Kia recently announced that the brand achieved a 10.7% market share in India. With successful products like the Sonet and Seltos SUV, Kia is the 4th most sold car brand in India. Even the luxury MPV Carnival sells in good numbers. The company is so confident that it offers a ‘Satisfaction Guarantee Scheme’ which is a 95% buyback assurance on the Carnival MPV.
Now Kia could be planning to bring a new “Versatile Hatchback” to the Indian market. Back in 2020, Kia showcased the Soul crossover hatchback at the Auto Expo 2020 in Delhi. The Kia Soul got an overwhelming response at the biennial event which led to speculations that the brand might be evaluating the car for India.
The speculation appears to be coming true as the company has registered the ‘Kia Soul’ moniker at the intellectual property office in India. The moniker is registered under the Nice 12, a classification for Automobiles, but it is not clear if the brand will launch the Kia Soul petrol or the EV variant. Perhaps, the electric-only version will come with a ‘Soul EV’ moniker. But we cannot be certain at this point. The brand could launch the internal combustion engine model first followed by the electric Soul.
The Kia Soul features a contemporary design theme and comes with a compact crossover theme. The compact crossover design is quite popular in the Indian market, evident from the Kia Sonet sales. The Kia Soul features an imposing grille on the front and sleek headlamps. The front fascia features foglights mounted low on the bumper and a flat bonnet design. The car features rounded wheel arches and prominent character lines on the sides. The crossover also gets a floating roof design along with a futuristic rear end. The hatch comes with a peripheral design taillamp and a sporty rear bumper.
The Kia Soul comes with features such as full LED headlamps, LED taillamps and 18-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, the Kia Soul comes with a power-adjustable driver seat, 60:40 split-folding rear seat and premium seat upholstery. The car also features a 10.25-inch HD Touchscreen, Harman Kardon Audio system, wireless Apple Carplay & Android Auto integration, Wireless Charging, 8-inch colour heads-up display, multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters etc.
Powering the petrol Kia Soul is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 201 Hp of power and comes with a 7-Speed DCT Transmission. The brand also offers a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine that produces 147 Hp of power and comes with a 6-speed manual and a CVT gearbox. The Kia Soul EV comes with a 201 Hp / 395 Nm electric motor that draws power from a 64 kWh battery and returns a range of approximately 450 km on a single charge.
In the North American market, Kia retails the Soul starting at USD 17,590 MSRP.
Also Read: Kia teases all-new Sportage SUV