Caught undergoing testing on and around the Nürburgring, the all-new
Kia Soul EV follows in the footsteps of the standard Soul as it features a boxy
design and a squared off front fascia. While the styling looks familiar, it
appears the electric variant will come with a more traditional lighting
arrangement that features headlights up top and LED fog lights and turn signals
mounted further below.
Additional styling changes are limited, but the
electric variant will have a modified grille with an electric charging port
that is located near the driver’s side headlight. The car also lacks an exhaust system and
there appears to be less ground clearance as the battery pack protrudes from
underneath the vehicle.
Technical specifications remain unconfirmed, but the
Soul EV is expected to be heavily influenced by the Hyundai Kona Electric. That
particular model has a 64 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers an electric
motor that develops 201 hp and 392 Nm of torque.
It enables the crossover to travel 415 km between changes which
beats competitors such as the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf.
If the powertrain carries over from the Kona
Electric, it would be a big improvement over the outgoing Soul EV. The model
has a 30 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor that produces 109 hp and 285 Nm of torque. This allows the crossover to
accelerate from 0-96 km/h in 11.2 seconds before hitting a top speed
of 144 km/h. The 415 km range would also be a huge
improvement over the current range of 178 km.
Cr : Carscoops
