UPDATE: Seven Kia Soul models: image preview of all seven Souls from auto show is now available.

Seven versions of the all-new Kia Soul urban crossover passenger car will star in a special “Soul World” as the new segment-busting vehicle makes its world debut at the Paris Mondial de l’Automobile from 2 October 2008.

The eagerly awaited Kia Soul marks a revolutionary expansion of the Kia product line-up. A bold statement of Kia’s determination to succeed as one of the world’s top automotive companies, Kia Soul is destined to appeal to a whole new group of European and global consumers.

“Soul presents consumers with such a broad selection of styling, comfort and equipment choices, that it redefines the concept of freedom. It’s a brand new urban car packed full of liberating ideas – a car that challenges consumers to ‘free your mind’, to build an emotional bond with their new car and to rethink everything they know about Kia,” enthuses Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, International Business Division, Kia Motors Corporation.

Kia Motors Corporation Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, has overseen the evolution of Kia Soul from 2006 concept fantasy to its 2008 production reality. “The new Kia Soul will be a breakthrough vehicle for Kia on its journey to be seen as a design-led company and the maker of distinctive cars which consumers aspire to own. Conceived in the USA, developed in Korea and fine-tuned in Europe, I strongly believe that the production Kia Soul urban crossover is a completely resolved design that has successfully achieved its own distinctive style.

“Kia Soul is all about creating a car that demonstrates our passion for automotive design, gets Kia talked about, and generates an irresistible customer appeal that will translate into strong sales,” added Schreyer.

“First impressions will make a big impact and there will be several unique aspects to the experience of sitting in the Soul,” enthused Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Motors Europe. “The tall doors and high-mounted seats make for easy access, whilst the ‘laid back’ dashboard, triple dial instrument cluster and thick-rimmed steering wheel create an unusual combination of spaciousness for passengers and cosiness for the driver to generate a very special ambience inside this new Kia.”

Every Kia Soul in Europe will be equipped with a factory-fit RDS radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility, plus USB, AUX and iPod connections in the centre console and six audio speakers, innovative PowerBass technology and a roof-top antenna.

An upgraded eight speaker sound system – complete with ‘Sound Sensitive Mood Lighting’, 315 watts output, a large diameter dash-top centre speaker, external amplifier and a sub-woofer mounted in the boot – can be specified.

In Europe, Soul customers will be able to choose between a 126 PS diesel with DPF – or a 115 PS ‘low-power’ version in some countries – and a 126 PS petrol engine, both based closely on the 1.6-litre units first designed and produced by Kia engineers for the cee’d model made in Slovakia. All three engines are Euro4 compliant for emissions.

The Kia Soul will be available with the highest levels of active and passive safety, to fully satisfy the ever-increasing consumer expectations of modern car design. Kia Soul cars supplied to the majority of countries in Western Europe and all of North America will be fitted with six airbags, four disc brakes and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) – increasingly a ‘proven technology’ in accident avoidance – as standard. In other countries ESP will be available as a factory-fitted option.

Kia Motors Corporation is planning to manufacture up to 136,000 examples of the Kia Soul annually at its Gwangju facility in Korea. The plant has been extensively refurbished for its new role, enhancing vehicle and build quality and greatly increasing the flexibility of the production processes.

Overall sales volumes are expected to see 36,000 sales in the domestic Korean market, 50,000 units in North America, 30,000 in Europe and 20,000 in other ‘General’ markets worldwide. A dedicated version of Kia Soul for the Chinese market will be produced locally in China at the rate of 40,000 units annually, starting during 2009. [Source: Kia UK]

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