The Kia Soul entered its second generation in 2013
and is due for a complete makeover now. The 2019 Kia Soul is in the works, and
it was recently spied up close by a Motorgraph forum member in South Korea.
The Kia Soul will
still have a very familiar look, thanks to the largely unchanged proportions.
The redesigned model should loosen up some funkiness and look brawnier and more
aggressive, though. It appears to have new bumpers, a two-tier headlamp setup,
low-positioned front fog lamps on the outer-ends of a large lower air intake,
two-tone alloy wheels and vertical LED tail lamps. The central twin exhaust
pipes indicate that the test mule is the sportiest configuration of the all-new
Kia Soul.
Reports say that the next-gen Kia Soul will ride on
the same platform as the Hyundai Kona and the Kia Stonic. The current model is
a FWD-only vehicle, available with 1.6L and 2.0L naturally aspirated petrol
engines, a 1.6L turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.6L turbocharged diesel
engine. 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic are
the transmission choices. Most of these aspects should remain the same post the
lifecycle makeover, save for the drivetrain layout. Kia may offer the next-gen
Kia Soul in AWD, albeit as a hybrid/plug-in hybrid with an electric motor
powering the rear wheels.
The next-gen Kia Soul is expected to have its world
debut at the 2019 LA Auto Show in November.
