The Los Angeles Salon was the venue chosen to showcase the third generation of the Kia Soul . If in the US the Soul will have several combustion engines, in Europe we should only receive the Soul EV, that is, its electric version.
It retains the cubic silhouette of the two previous generations, but the front and rear have been revised further. Highlight for the split front optics, with the daytime running lights at the top, and the diagonal extension of the rear optics, giving it a shape similar to that of a boomerang.
The Soul EV also highlights the partially covered front grille, the new 17″ aerodynamic wheels and the changeover from the loading entrance to the front bumper.
Common to all Kia Souls is the feature of an independent rear suspension scheme.
Inside, the changes are more noticeable and the focus has been on increasing standard equipment and technology. Thus, Kia now offers a standard 10.25″ touchscreen capable of supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and voice commands. The selection of gears (P, N, R, D) is done through a rotary command in the center console.
The biggest new feature of the Kia Soul EV is under the bonnet
In addition to the aesthetic revision, the Kia electric now has more technology and the e-Niro engine and battery, which is also shared with the Hyundai Kauai Electric — with the latter the platform is also shared.
What does this mean? The new Kia Soul EV now has around 204 hp (150 kW), and 395 Nm of torque, more 95 hp and 110 Nm, respectively, than the previous Soul EV.
The Kia Soul EV has safety systems such as pedestrian warning, frontal collision warning, emergency braking system, exit warning and assistance in lane maintenance, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detector and even rear collision warning .
Since Kia is still testing the car to obtain an official value, there is still no official data regarding the range. However, it is to be expected that, with the 64 kWh battery capacity inherited from the e-Niro, the Soul EV will be able to reach, at least, the 484 km of autonomy of the electric version of the Niro. In addition to the new battery, all Soul EV come equipped with CCS DC technology that allows faster charging.
The Kia Soul EV features a new telematics system called UVO.
Four driving modes are also available which allow the driver to choose between power and range. The regenerative braking system can be adjusted through paddles on the steering wheel, which is also capable of adjusting the amount of regenerated energy according to a vehicle that detects driving in front of it.
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With arrival in some markets scheduled for the beginning of next year, Kia has not yet released European launch dates, prices or all the technical characteristics.