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Kia Soul to get AWD?

The funky Kia Soul is one of the three affordable, efficient and style-first boxes on sale today (along with the Scion xB and Nissan Cube). Like its competition, it sits atop a front-drive platform with a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine.
It's a dandy car in this setup, but it sounds like Kia may be looking to differentiate the Soul from the herd by offering an optional all-wheel-drive system in the future. According to the report filed by Kia World, the popularity of the small, stylish crossover segment is expected to expand considerably over the coming years, especially overseas.
Citing the optional all-wheel drive on the Renault Captur, Ford Ecosport and Opel Mokka (Buick Encore in the US), along with the eventual arrival of a sub-Tiguan Volkswagen, called the Taigun, an all-wheel-drive Soul seems to make a lot of sense for these foreign markets. In the American market, meanwhile, AWD would open the Soul up to a new segment of buyers that like its looks but want all-wheel ability. Kia World is claiming the Soul AWD could hit markets in 2016 wearing a ruggedized version of the sheetmetal shown on the 2014 Soul that debuted in earlier this year in New York. Expect a bit of extra ground clearance to accompany the new drivetrain. Finally, all-wheel drive would likely only be available on the mid-range Soul + and top-spec Soul !.

Kia continues Ecology Center support, donates Soul EV

Kia is reaffirming its green side by continuing its support of The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. In addition to events at the company's American headquarters in Irvine, CA, the Korean automaker is donating a Soul EV for the non-profit organization to use. The Center's goal is to educate the people of Southern California in food, water supply and energy conservation. This is the third year of Kia's partnership with the group. The Soul EV should go perfectly with last year's donation of two charging stations, too. To get people motivated about the environment, the Center offers events like film screenings, classes, and camps for kids. After it hit the market late last year, the Soul EV has proven reasonably popular. Sales started exclusive to California, but Kia recently decided to broaden the offering to Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. The electric hatchback offers drivers 109 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque with an official 93-mile range from a 27-kWh, lithium-ion battery. KIA MOTORS AMERICA RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ECOLOGY CENTER AND PROVIDES SOUL EV TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS Automaker's "Visionary" Sponsorship of San Juan Capistrano-Based Eco-Education Center Supports Awareness and Education about Food, Water Supply and Energy Conservation Partnership with The Ecology Center supports Kia's diverse corporate sustainability practices Two electric vehicle charging stations available at The Ecology Center IRVINE, Calif., June 23, 2015 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the renewal of its partnership with The Ecology Center, a San Juan Capistrano, California-based non-profit eco-education center dedicated to creating a healthy and abundant future for all of Southern California and beyond. In its third year as a "Visionary" partner, Kia is providing the use of a 2015 Soul EV to The Ecology Center, which complements the two electric vehicle charging stations installed as part of the partnership last year. Kia and The Ecology Center will organize and carry out sustainability-themed learning projects at the KMA campus in Irvine, California, and in the surrounding community, and both organizations will continue work together to plan hands-on conservation and volunteer activities at The Center.

Kia debuts the compact Seltos crossover in Delhi

The Kia Seltos has had an unusual gestation, with two concepts, exterior sketches, interior sketches, an effective reveal during a photo shoot, a christening via mythology and more teasers. Even so, since the Kia Seltos small crossover began as last year's SP concept for the Indian market, it's fitting Kia hosted the production model's debut in Delhi. We're still missing a few details, like the look of the production interior and drivetrain options, but we have a bit more to go on. The detailing and materials are what could set the Seltos apart in the segment. The overall lines are familiar, however, Kia designers have worked to make those lines lyric instead of prosaic. The front fascia's been defined by three transverse metallic-look pieces shaping the upper and lower forms. The wide tiger-nose grille gets bracketed by crisp splashes of color with the LED headlights and intricate turn signals. The rear end's creasing, shadow and metallic effects are bounded by LED taillights and more "3D multi-layer indicators." We've seen renderings of the interior and know to expect a 10.25-inch infotainment screen atop the instrument panel. That screen display can be split up to show three infotainment applications at once. Kia says there will be an available eight-inch heads-up display on a glass panel behind the steering wheel. Optional eight-speaker Bose audio can pump tunes that guide the optional Sound Mood Lighting, which uses ambient lighting to create a light show timed to the beat. Indian buyers will have a choice of a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder with 175 horsepower, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp, and a 1.6-liter diesel four with 134 hp. Kia didn't specify how the transmission options will be assigned, but the selection includes a seven-speed dual-clutch, a six-speed automatic, and a CVT. A three-mode driving selector offers Eco, Normal, and Sport. The Kia release said "Sport mode increases responses from steering and electric motor to maximize the dynamic driving feel." As there's no mention of hybridization, we wonder if the electric motor refers to the electrically-assisted power steering, or something else. Wheel choices for India start with 16-inch alloys on 205/60 rubber, moving on to 17-inchers on 215/55 rubber, topping out at 18-inch wheels on 235/45 tires. In one of the interior drawings, we noted buttons that appeared to control all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and a locking rear differential.