Kia at the Paris motor show 2008

By James Foxall

Motor Shows

02 October 2008 16:41

Kia is desperate to prove to the world that it has Soul. And it did so in the most obvious way in Paris with – you guessed it – some soul singers. Seven versions of the new urban crossover Soul were then revealed in production guise and a hybrid version made its debut too.

Saying Kia’s new Soul supermini will rival the Mini for desirability is a touch extreme. But this is undoubtedly the most adventurous car the Koreans' have ever made. For something so tall it’s definitely stylish. And the high-mounted seats will help with visibility round town. Build quality is good and there’ll be a choice between 126bhp 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. It’ll also be well equipped with air-con and a radio/CD player with MP3 connectivity.

This stand is packed with Paris premieres. In its green zone there’s a petrol-electric hybrid Soul, the Ceed ‘Idle Stop&Go’ and a hybrid Ceed too. The firm also had a 100kW fuel cell electric version of its Sportage SUV.

Kia is definitely a company on the up and it knows it. Since Peter Schreyer took over as head of design a couple of years ago, the firm has become imbued with a new confidence. The interesting concept cars it’s been producing recently show its design is on the right track. Now it’s demonstrating the technology side of its machinery is making strides too.

CAR's Kia stand score: 4/5

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By James Foxall