Kia is apparently not done teasing us with their
all-new 2020 Soul crossover, which is set to debut Wednesday, November 28 at
the LA Auto Show. U.S. buyers will be able to place their orders for the new Soul in
the first half of 2019. In doing so, they will enjoy more technology, available
advanced driver assistance systems, increased cargo room (compared to
predecessor) and even a new rugged X-Line variant, joining the LX, EX, S and
GT-Line specs.
An all-electric Soul EV model is also on its way,
said to be available only with certain retailers in select markets and for a
limited time. Otherwise, people looking for a trendy and modern new Kia will
have to “settle” for either a normally aspirated 2.0-liter petrol unit or a
turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol, mated to an optional 7-speed dual-clutch
automatic gearbox – controlled via a rotary dial setup.
Whether the Soul EV will make it to this year’s LA
Auto Show is still unclear. When it does arrive, we expect it to feature a 64
kWh battery, allowing for up to 415 km of travel on a single
charge. We’ve known that the all-new Kia Soul will retain its predecessor’s
boxy design ever since the first spy images surfaced showing fully camouflaged
prototypes being driven around in public.
As for the interior, we have seen part of the
redesigned dashboard, which features a leather steering wheel with piano black
and aluminum inlays, a digital instrument cluster, a heads-up display and a
large infotainment screen located underneath the air vents.
