Autoblog

VIDEO: Soul Train: Stunt time with Kia down at the docks

Chris Shunk — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Kia

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Do you remember those Transformers fan videos in which fanboys with a lot of time and not a lot of friends made stop-frame action sequences with their toys? The creative types at Kia must have liked the idea, because they assembled a several dozen Kia Souls to make a video of their own. The end result is something pretty damn cool.

Hit the jump to watch "Kia Soul Rock!" The 1:29 video starts off with the prerequisite car stunts and power slides, and then it surprises with synchronized stop-motion goodness that includes nearly 100 Souls working together to make a rolling self effigy. Talk about your high-effort productions. At the end, the Soul Sport models all head into the cargo ship for transport, but Kia wants to stress that the vehicles used for stunt duty will not be shipped to customers. Thanks for the tip, ConceptVBS!

Gallery: 2010 Kia Soul

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Soul Train: Stunt time with Kia down at the docks

VIDEO: Soul Train: Stunt time with Kia down at the docks originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

First Drive: 2010 Kia Soul Sport makes the scene in Miami

Chris Paukert — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Wagon, Hatchback, Kia, First Drives

2010 Kia Soul Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

As far back as 2005, Kia tasked itself with becoming Korea's sporty automaker, leaving parent Hyundai to become a more affordable luxury brand. Then-chief operating officer Len Hunt admitted that while Kia's value proposition was clear, its products largely failed to connect with buyers on an emotional level - the company's models were purchased based on price, warranty and little else.

Since that time, Kia has steadily introduced a slew of greatly improved products, but nothing remotely "sporty" has hit showroom floors. Sure, there have been a few promising-looking concepts, 2007's Kee and Kue, along with 2008's Koup... but while the company has been creating one-off showcars, Hyundai has grabbed eyeballs, market share, and more than a few magazine covers by delivering both upmarket and sporty vehicles, namely the Genesis Sedan and Coupe.

And yet, here we find ourselves in Miami, ready to drive Kia's latest and greatest, the 2010 Soul. Is this where the "sporty" kicks in? At first blush, things aren't promising - the Soul is front-drive, modestly powered, tallish, and squared-off in an economy-car-tall-wagon-crossover-looking sort of way. None of which is pushing any "sporty" buttons for us. Did we miss a new, possibly ironic meaning for the word?

Follow the jump to find out...

Gallery: 2010 Kia Soul - First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Kia Soul Sport makes the scene in Miami

First Drive: 2010 Kia Soul Sport makes the scene in Miami originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leakage: 2010 Kia Soul starting at $13,995

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Crossover, Kia

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Kia Soul

A little birdie sent us a memo addressed to Kia dealers outlining the prices and specifications for the 2010 Kia Soul, due to hit dealers this April. The base model, equipped with the 122 hp, 1.6-liter inline-four and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox will be sold at an introductory price of $13,995 (including destination charge), and includes six airbags, ABS, ESC, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with three months of free Sirius satellite radio, along with USB and auxiliary inputs. For the money, the plain-old Soul is a stonkin' good deal and could cause first-gen Scion xB owners to avoid a repeat trip to the ToMoCo dealer.

The Soul + gets a bump in displacement and output, with a 142 hp 2.0-liter four, 16-inch wheels, rear disc brakes, tinted glass, body matched door handles, power mirrors, Bluetooth integration, keyless entry and cruise control. The Soul + will start at $14,950 with a five-speed manual and rise to $15,900 when equipped with the four-speed automatic.

Both the Soul! and Soul sport get the same 2.0-liter mill, but benefit from 18-inch rollers, fog lamps, an upgraded stereo, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and metal interior trim. The Soul! can be equipped with a sunroof and sand/black seats, while the sport model gets unique front and rear fascias, side sills, rear spoiler, a "sport-tuned" suspension, red/black interior scheme and metal pedals. Both models start at $16,950 with a manual or $17,900 with the four-speed auto 'box.

Kia claims that the Soul will have "the most comprehensive list of accessories ever developed for Kia vehicle" ranging from body kits, to wheels, to interior lighting packages and performance upgrades. We're looking forward to getting behind the wheel to see if the Soul can pick up where the second-gen. xB went astray. Hit the jump to read the memo.

Gallery: 2010 Kia Soul

Continue reading Leakage: 2010 Kia Soul starting at $13,995

Leakage: 2010 Kia Soul starting at $13,995 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments