Kia has confirmed it will expand its model line-up with the addition of a compact SUV in early 2009.
The new model, which has not yet been officially named, is based on the Soul concept car which was first seen at last year’s Detroit Motor Show. The production car will make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show next September and will reach UK dealerships by February 2009.
The B-segment car was designed at the brand’s Californian design studio but will not feature the concept model’s rear suicide doors.
The brand has also announced the launch of a new mid-size Borrego SUV which will debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The seven-seater will go on sale in mid-2008 in left hand drive markets but the brand has yet to decide whether it will receive a UK launch. [Source: Motortrader]
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November 13th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
left hand drive. thats for dubai. the soul very rugged. cant wait for the production model to get its black dress off. I especially liked the rear hatch, the grille under the lights and those fog lamps.
November 14th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Uf… Boris, those are the design elemts that will most likely be changed on a production car! I know for sure that the rear hatch will be different (confirmed by the Kia official!), but I’m not sure for the fog lights and grille. Might stay the same, but I doubt. Hyundai and Kia always change their front fascia when the car makes it to production. You can see that on cee’d 5-door concept car and 5-door production car.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
well, thats true. through the “spy dress” holes for the fog lights, it looks like they are the round ones which you see in regular cars. it has the headlamps of sportage. but that grille under lights could be there altough it looks like its not there coz u can clearly tell that some THING has been put in the dress under the lights and that THING also goes through the place where the main grille was in the concept model. that THING was also put in the pro_cee’d dressing, right behind the door (3 of them on each side). and yes, u’re right, the hatch will be different according to Kia.
But the suspense is killing me. wish they would give a glimpse of something more in soul, like how the borrego’s rear was shown once.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
They will put something on the net, like they did for Borrego. They will start focusing on Soul release after Borrego makes International debut in January. And then I expect to see some official teaser shots, not before.
But I’m sure we are gonna get additional spy shots and infos in the coming weeks and months and by the time, Soul is officially released, we (Kia enthusiasts) will already know almost everything on it!:-)