Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Crossovers/CUVs, Kia
Detroit Preview: Kia Soulster
by Chris Shunk on Jan 6th 2009 at 1:33PM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia Soulster
Our initial guess that Kia would bring a Soul coupe to next week's Detroit Auto Show seems to be holding up with the release of a new teaser bearing the name "Soulster." Naturally, the two-door Soul will keep its boxy profile, with a redesigned hatch that incorporates blacked-out pillars into the tinted windows of the greenhouse. Unfortunately, that means that a Soulamino is out, but we see how well that worked for GM.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dude 1:42PM (1/06/2009)
Wouldn't Soulster = Soul + roadster?
I'm thinking two-seat roadster
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Will 10:31PM (1/06/2009)
No, a two-seat roadster would be called the Soulstice.
Crap, wait...
Torrent 2:27PM (1/06/2009)
I guess a Convertible is the only plausible product. Maybe it has thick ass C Pillars like those Saabs.
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Ty 4:54PM (1/06/2009)
I'm twenty-one now, and have been 'into' cars since I was about fifteen or sixteen. It's been fascinating watching the dynamics of the market and the interactions of the companies over the past few years. One of the most interesting cases, of course, is Hyundai/KIA's rise out of econo-box hell and into territory that, when I initially was reading reviews and personal accounts of these cars, would have been unheard of.
I'm not terribly into the Soul itself, but I can certainly appreciate what the design and marketing teams have been able to do over at KIA (as well as Hyundai). If I were in the market for a small, sub-20k sedan, I'd most certainly have the Forte on my mind. But, I love Foresters. Anyways, keep up this slick stuff, Kia.
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Val 7:32AM (1/07/2009)
Don't dig the Soul, this is very unlikely to be better
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Iknow 4:52PM (1/11/2009)
Hyundai/Kia hired german engineers and absorbing all german knowhows...Various models from Kia are mainly designed by Peter Schreyer who designed Audi TT amd VW new Beetle. Hyundai/Kia already making better cars than Jap companies, however, those cars are not yet here in America. Hyundai/Kia cars are still cheaper than Jap cars cause of Korean Won's currency exchange rate. Japs have been enjoying lowest interest rates for years but now other countries are lowering down their interest rate as well. This causes Jap Yen to go skyrocket. Japs cars are overrated anyways. While a German engine consists of 250 main parts, a Jap Engine can't go lower than 350 parts. That is called technology. Hyundai/Kia are absorbing German Techs like crazy now...Thanks to those retired german engineers....Retired doesn't mean stupid....Often they are better than the ones whom they used to train....Why buy Jap cars? Hyundai/Kia cars are better...and They do have huge plants in the US so they hire those Americans and let them live happily with their families...Are big3 American companies? I don't think so...Whoever is providing employment is your company...And Big3 don't.
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Curtis 8:36AM (3/31/2009)
Traditionally a roadster is a vehicle with a removable top. This will likely be a convertible of some sorts, much like the PT Cruiser vert.
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Curtis 1:52PM (1/06/2009)
But I guess the teaser pictures say otherwise