Evolution of the Kia Soul

Monday, 02 July, 2018

The Kia Soul is easily the most recognizable vehicle that Kia makes. With a clever marketing campaign in the Kia Soul Hamsters, a funky box shape and bright colors, the Soul is one cool urban passenger vehicle.

With the 2019 Kia Soul hitting our lot soon, we at Landers Kia wanted to take a quick look back at how this fun vehicle has evolved over the years.

2010 – The Debut

The 2010 Kia Soul made a splash on the scene when it debuted at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto show. Then, in early 2009, it rolled out in Miami with the tagline, “A new way to roll.” The vehicle was aimed at the young and young-at-heart. The Kia Soul Hamsters helped debut the all-new vehicle.

2011 – The Statement Continues

The Soul carried over into 2011 and earned a ton of honors and awards, including Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Best Hatchback of 2010 by Cars.com, Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 for 2009 by Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com and one of the Most Exciting Cars of 2010 by TIME.com.

2012 – First Update

The Soul received it’s first big update in 2012 with notable features like the gasoline-direct injection (GDI) engine, six-speed transmissions, LED lighting and Infinity Audio System.

2013 – New Exterior Styling

The Soul was updated under the hood and inside the previous year, but in 2013 it was given a few new exterior and convenience upgrades. It received a darkened chrome surround grille, power-folding side mirrors, standard cruise control, standard Bluetooth and Idle Stop and Go technology.

2014 – Totally Redesigned

The Soul had been receiving upgrades for a few years, but 2014 ushered in a completely new look with a nod to the Track’ster concept of 2012, as well as improved driving dynamics.

2015 – Introducing the Soul EV

The Soul EV arrived in 2015 as Kia’s first all-electric zero emissions vehicle in the U.S. It used a 27kWh lithium battery for about 93 miles of driving range.

2016 – New Packages

New packages and trims were added to the gas and electric Souls for 2016. The gas models received a new Premium package and the Designer Collection. The Premium package brought Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning systems, while Designer Collection introduced a new two-tone paint scheme and a few new features. A new trim, the EV-e, was added to the electric Soul as well as the Sun & Fun package for the EV+ trim with added features like a sunroof.

2017 – The Turbo

The 2017 Kia Soul Turbo made the funky box car even better to drive, thanks to a 1.6-liter Turbocharged GDI engine with better horsepower and torque than ever before. This Soul also received a special trim with upscale, sportier features. For the Soul EV, it charged faster for more energy with 87 more miles for each charging event.

2018 – High Quality

The 2018 Kia Soul was ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study for the third consecutive year. It also expanded its UVO3 infotainment system across all models and added more safety features. The Soul EV was given an increased battery, from 27 to 30kWh, which increased its driving range to 111 miles.

2019 – New Standard Features

The 2019 Soul will soon be arriving at the Landers Kia showroom. It has a standard five-inch touchscreen, rear camera display and voice recognition on the base model.

Categories : New Inventory

Tags : 2017 models , 2019 Models , Soul , 2018 Models