again. Besides being a rolling fashion statement, this shape of vehicle also happens to be extremely practical and allows for much more interior space than more streamlined bodywork, so we're happy to hear that Kia is planning on offering its upcoming Soul small car in the U.S. in addition to the Chinese market. We have seen what appears to be production-ready pictures of the vehicle already, and the production Soul should retain most of what we've seen in the concepts, minus the crazy paint jobs. The Soul is certainly a bold step for Kia, which has so far erred on the safe side when it comes to vehicle styling. Automotive News reports that the front-wheel-drive Soul will be equipped with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine and should arrive in both China and the States next March. Hopefully a production version of the KOUP Concept will be right on its tail.
It's good to know that there are folks at Chrysler who are still having a good time despite the rubbish state of auto sales in the U.S. The best evidence of this is the automakers's entry this year's One Lap of America "cross-country" race. Chrysler's Vice President Ralph Gilles and Erich Heuschele, Vehicle Dynamics Supervisor for SRT, are entering a blank white Challenger inspired by the 1970 Dodge Challenger that stars in the cult film Vanishing Point from 1971. The plot of the original movie revolves around a guy named Kowalski who has to deliver a white 1970 Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. He's aided by a blind DJ named Super Soul who listens to the police band and delivers helpful if not clairvoyant info to the protagonist over the radio. It's fitting then that Gilles and Heuschele have entered the One Lap race this year under the names of Kowalski and Super Soul, and the car they'll be driving is the very first preproduction Challenger prototype that was ever driven on public roads. It's been rescued from the crusher and slightly modified with a fresh coat of white paint (the first ever seen on a new Challenger) and new wheels to more resemble the original.
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