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Kia Soul EV will start sales in five more states by June

The Kia Soul EV has proven itself to be enough of a hit that it will be headed to Texas and four other states by this summer. Yee-haw. The Soul EV, which started US sales in California late last year, will go on sale in the Lone Star State, as well as Georgia, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii by June. Kia says residents of those states have "expressed significant interest" in the Soul EV, and notes that those five states have more than 1,800 publicly available charging stations combined. Other states will get the Soul EV next year. The Soul EV just won the first-ever Canadian Green Car of the Year Award from journalists in the Great White North. The Soul EV, notably associated with those grooving hamsters in the TV ads, beat out the Honda Fit, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry Hybrid. The Soul EV starts at $33,700 and has a single-charge range of 93 miles and delivers 109 horsepower. We've got Kia's press release on the expanded sales areas below and our Quick Spin of the Kia Soul EV for you right here. Related Videos: KIA MOTORS AMERICA EXPANDS SOUL EV AVAILABILITY TO FIVE ADDITIONAL STATES Hot-Selling Soul Electric Vehicle Will be Available for Sale in Georgia in Q2; Oregon, Washington, Texas and Hawaii Anticipated in June Expansion into five new states underlines Kia's commitment to green mobility and its fun and funky alternative fuel vehicle Solid infrastructure and consumer demand propel Soul EV beyond California IRVINE, Calif., March 25, 2015– Following the successful launch of the Soul EV late last year in California, Kia Motors America (KMA) is proud to announce it is expanding availability of its fullycharged urban runabout into five new states: Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. Electric vehicle demand has been growing in these states, and consumers there have expressed significant interest in Soul EV. And with more than 1,8001 charging stations combined, the robust EV infrastructure within these markets makes battery-powered travel convenient and an increasingly appealing choice for consumers. Within each state, select Kia retailers will be certified to sell and service the Soul EV, and customers will have access to charging stations installed at these facilities. The Soul EV-authorized Kia dealership locations will be announced closer to the Soul EV's on-sale date in the expansion states later this year. Additional markets are set to come online in 2016.

2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Review Introduction | A brand new day

Kia has come a long, long way since it entered the U.S. market back in the mid '90s. Initially, the Korean automaker was known for affordable economy cars with questionable reliability and a distinct lack of charisma. That's no longer the case. Kia turned its reputation around, building solid if slightly sedate cars and crossovers with handsome styling and one of the best warranties in the industry. Our new long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT is the automaker's first real attempt to inject some life into the brand. The Stinger's development was helmed by some genuine all-stars. The design was led by Peter Schreyer — the man behind the original Audi TT — and Gregory Guillaume at Kia's European design studio. Engineering was handled by former BMW M Vice President of Engineering Albert Biermann. Biermann is now leading the way at Hyundai's N division. The end result is a front-engine, rear-drive sportback tasked with putting to rest Kia's budget-car image. The automaker has made no secret about targeting models like the Audi A7 and Porsche Panamera. What we got The Stinger comes in two flavors. The base model comes with a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo four-cylinder producing 255 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque. We opted for the more powerful Stinger GT and its 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. That engine — shared with models from Genesis — makes 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic. While rear-wheel drive is standard, we opted for all-wheel drive ($2,200) to better deal with Michigan winters. Our car comes in Hichroma Red with a red interior. Leather is standard on every Stinger model. A base GT starts at $39,250 and comes with LED lighting, 19-inch wheels with summer tires and Brembo brakes. Our GT1 package comes in at $46,350 and adds niceties like a sunroof, a Harman Kardon audio system and a heated steering wheel. Other features include dual-zone climate control and power-adjustable front seating. We added cargo mats and a cargo tray in the rear, bringing the total to $46,620. Why we got it Kia and Hyundai are working hard to move past their budget-car roots. In general, both companies are producing vehicles that no longer have to sell on value alone. For a while, Kia's lineup consisted mostly of vehicles that were closely related to a Hyundai counterpart, with sharper styling but few points of real differentiation.

2020 Kia Soul First Drive Review | FUNky

It's hard to believe, but the Kia Soul first went on sale a decade ago, hitting the market for the 2010 model year to challenge the new-to-America Nissan Cube and the wheeled box pioneer Scion xB. We're not sure, of the three, we'd have put our money on the Soul to outlast the rest, but here we are. The xB and Cube are long dead, and the Soul is on its third-generation, ready to take on the latest crop of subcompact crossovers that have replaced the old boxes. The new generation is completely redesigned from the ground-up, sporting bold but recognizable looks. Under the skin is a new standard engine, and the lineup features additional trim lines, each with unique styling. We tried out two versions of the new Soul, the crossover-inspired X-Line with a new naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine, and the sporty GT-Line with the optional turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. What we discovered was a spunky, funky hatch that's a great choice all-around in one guise - and a questionable choice in another. Kia Soul X-Line The Kia Soul X-Line is roughly a mid-level model, starting at $22,485, and it features the powertrain that the vast majority of Souls will have: a 2.0-liter inline-four making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque coupled to a CVT. That's a $4,000 step up from a base, manual LX, and the price difference is attributable to styling tweaks – plastic fender flares and silver-painted trim meant to evoke skid plates – plus the addition of blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning. Despite the quasi-crossover looks, there's no extra ground clearance nor the option of all-wheel-drive. We don't think most buyers will mind, too much, since most Souls will probably never leave pavement anyway. The four-cylinder engine is about par for the segment. Acceleration is sluggish with plenty of noise, but throttle response is snappy, and the sounds it does emit is pleasantly growly. Fuel economy for most CVT-equipped Souls comes in at 27 mpg in the city, and 33 on the highway, which matches the old naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter model's city economy and improves on the highway by 3 mpg. That puts it ahead of the Toyota C-HR and tied with the CVT-equipped Subaru Crosstrek. The EX version of the Soul manages an impressive 29 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway, coming close to matching the Nissan Kicks that gets 31 mpg in town and 36 on the highway. Choosing a manual in the Soul brings fuel economy down to 25 in the city and 31 on the highway.