The all-new Kia Soul is in the process of being released in Europe, looking to build on the success it has already delivered.
A measure of that success can be found in the US, where it leads the subcompact crossover category against the likes of the Nissan Juke, Fiat 500L, and Nissan Countryman.
While the second generation Soul got a little bit of a softened look, it still maintains the boxy 5-door style that made it a hit in the first place.
The popularity of the “hamster” vehicle is rumored to have Kia thinking of derivatives to add to the Soul family.
One possible addition is a 2-door model based on the Track’ster all-wheel-drive concept vehicle.
The powertrain on that model included a 250-hp turbo 4-cylinder that could fit quite nicely under the hood of the Soul.
The addition of a little more horsepower is actually a pretty decent idea, even if it isn’t under the hood of a Soul coupe.
Any potential additions to the family are really nothing but speculation at this point. Perhaps a funky convertible in the style of the 2009 Soul’ster might be next.
Time will only tell, but it could well be viewed by many as a missed opportunity if Kia don’t decide to expand the Soul range.
Possible New Model Additions To The Current Soul Range
A sporty two-door Soul coupe would be a welcome addition to the Soul range, but let’s take a look at some other possible options.
1. Soul AWD
In our humble opinion, the Soul crossover with all-wheel-drive system is one the first models that Kia should consider releasing to the market.
The automaker wouldn’t have to implement too many styling tweaks to the current design.
What they would need to do is add some plastic add-ons and accessories to get the Soul a bit more rugged exterior appearance and increase its ground clearance, so that it could offer all-terrain driving for the more adventurous owners.
2. Soul Small Pick Up
A small pick-up truck based on the Soul crossover is another option that could see the day of light sometime in the future.
The Soul’ster pick-up concept, which has been unveiled at the 2009 NAIAS, has shown that Kia has been seriously thinking of building such a niche model.
3. Kia Soul Cabrio
A topless Soul model is the most obvious follow up to the Soul coupe. Kia should first bring the 2-door Soul to the market and then release a cabrio version of it.
4. Soul Hot Hatchback
A turbocharged Soul wouldn’t hurt either. A 200+hp Soul hot hatch would be a low volume seller, but it would do wonders to the brand. We see it as an image builder!
UPDATE: Kia has announced it has no plans to unveil any of the above-mentioned Soul models at this point!
