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Kia teases e-AWD Trail'ster concept ahead of Chicago

Last week, Kia dropped a teaser on our heads of a new concept it would be bringing to the Chicago Auto Show. Now it's revealed another view, and this time it's revealed the name, as well. The new concept is dubbed the Trail'ster, and it's essentially a turbocharged Soul with an electric all-wheel drive system, a retractable canvas roof and a rugged design. The shot above (depicting the back three-quarters angle from low on the ground) doesn't show us much more than the previous side shot of the nose, but as you can see, the round light theme continues around back, with lower body cladding, underbody protection panels and red-trimmed, five-hole wheels wearing chunky rubber. We'll have to hold on to find out more, but from what we've seen so far, our level of interest is officially piqued. Kia to Bring Electric All-Wheel Drive Trail'ster to Chicago Aligning form and function to conceive a uniquely compelling vehicle for the city-dweller-turned- outdoor-adventurer, Kia Motors America will take the wraps off the rugged Trail'ster e-AWD concept at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show. With its bold design, fully retractable canvas roof and smartly integrated rear electric all-wheel drive system, the turbocharged Trail'ster takes Kia's iconic Soul to a new level of expression, efficiency and capability. The Kia Trail'ster concept will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday, February 12, at 9 a.m. CT.

Hyundai Group design chief wants more differentiation between models and brands

Luc Donckerwolke, the man who oversees design at Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, is determined to get more differentiation into the model range. He not only wants greater visual separation between all the models in the range, he also wants more distinction between Hyundai Group cars and others in the respective segments, and global distinctions so that a Hyundai in China doesn't necessarily look like one built for North America. He told Autocar, "We will not have a global design language because otherwise it's too rigid. [The alternative is] more work, but it's more flexible." Donckerwolke gets an extreme look at the results of homogeneous design, because an enormous number of cars on the road in South Korea are Hyundai Group products. "[Our] core task is to differentiate the design philosophy of the three brands, not least because we have a big [around 70%] share in Korea. We need to differentiate each model, otherwise the landscape is too homogeneous." Top-down, each brand gets a design brief. Hyundai will be Hyundai's "sexy, seductive and sensuous, sporty, eager and stylish," holding onto its value proposition while adding emotion. Kia will be "young, challenging and cool — cooler than before," said brand design chief Byungchul Juh, with Donckerwolke adding that it's about "streetwear — bold, fresh and young." And Genesis is "haute couture." Donckerwolke characterizes the design philosophy as not "Russian dolls but ... chess pieces, with a look that reveals its own charismatic character. For example, Kia's used to be about the tiger nose grille, separate headlights and the lower intake. Now it's going to be more of a mask that will deliver sportiness and a presence." Kia designer Juh said, "There will be a distinct version of tiger face for each segment, and we'll keep the tiger nose grille. In principle it's the same, but there's a different interpretation for each segment, and more of a 3D feeling. We're moving from a nose to a face." The sketches we've seen of Kia's coming small global crossover take a first step, and we're told the next Sportage will make more impact than the new Tucson. As for Hyundai, the next Sonata will "be the design flag-bearer." We wait to see how much of the vehicle all of this affects. But right now, look at the 2020 Elantra and Sonata from the front three-quarter; ignore their front fascias, and they're two sizes of one sausage.

Next-generation Kia Soul spied with old box shape, new split headlights

The current Kia Soul has been around since the 2014 model year, and Kia has kept the little box fresh with the introductions of electric and turbocharged variants, the latter of which appeared for the 2017 model year. But based on these spy shots, Kia is preparing a more thorough redesign of the hatchback/quasi-crossover. Though Kia has covered the front and rear of the new Soul carefully, the middle section gives it away as the favored transportation of anthropomorphic hamsters. Also, while there are indications there will be significant design changes, the basic formula won't change. It will still have a really thick D-pillar, darkened A-pillar and a roof that gets thinner toward the front. The roof itself also looks a bit taller, although perhaps its just the rear windows that have gotten smaller. It appears the front fascia and windshield will also retain a similar amount of rake to the current models to prevent it from looking overly boxy. The front end, as camouflaged as it is, also reveals a major lighting change. Instead of the very large headlamps of the last two generations, the forward lighting will be split in two, and the primary illumination looks to be coming from the lower elements. This design follows in the footsteps of Hyundai's Kona and upcoming Santa Fe, as well as the Nissan Juke and previous Jeep Cherokee. The upper elements also look as though they sit lower in the fascia than on past models, perhaps to give the new Soul a more aggressive look. The back is also thoroughly covered up, but we can tell that the high-mounted taillights in the D-pillars will continue. It also looks like they wrap around the bottom of the rear glass this time. This is the first time we've seen the new Soul, and Kia hasn't said much about its plans for the car. We expect that it will continue to offer at least one naturally aspirated engine, if not two as it does currently, and a peppier turbo model. We would also suspect that all-wheel drive will be on the table to better compete with sub-compact SUVs like the Jeep Renegade and Honda HR-V, which have virtually the same body style as the tall, boxy Soul. Many already consider them rivals and Kia has even hinted at the possibility with its Trail'ster concept. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground, and an eye on the rear ends of Souls, to learn more in the future. Related Video: Featured Gallery Kia Soul spy shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos Kia Crossover Hatchback Economy Cars