Kia Soul concepts

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

19 February 2008 15:46

Kia will show a glimpse of its new Soul soft-roader at the Geneva Motor Show on 4 March 2008, previewed in this teaser shot. The Soul is a departure for Kia in the same mould as the Fiat Sedici/Suzuki SX4 soft-roaders. Naturally, Kia says it ‘doesn’t fit into the usual motor industry brackets’, but we’d say they’re deluding themselves. How many more micro niches can manufacturers claim to invent?

The Soul concepts at Geneva herald a new era of personalisation for Kia, we’re told. Judging by this tantalising photograph, we’ll soon be seeing Ceeds bearing stick-on flames on their flanks and red-accented alloy wheels. This model is called the Soul Burner and Kia calls it ‘the bad boy’ of the concept trio, boasting a satin black finish and dragon tattoos. Maybe they should try some grey cardigan graphics, too. Still, you can understand why Kia is doing this – it’s keen to shift the perception of the brand from its bland yesteryear roots to its modern accent on high technology and style at affordable prices.

Click the link below to read more about the production Soul models. CAR Online caught them testing in the Californina desert last year and spilled the beans on the upcoming production car. We won’t see the finished car in UK showrooms until the start of 2009.

By Tim Pollard