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2020 Kia Soul shown in profile ahead of L.A. Auto Show

A week after showing just a hint of the 2020 Kia Soul, Kia has shown a shocking amount of the compact hatchback in another teaser. It reveals almost the entire profile of the Soul, and a few other teasers give us a peek at the interior. Overall, it's right between evolution and revolution of the current model. On the evolution side, the Soul retains is funky box shape and many of its most recognizable design cues. The window line at the back kicks up to form the car's distinct triangular D-pillar. The windshield is about the only raked line on the car. Plus, the taillights still run up the rear pillars, and the roof can still be painted in contrasting colors. On the revolution side, the front fascia looks much more streamlined and futuristic. The big, cute headlights of the old models have been replaced by more menacing, slender examples that almost look like the eye openings of a stormtrooper's helmet. And based on spy shots, these headlights should span the full width of the front fascia. The lights sit low in the fascia, too, and the whole front end has a smoother, more curved look than previous Souls. Additional teaser photos give us a look inside the Soul. The dashboard has been updated, and now all the center controls, vents and the screen are encompassed by a rounded square shape, rather than having some of those components spread out across the center stack. The door handle areas appear to be an area of customization, with this example showing a bright yellow trim piece with triangular accents. Kia also gave a few details on powertrains and trim levels. The Soul will be available with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder or an electric motor. This seems to indicate the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine available now will be going away. The gas engines are probably carry-over, too. The 2.0-liter engine currently makes 161 horsepower, and the turbo engine makes 201 horsepower. Kia says the Soul will be available with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, though it didn't say whether it will be available with both engines. Also, as we've seen in spy shots, the electric model could have a range of over 200 miles. For trim levels, Kia is dropping the "+" and "!" terminology and instead offering the Soul in LX, EX, S, GT-Line, and the newest trim, X-Line.

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.

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.