Kia Soul 2009 News

Kia has released a new commercial for the Soul -- featuring the same digital hamsters that have become synonymous with the Soul brand. But what's really interesting is that the Kia Soul commercial is backed by “Applause”, a brand new single from pop star Lady Gaga -- a single that was released just two weeks ago, and might've been released even later if it hadn't leaked to the internet ahead of schedule.That suggests that either (a) Kia's production team picked up the single very late in the game, after its release, or (b) they've been working with Lady Gaga all along and rushed the clip onto the airwaves to coincide with the song's debut. Both of those scenarios seems weird for a number of reasons, but most importantly:1. Major music artists are usually reluctant to place their music in advertisements. So we haven't really heard Lady Gaga's music in commercials. Does this mean the pop star's catalogue is open for business?2. In previous ads for the Soul, Kia used tunes by LMFAO and Black Sheep, which are very bro-friendly. Lady Gaga? Not so much. Is this a shift in marketing strategy? Is Kia's marketing team targeting Little Monsters now? Or is it just a coincidence?www.thecarconnection.com 

There’s no denying that its Soul “urban passenger vehicle” is a solid hit that seems to defy demographics. Though pitched at Millennial buyers, we’ve seen plenty of fifty-somethings behind the wheel, too. Drive a Soul and it’s easy to see why: the diminutive MPV is practical, affordable and nimble enough to provide some degree of entertainment value. For 2014, Kia has an all-new Soul to talk about, and it’s launching its funky people mover at this week’s New York AutoShow. Kia says the new Soul was born from the Track’ster concept, but the only similarities we see are the new Soul’s wider stance and updated front fascia. The 2014 Soul is longer, too, and blessed with a stiffened chassis to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Though you may not feel it in urban cruising, the new platform’s 28.7 percent increase in torsional rigidity should help in the twisty bits, especially when you factor in the “significant suspension upgrades” Kia refers to. Up front, four subframe bushings help reduce ride harshness, the stabilizer bar has been moved rearward and the steering box has been moved forward; Kia claims the result is better on-center feel and improved handling. Out back, the rear shock absorbers have been reoriented and lengthened to boost ride comfort. The 2014 Soul gets the same multi-setting electric steering unveiled on the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. Drivers can choose between Comfort, Normal and Sport settings, but only the steering effort (and not the ratio) actually changes. Under hood, Base Souls get a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, rated at 97kW of power and 160Nm of torque and bolted to either a six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission. Stepping up to the Plus or Exclaim trims gets you a direct-injected 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine, good for 122kW and 205Nm of torque. Plus versions can be had with either six-speed gearbox, but the Exclaim comes only with Kia’s six-speed automatic. Base Soul models come with a sizable list of amenities, including Bluetooth connectivity; SiriusXM satellite radio; a six-speaker audio system; a telescoping steering wheel and power locks, windows and side mirrors. Choose the Soul Plus, and you’ll also get 17-inch alloy wheels; side mirror-embedded turn signals; auto on/off headlights; unique fender trim; a floor console storage box; Kia’s UVO eServices; a rearview camera and a rear center arm rest. Atop the range is the Soul Exclaim, which adds 18-inch alloy wheels; fog lights; unique bumpers; projector headlights; LED running lights; LED tail lights; a piano black center console; a cooled glove box; a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob; a 10-way power driver’s seat and an auto dimming rearview mirror. The 2014 Kia Soul will arrive in Australia early in 2014, with pricing and further details to be announced closer to launch. www.motorauthority.com  

It's planned as a 2014 model with more comfort, convenience and quality than the old one.  

Kia's star hamster ambassadors are spinning for the Soul again, but with a Back to the Future twist as they take over an 18th century opera house. The upper crust crowd learns how to party down to the tune of the Axell remix of "In My Mind". Cute and fuzzy, but the set-up doesn't allow the hamster 'street' personalities -- which were the main charm of the previous commercials -- to show through. We wonder whether Kia can spin this concept any further.  

...- the reigning Carsguide Car of the Year - it also opened the door for a new Soul. According to Carparazzi, the new Soul is now testing in the USA with a bigger and bolder body, and even a new shape for the side mirrors. The cabin is also predicted to be much rooimer with better quality. Here in the second half of 2013 for just over $20,000.

The new version offers more pep per cubic metre than before, picking up a new-generation petrol engine and an improved selection of transmissions. Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth admits the 1.6-litre petrol version - that remains in the range - was considered a bit underpowered. "The 2-litre gives the Soul better performance yet is still very efficient," he says. The performance has improved but Hepworth says sales could be better. "It's a bit of a hidden secret," he says of the 397 sales to October. "Sales are quiet but steady. Owners are older than our original research - a lot older than in the US for example where it's very much a Gen Y car. It is a car that makes a lot of sense. It has a high hip point so it's easy to get in and out, is a sensible size for parking in the city and has lots of space and versatility." Kia recently upgraded the Soul's sheet metal with a new face and improved interior features. Mechanically, a six-speed automatic replaces the old four-speed unit and a six-speed manual replaces the previous model's five-speed gearbox. The 2-litre - which comes only with the six-speed automatic - is from the "Nu" family of engines and has 122kW/200Nm. It joins the 95kW/157Nm 1.6-litre petrol and 94kW/260Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. The Soul comes in two trim levels. The "base" model gets the 1.6-litre petrol engine, 15-inch steel wheels with 195/65R15 rubber, six airbags and Bluetooth. It costs $21,490 as a manual and $2000 extra for the auto. The Soul+ gains the 2.0-litre petrol engine or 1.6-litre turbo-diesel, 18-inch alloys with 225/45 R18 rubber, fog lamps, luggage cover, roof rails and driver's seat height adjustment. This model is priced from $26,990.

The hamsters cruise around in a red Soul while everything else on the streets is in a hamster wheel.

Those who used to laugh all the way to the bank are now sobbing over a plummeting bottom line.But the crop of April Fools Day spoofs still doing the rounds showed that there’s a sense of humour – and a sense of the absurd – out there.One of our favourites, tying in with the Australian launch of Kia’s Soul crossover vehicle, was their announcement of the Aero-Soul concept “that reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions with a simple and low-cost system called Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line.”The system uses sensors to measure wind speed and deploy panels when it is sufficient to harvest the breeze to help push the car along.Strong hints about what was behind the press release could be found in the system’s A.P.R.I.L. acronym, and also the comments from Kia “Systems Manager Avril Babo” (April Fool).But anybody keeping an eye on the recent Kia styling coming from the pen of design guru Peter Schreyer – who did the iconic Audi TT – would be a bit suspicious about those appendages on the Aero-Soul. We just couldn’t see Schreyer allowing that kind of ugliness.As you’d expect, Brit show Top Gear had a punt as well, announcing that the next series would focus on bicycles, and quoting host Jeremy Clarkson as saying – with an element of truth — “my contempt for human-powered transport has been well-known for a long time, but you have to face facts: the car industry is on its knees, Peak Oil is just around the corner and I'm not getting any younger. Frankly, it's pretty pathetic when a male-menopausal baby-boomer tries to pretend that he's still a boy racer.”Richard Hammond – lover of high-tech German cars – enthused about carbon frames and 14-speed hub gears. Traditionalist James May said he’d ordered a penny-farthing. But promised he wouldn’t grow a beard or wear sandals.A BMW press release promised a Magnetic Tow system jointly developed with NASA. A sneaky unit discreetly mounted on the front of your BMW projects an enhanced magnetic beam 20 ahead, finds a target car and locks on behind it. “The driver is then able to take his foot off the accelerator, turn off the engine and let the car in front do all the work. The towing car will not notice any change in manoeuvrability” the release says.Hyundai trumpeted a new version of the little i10, targeted at “the booming market among world and religious leaders” who are concerned about both security and the environment. It features interior fabrics woven by monks, an Armour Protected Roof Integrated Lining (A.P.R.I.L) and a five-year warranty that is transferable in the case of lost elections or military coups. “The first demonstrator is due to be trialled by a German customer who currently resides in Italy.”In a similar religious theme, a clever jokester on NZV8.com announced that Chrysler has been bought by the Catholic church. “It will take control of the failed automaker on April 10 and hopes to resurrect it over the following four days. The new company will be called Christler. Employees ratified the change en mass.”Autoline Daily had Exxon promising to bail out GM, including paying off all the struggling giant’s debts – as long as GM agrees to cancel plans to put its electric Chevrolet Volt on the market.Their news bulletin also had and an environmental organisation buying the Hummer brand and planning to developing a version fuelled by bat guano.And frankly, we’d like to see that.

When the square-rigger Soul hatch lands in April Kia expects to receive just 500 cars for the year.Kia Australia president and chief executive officer, Terry Im, blames international demand, saying he hopes to improve on those numbers by leveraging the factory to push 1200 our way."Initial supplies will be constrained though," he says.For Kia the Soul is a shape-shifting car."Even our dealers are saying it will help change perceptions of Kia," Im says.Initially all Souls will be sourced globally from one of Kia's South Korean factories.Like the Nissan Cube and Toyota Scion xB, neither of which is sold here, it is aimed at the Gen Y buyers.But Kia Australia's head of product planning, Nick Reid, says its interior space and packaging will also appeal to a wider audience.Like the Mini Cooper, each Soul will come with a huge range of individual trim and paint combinations, he says."We're looking at offering all the customisation available in other markets," Reid says."It's a key part of the Soul strategy."The car's distinctive high-riding design and bulging wheel-arches give it an off-road look but the car will be a front-driver only.The Soul is 1610mm high but the base of the windscreen is 135mm higher than a typical small car, the hip-point is 120mm higher and the ground clearance is raised by 45mm.Kia is not talking prices yet but buyers can expect the Soul to start from the low $20,000s.It will have a choice of two engines, either a 94kW 1.6-litre petrol or turbo-diesel powerplant.About 40 per cent of buyers to opt for the diesel, Reid says.The Soul is one of several new Kia arrivals this year.A two-door version of the Cerato, called the Koup, arrives around October, the Magentis facelift mid-year and a new Sorento four-wheel drive lands towards the end of the year.The sub-$30,000 Koup is tipped to be a turbo-charged version of the 2.0-litre engine fitted to the Cerato.The Koup show car unveiled at the New York auto show featured a direct-injection 2.0-litre that developed 216kW/391Nm. 

In a swiftly changing motoring environment carmakers are searching for new ways to cut fuel use and emissions and improve efficiency.Among the hundreds of concepts and new and updated models on display at the Paris motor show over the next 15 days are some definite standouts. Renault has combined gull-wing doors, comfort, refinement and a slippery design with a hybrid diesel engine and plonked it all on massive 23-inch wheels in its range-topping Ondelios concept car (cover picture).It's 4.8m long and has a hybrid 150kW version of the 2.0-litre dCi engine.There are also two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear to provide extra boost recovered during braking.Mercedes is unveiling one of the world's fastest cabriolets. The SLR McLaren Roadster 722S has 478kW of power and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 335km/h.Just 150 of the two-seater supercars will be built. It complements Mercedes' other show star the ConceptFascination, a wild two-door sportswagon. It's a modern version of the old British “shooting-brake” where a wagon tail has been planted on a sporty saloon.Citroen's crossover concept, Hypnos, hasa 150kW engine that boasts miserly fuel efficiency figures of 4.5-litres per 100km.However, it what's inside that is different. An extremely colourful rainbow light show highlights its sleek styling.Honda is using the Paris show to highlight its green commitment. Star of its stand is the new Insight Concept, a dedicated petrol-electric hybrid car in the vein of Toyota's Prius.It is expected to go into production within the next few years.From the US, GM will debut a close to production version of its revolutionary Volt electric car. Chevrolet is showing its new crucial small car the Cruze, plus its first seven-seat multi-purpose family car, the Orlando show car.A form of SUV-family van and wagon crossover, it has a 2.0-litre diesel engine.Alfa Romeo is unveiling its little MiTo compact which is due to come to Australian the middle of next year.Fiat is showing the MiTo's likely competitor in the super-mini category, the 120kW 500 Abarth EsseEsse (SS) plus its PUR-O2 eco-range of cleaner, greener 500s. New technology includes the ability for the engine to turn itself off while idling and back on to continue driving.Mini will show its all-wheel-drive Crossover Concept, while BMW will premiere its X1 wagon. The Mini is intended for adventurous twenty-somethings, while the Concept X1 will go into production as a safe, practical family car.Chasing a similar small, sporty car market is Audi with its new A1. The near-production version will be a feature of its stand.Saab is exhibiting its 9-X Air concept car, while Volvo is debuting its production-ready ultra-safe XC60 crossover which is headed for Australia.Porsche has several new models in the911 range plus the go-anywhere Cayenne S Transsyberia super-4WD.Mazda's all-new Kiyora urban compact four-cylinder concept car will sit alongside the world debut of production cars, the new generation MX-5, the Mazda6 with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine and the Mazda2 1.6-litre diesel.Lamborghini has joined the rush to GT supercars with its four-door Estoque concept.Like Porsche's Panamera, Maserati's Quattroporte and Aston Martin's upcoming four-seater, the Estoque, brings a new versatility to one of the world's most uncompromising sports marques.Lamborghini stresses that although there are no production plans for the AWD Estoque it has been developed as fully production capable.Toyota has three world premiere vehicles ranging from its little four-seater city car, the iQ, to the all-new Avensis sedan and wagon and the 1.4-litre diesel-engined Urban Cruiser All Wheel Drive.Ford is debuting the all-new Ka city car with a choice of 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litrediesel engines, the hot Focus RS and the new economic Fiesta.Volkswagen will show off its latest Golf GTi. The hot hatch for 2009 is cleaner, smoother and much more refined than earlier cars.It will still come with a 155kW turbo petrol engine and the promise of a 7.2-second sprint to 100km/h, but is missing the wild body bits of earlier GTi road runners.Nissan's debuting Nuvu concept is just three-metres long. It only has two normal seats plus a third that folds down for luggage and groceries. The city car has solar panels on the glass roof.Ferrari will debut its chic two-seater V8 California sports car.From Korea will come Hyundai's i20 small car and a 2.4-litre engined hybrid SUV.Kia is showing its Soul range of urban crossover concepts that come with either petrol or diesel engines. There's also a hybrid version. Additional reporting by Kevin Hepworth and Paul Gover.