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Breaking Down Kia Souls’ Formula For US Sales Success
With the release of the redesigned Kia Soul (2014 Model Year) just around the corner, the Korean automaker may want to look at what has gone before in the boxy small car segment.
They will especially want to pay attention to mistakes made.
Kia’s rise in recent years can very much be attributed to the success of the super cool Soul crossover vehicle that debuted in 2009.
The boxy Soul has become a real success story for the brand, blowing away competitors such as the Scion xB, Nissan Cube, and the now defunct Honda Element.
Sales Surpassing 100,000 units
In 2011, sales of the Soul topped 100,000 units for the first time, topping that last year with a record breaking 115,000 units sold in the US.
That number accounted for 20% of Kia’s total sales and made the Soul the best-selling subcompact in the US in 2012, knocking off the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Nissan versa, and Honda Fit.
The other cars in the boxy segment also came out of the gate strong, slowly losing momentum as the cars aged.
When you consider just how important the model is to the Kia brand, it becomes clear that the Soul experiencing a similar decline would be tough on the company.
Redesigned 2014 Kia Soul
Don Hobden, chairman of Kia’s dealer council, said that getting the redesign right is critical, which is what he believes they have done after seeing the new Soul.
Hobden, managing executive of a dealership group called The Kia Store, which owns six Kia stores in Kentucky, Alabama and Indiana, hopes that the launch of the redesigned Soul will give Kia Motors America a boost after it experienced a 4% sales decline during the first half of 2013.
He believes that the new model will have to be a little better than the original, although he doesn’t necessarily believe that sweeping change are required, as that will just mess with a good thing.
Changes Made To The New Kia Soul
The styling changes to the 2014 Kia Soul are not that dramatic, with the changes made done in a way that allows the car to maintain its distinct proportions and overall aesthetic.
The interior receives an upgrade in the form of soft touch materials in a number of areas, replacing the hard plastics that were previously used.
People who have been given a look at the 2014 Soul model believe that Kia has achieved exactly what the target buyer looks for in the segment.
Possible Reasons Why Scion xB Sales Declined
It was there that the Scion xB began its initial decline. The youth-oriented xB was given a radical makeover for its second generation, with the larger, more rounded design failing to impress those that had loved the first version of the car.
Scion has struggles to regain that lost ground ever since. All the elements that were considered so cool were basically removed in the second generation.
That sparked a sales decline in the years that followed, which is something Kia needs to really avoid!
The thing that has ruined the new design for me is the floating skateboard on the back end. They tried to mix in the Track’ster, and it doesnt work at all, they need to build the Track’ster. Cause i own two highly custom Souls, but will not purchase this Gen. Not a bi fan of the interior styling either as the box style of the car is ruined by the roundness of the interior. Mixing circles and square is like mixing grey and beige, design wise just not right.
Lol *big fan, not bi fan!
I like all the changes except the new 18″ wheels. Those are terrible!!!
Kia will offer more than just one alloy wheel design. I do like new 18′ though.
They need to market the Forte and change its name to a name that makes sense to the common person or its demographic. Until they get an intelligent American who understands marketing, Kia will never overcome the big boys of the Auto industry.