We got our first look at what the production Kia Soul will look like during the Geneva Motor Show where the South Korean automaker unveiled a trio of tuner Soul concepts. The actual production five-door hatch, however, may have just been unceremoniously debuted online over at Kia-World.net, which is hosting a batch of what appear to be official pics of the production version. We hear the actual car won't be debuted until the Paris Motor Show in September, but in the pics it looks ready to go right now. Clearly a competitor for those considering vehicles such as the Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix, Mazda5, etc., the Soul looks to be an exercise in efficient packaging and utility, with a dose of very un-Kia-like style thrown in. We haven't heard yet if it's meant for U.S. consumption, but the vehicle in these shots is right-hand drive. Click the source below for more photos.
[Source: Kia-World.net via Fast Lane Daily]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
John Johnson @ Mar 14th 2008 12:38PM
Give it a Kia price point and that warranty and you will make more money than you know what to do with.
lvdave @ Mar 14th 2008 12:48PM
That car's left hand drive.
Seoultrain @ Mar 14th 2008 3:39PM
maybe they meant right, as in correct-hand drive.
James @ May 12th 2008 5:00PM
All cars in Korea are left-hand drive, so... the vehicle being left-handy says nothing about its prospects in the US.
Greg @ Mar 14th 2008 12:48PM
I'm not sure why you think that the vehicle in the pictures is right hand drive, you can see the steering wheel on the left side. Also, if you go to the website there are pictures of an interior with the steering wheel on the left.
kevin @ Mar 14th 2008 12:54PM
this is everything the new scion should have been....
geo.stewart @ Mar 14th 2008 2:53PM
looks about as close to an xD without mimicing it as you can get.
What does this have the xD doesnt? Maybe I am missing interior shots that blow the xD away. Havent heard anything re: power and handling to state that blows the Scion away.
Disclaimer: I have no stock or special regard for Scion. I just see this as a competitor. too early to say it knocks the xD's socks off.
kevin @ Mar 14th 2008 2:57PM
Sorry for not clarifying my statement. I was referring to the 2nd gen xB
PJ @ Mar 16th 2008 2:56PM
Geo, this looks to be at least marginally larger and roomier inside than the xD. The Yaris-based Scion is on the tight side of what NA consumers find acceptable these days (e.g. still plenty of room).
If other (very) recent HAG products are any indication, I also wouldn't be surprised to find better-finished interior materials in the Soul. I was surprised by the unrelenting hard and shiny black plastic in the Scion.
The biggest problem for the Soul, I'm guessing, will be Kia's dealers. It's easy to buy into the "cool" schtick when a buying experience is as slick as Scion's. Kia, not so much.
tanooki2003 @ Mar 14th 2008 12:55PM
Bring this vehicle here. We need a niche vehicle to soothe the cult that had once followed the 1st Gen Scion xB and have nothing to choose from after trading it in. Certainly not the ugly god awful 2nd Gen Scion xB.
Torrent @ Mar 14th 2008 12:56PM
The car is left hand drive. But I liked the air vents under the headlights. now they're gone.
DesiAuto @ Mar 14th 2008 1:02PM
So when is Toyota suing them?
Allan @ Mar 14th 2008 1:33PM
For what... exactly?
tuna @ Mar 14th 2008 2:03PM
@Allen
For having 4 wheels, 4 doors and a steering wheel. :D
FThorn @ Mar 14th 2008 2:06PM
For copying Toyota's badge-engineered Daihatsu Materia? :)
jsjs @ Mar 14th 2008 3:13PM
Silly poster!
If that's the case, then Nissan should sue Toyota for "ripping" them off.
tanooki2003 @ Mar 14th 2008 1:06PM
And before anybody starts the issue up again the 1st Gen Scion xB is not the same base vehicle as the 2nd Gen (current) xB.
The 1st Gen is based off of the bB.
The 2nd Gen is based off of the Corolla Rumion.
Tragedy @ Mar 14th 2008 6:01PM
Nope, other way around. The Corolla Rumion is based on the USDM xB. The Rumion was released AFTER the USDM Scion xB.
James @ May 12th 2008 4:57PM
Yep, Tragedy is right.
The 1st gen xB had already been on sale as the Toyota bB for a few years before it came to the states as a Scion, but the 2nd generation xB was designed more specifically for the US market. That's why it got so porky. It came out before the Japanese version.
SPG @ Mar 14th 2008 1:10PM
Very nice, it will do well I predict.