Kia unveiled a unique Soul EV-based concept car designed for surfers, utilizing a pre-production model that was saved from the crusher. The Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition was named after UK’s surfing and music festival taking place this year between 11-15 August on the Cornish coast, where the one-off car will be exhibited.
The surfer’s e-Soul is fitted with a set of 16-inch steel wheels shod in 265/75 R16 Maxxis Bighorn tires, measuring 30-inches in diameter. Kia engineers have also upgraded the suspension geometry allowing for a ground clearance of 310 mm at the front and 320 mm at the back which is significantly increased over the stock vehicle’s 153 mm. This will allow for driving on sandy beaches – even though the e-Soul is still front-wheel-drive.
Thankfully, the concept is equipped with the long-range 64 kWh lithium-ion battery pack combined with the most powerful electric motor producing 201 hp and 395 Nm of torque. While Kia admits that the 280-mile range will be affected due to the new shoes and suspension, they believe it will still be higher compared to other electric vehicles close to the Soul’s price segment.
Besides the wheels and the vastly increased height (an impressive 1,950 mm or 76.8 inches), visual changes include plastic fender add-ons, a custom-built roof rack from lightweight steel, roof-mounted Lazer ST4 Evolution LED spotlights and white graphics on the Neptune Blue metallic paint. Surfers will be able to accommodate two 7ft9 Tahe Bic Malibu boards on the roof rack and plenty of gear in the load area.
Speaking of luggage, the rear seats have been replaced by a waterproof wooden decking made of sustainable PEFC-certified spruce, making the cabin look like it belongs to a light commercial vehicle. When you open the boot, there is a swing-out arm for hanging wetsuits and towels, plus a wooden beach bench where you can sit and enjoy the view. The roof-mounted solar panels can power a mini-fridge or other appliances with the help of an independent 12V leisure battery in order to save the car’s range. The dashboard is the same as the road-going e-Soul, featuring a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment combined with a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system.
As you can imagine, the Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition is not destined for production. It will certainly remain a one-off and probably end up in Kia UK headquarters after it spends some time in Kia’s stand at the Boardmasters 2021 festival. The latter is called “Inspiration Zone”, hosting surfing, yoga, and fitness sessions for the festival visitors. This is not the first time Kia UK rescues a pre-production vehicle from the crusher, as they did in 2019 with the Kia Stinger GT420 one-off track-focused model.
