The new Kia Soul has been honoured with the iF Product Design. The Track’ster-inspired compact SUV is supposed to be both radiating the genes of its predecessors and the light of the new age.
“The great challenge we faced when designing the second model generation was to preserve the strong, individual character that made the Kia Soul so successful, and at the same time give the design new impulses”, says Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer of Kia Motors Corporation.
The new Kia Soul is indeed entirely new. No body panel has been shared with the previous generation. Inside you get more leg and head room than before and a more overall luxurious feel. The base platform of the Soul is akin to that of the Cee’d which is pretty dynamic. There are two engine choices: a 1.6-liter 132 PS petrol one and a 128 PS diesel one.
The Soul happens to be the first Kia model which can have its roof in a different-than-the-rest color. Add the “SUV Styling Pack” and you’ll stand out with a distinctive black roof, piano black bumper garnish, side skirts and wheel arches. The award-carrying Soul has was indeed with that pack.
2014 will see the arrival of a special edition of the charismatic Kia Soul called the Red Zone, says Kia Motors America. Inspired by the Kia Track’ster concept, the newcomer will be limited to a 2,000-unit production number. It is the first special edition to be added to the second generation Soul family.
The red zones of the Red Zone can be found on the “aggressively styled” body kit. That is to say, red trimming on the front and rear fascias, the side skirts and around the grille also. The insides too get a fiery treatment – the black cloth seats, leather steering wheel, and black-leather dash hood all employ red stitching. The black floor mats come with red piping on the edges, the gear knob has a red ring on it, the air vents too, and the dash speakers. Even the tray on the console has red all around.
Clearly not red are the 18-inch custom alloy wheels which, nevertheless, do a good job of complementing the visual appeal. Also, the 2.0-liter GDI engine (of unspecified color) sends 164 hp through a six-speed automatic transmission which is pretty neat.
With the Red Zone being based on the 2014 Soul Plus, you are also entitled to a few standard luxuries such as Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), steering wheel-mounted controls, Bluetooth, and indicator side mirrors.
The Kia Track’ster concept is out of the box. Attenders at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday had the privilege to witness the rather dramatic revealing. And now when the Track’ster is open to the public, we do are not sure from where to start.
Although it is based on the current Soul, in essence it is an entirely different car. The Track’ster is simply exciting to look at thanks to those air-gulping, carbon grille installations across the front and the massive auxiliary LED lights that complement them. The headlights themselves are impressive enough with that flowing figure that seems to be reaching for the fenders. And can you not notice the color of the whole thing? It’s white and orange as if it’s a pair of trainers – The roof and lower front, side and back valances are in, what Kia calls, an ‘inferno’ shade. That burning hue can be noticed as a motive also on the mirrors and at the front air-scooping slit and inside. To do the honor of the overall sculptured body lines of the Track’ster, Kia have fitted four HRE-K1 monoblock billet performance wheels. Ideal tires would be 245/40-19-inch for the front wheels and a stunningly wide and low pair of 285/35-19′s at the back.
More features that set the Track’ster apart from the Soul include the dimensions – 101.2-inches of wheelbase length make the concept almost an inch longer than its production parent. And most certainly, the 14-inchBrembo vented and cross-drilled brake discs at the front and 13.6-inch ones at the back, gripped by six and four-piston calipers respectively, do not come as standard on a Soul but they are present in Track’ster. Such suspension attention on a concept car seems redundant but when we realize that the Track’ster hides a 2.0-liter, straight four turbocharged power plant that develops 250 hp things start to make sense. What also makes sense is the power being channeled trough an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system in order to prevent any torquesteer, understeer or oversteer tendencies. The transmission is a six-speed, short-ratio manual controlled by a stubby gear stick found on the center console (naturally).
Speaking of the center console, the inside of the car is certainly a place where we or any other car enthusiast might like to spend a great deal of time. The two bucket seats at the front are dressed in gray and orange (inferno) leather. The dashboard, door panels and center console have the same motives with added white patterns. There are standalone gauges on top of the dashboard that indicate things like oil pressure, temperature and battery voltage. Just bellow is a touch-screen interface which deals with the navigation, ventilation and entertainment system. The start button on the other hand, might just be the most exciting feature of all (for a 10 year old).
A part of the Track’ster‘s “street” appeal is lost when we look at the back where, on a normal Soul, one would find rear seats. The Track’ster however stands by its name and occupies the rear space with a section for tools, a sport’s gear compartment, a place for a spare tire and other track-friendly items. It all sounds like a car enthusiast’s dream really. Except one problem – Kia are not thinking of actually making it. It is said that the Track’ster is more of a test for the company’s engineers and their creativity and ability to make perfect, road going, performance superminis. Point taken.
Kia has released first image (teaser) of the new Track’ster Concept car, which will make its official debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The vehicle is created by California Design Studio.
The concept car boasts LED taillights and aggressive dual exhaust system.
There are no further details about the car or its engine, but probably it will share the Veloster’s 1.6 liter turbocharged petrol with 211PS (155 kW) and 265Nm (196 lb-ft).
Full details and additional photography will be released on Wednesday 8th February. A design sketch was released on Thursday 2nd February.
The new Kia Soul has been honoured with the iF Product Design. The Track’ster-inspired compact SUV is supposed to be both radiating the genes of its predecessors and the light of the new age.
The Kia Track’ster concept is out of the box. Attenders at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday had the privilege to witness the rather dramatic revealing. And now when the Track’ster is open to the public, we do are not sure from where to start.
