Autoblog

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Kia Soul

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.


[Sources: Kia]

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]

Click above to enlarge

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.

[Source: Kia]

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]

Click above for a high-res gallery of all the Kia SOUL concepts.

The production version of the Kia SOUL is on its way, and is likely to make its official debut sometime later this year. As an appetizer for what's to come, Kia unveiled three SOUL concepts in Geneva that supposedly speak directly to the perceived intentions and personalities of its buyers.

The first of the three concepts shown was the SOUL Burner, which takes the Korean automaker's idea of the bad-boy lifestyle to an ill-informed, urban extreme. From there, Kia takes off a pop-idol tangent with its "Diva" model, which purports to be sporting a more feminine, yet edgy appearance. We're not sure about how someone of the female gender would feel behind the wheel of a the SOUL, but we're guessing that the gold wheels and matching trim might turn off someone that was upwardly mobile. Lastly, the SOUL Searcher is exactly as its name implies: someone who's attempting to get in touch with the softer side of the automotive spectrum – essentially a modern day VW Camper Van.

All the details about each concept are available in the press release after the jump.

The product leakage continues as we're packing our bags for Geneva. This time, Autoweek.nl has released images of the Kia SOUL Burner Concept, one of three concepts that the Korean automaker will be unveiling in southern Switzerland.

The SOUL is obviously taking aim at the Scion xB, which took the two-box design to literal levels. This new image gives us the full-frontal treatment of the new Kia people-mover, with a fascia that mixes sportiness with an upright demeanor. It's not bad, although the pseudo-tribal graphics are so 1996. But the raked windshield and shortened D-pillar make it stand out a bit more than the xB from which it finds inspiration.

[Source: Autoweek.nl via WCF]

At the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, Kia unveiled its Soul to the world, or at least its Soul concept (photo above). Now the Korean automaker says it's ready to put its Soul up for sale in the U.S.

In show car form, the Soul was a four-door crossover powered by a 2-liter 4-cylinder with dimensions very near both Honda's Fit and Scion's xB. Not coincidentally, those will be the Soul's two main competitors when it goes on sale early in 2008. That means the Soul would need to come in priced somewhere in the $14k - $17k range.

By the time Kia's crossover gets here, Ford and Chrysler both are expected to be entering the same segment. Kia has proven to be stiff competition on price, warranty and content, and there's no reason to the the Soul won't up a similarly good fight.

Click here for photos of the Soul from the 2006 Detroit show as well as from Kia.

[Source: Brandweek]