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New Kia Soul Turbo gets futuristic full-width headlight treatment

When we last saw a prototype of the next-generation Kia Soul, it looked like it wouldn't look all that different from the old one, except for having trendy split headlights. As it turns out, those split headlights are more interesting than we thought. The example of the new compact hatchback shown above reveals that it will have a futuristic-looking full-width headlight treatment, something we haven't really seen since the early Mercury Sable. It's clear from these photos that the full-width lights are not the actual headlights that provide forward illumination. They're just accent lights, but the effect is still impressive. It appears the turn signals are integrated into each end of the big light. The center section also eliminates the old Soul's center grille. Below the lighting unit is an expanded lower grille and large lighting elements on either side. These are real forward-illuminating lights. In the bottom of the lower grille are a pair of foglights much like on the current model. The Soul's profile looks almost unchanged from the current model, leading us to wonder if this is a major update to the existing car, or if it is a new platform that just looks mostly like the old one. The tail end receives some major changes, though. The taillights are now almost completely visible, and although they still run up the rear pillars, they now descend lower and into the hatch area. They appear much more shapely and aren't form fitted to the body. This particular prototype also has a sporty dual exhaust tip in the center. This seems to indicate this is a Kia Soul Turbo model, as does the fact it's parked next to a Hyundai Veloster N. Not much is known about the new Kia Soul. We expect it to be roughly the same size as the current model, and we wouldn't be surprised if Kia offers all-wheel drive to keep it competitive with other tiny crossovers. As for the Kia Soul Turbo, we predict it will use the same turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that the current model and the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo use. We do hope that Kia will offer it with a manual transmission this time around. Related Video:

UPDATE: Kia K900 revealed, first in leaked shots, now in official photos

We have been posting sketches and teaser images of the upcoming Kia K900 sedan, but photos of the real thing are already available in South Korea. Some presentation slides of the car, wearing the name "K9" (that's what it's called over there), are now online on Kia's own website and in the photo gallery above. The restrained appearance conveyed in the sketches is present in the final car. There's still something German about it, with detail choices reflecting current BMW and Mercedes offerings: The front grille is certainly about as big as BMW 7-series' kidneys these days. The lights' LED accents are clearly visible in all photos. Fitting the car with real-life wheels definitely makes it lose something striking that the sketches had, but that is the case with all concept design sketches. The interior ambience depicted in the penned sketch has translated well to the photograph-like render: it will be interesting to see how the promised mood lighting modes will affect the interior. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earlier, screenshots of the slideshow have made it online on a Korean motoring site, as well as this "Job #1" style photo taken at a manufacturing facility. They showed March 20th as a date for the online unveiling, and the K9 microsite came online today. Kia has also published this commercial of the new car on YouTube. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Kia announced that the car will be shown officially at the New York International Auto Show, but the date on the slideshow already promises something, perhaps local, for tomorrow. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia K900 official images Spy Photos Kia Luxury Sedan kia k900

2015 Kia Soul EV Prototype

Spend a few days chatting with the good people of Seoul about their neighbors to the north, and you'll find a pattern emerges. When they first start talking, South Korea's citizenry speaks openly and ardently about seeking reunification with their North Korean brothers and sisters. Yet once you get beyond casual conversation, you'll find that those hopes and wishes aren't all that they first appear to be. Quite reasonably - and despite everyone's best intentions - there's genuine fear that opening the border with communist North Korea would severely tax South Korea's finances, infrastructure and daily lives. It's almost as if reunification feels like something the general public has to say they want, even if they're really not buying into the reality.
It's kind of like the way American consumers and the media have been crying out for electric and hybrid automobiles, yet when it comes time to vote with their pocketbooks, their hearts just aren't in it. There are potential financial and infrastructure concerns, along with lingering worries about how well EVs will integrate into their daily lives. Today, hybrids and plug-ins make up about three percent of new vehicle sales, and the vast majority of those models are gas-electric models - one in particular. Pure electrics aren't yet even a drop in a very large bucket. It's exactly this uncomfortable dichotomy that rings in our heads as we drive through the traffic in Namyang at the wheel of a 2015 Kia Soul EV prototype.
Of course, one can't blame Kia for developing an electric car - it has California's zero-emissions mandates to meet, regardless of whether the segment's sales suggest there's a sound financial strategy attached. Kia officials we spoke with at this early drive of the company's electrified 'box' car seemed to tacitly acknowledge the Soul EV's difficult business case, but pointed to the company's effort to reduce its CO2 output as part of its reason for being. And besides, their beancounters' industry-wide projection for global EV sales in 2018 is 600,000 units, so there's got to be room to grow, right?