
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. Kids with custom Kia wristbands will get into Kia VIP sections near the main stages, and everyone can keep up with the action at Kia's concert blog site.
If what you want to do is actually see the car, Kia won't bare its Soul completely until the Paris Motor Show later this year.
[Source: Kia]




USA Today ran a piece that details some of the offerings that are either making a splash in the marketplace already, or that are pegged to be winners as the movement away from big 'utes continues. Much of the discussion centers on some of the new high-end crossovers that are currently in the works, specifically the BMW X6 and Infiniti EX35, which offer a bit more luxury over outright utilitarianism.











