Kia Soul 2011 News

Kia unveiled concept versions of the Grand Carnival and Soul at this week's SEMA show.Most SEMA show cars are modified to go faster, but Kia has taken a marginally different approach with its 2014 concepts. Hyundai's efforts include a Genesis coupe that wouldn't look out of place in the Bathurst 12 Hour race, but Kia has unveiled a pub on wheels, an ice cream truck and a mobile garage based on the practical Grand Carnival and Soul models.Ballast Point SedonaThis Sedona has been transformed from a people carrier to a beer carrier. In our corner of the world, the Sedona is better known as the Grand Carnival, the third-generation of which is due to hit our shores next year.Featuring a redesigned, reinforced, heavy duty roof, plenty of mahogany and storage for up to four kegs of delicious craft beer, the Ballast Point Sedona (Grand Carnival) would be the perfect vehicle to have on the hill at Sydney Motorsport Park while you lap up a sunny afternoon of racing action.The only downside with the mobile pub is that the designated driver is the only one getting home, naturally all the passenger seats have been removed to maximise beer storage space.Smitten Ice Cream Soul EVNeed something to compliment the beer? How about nitrogen-chilled ice cream served from the back of an electric car?While nitrous-oxide is used to fuel high-performance cars, removing the oxygen from the equation means you can use nitrogen to fuel tasty treats.Much like the Ballast Point pub on wheels, the rear section of the all electric Soul has been gutted to make room for the ice cream equipment and storage space.It also has a custom trailer, which is joined to the tailgate of the Soul to make a bench from which the -196 degrees Celsius ice cream can be served.The Smitten Soul also has the traditional waffle-cone speakers on the roof so you can play Greensleeves, or something a bit more contemporary.Ultimate Karting SedonaIf all this sitting around watching racing and indulging in beer and ice cream has you feeling the need for speed, the Ultimate Karting Sedona concept car is what you need.Simply hitch the go-kart trailer, throw another go-kart on the roof, grab a mate and head off to the nearest track.The two of you will have all you need for a day of racing, with the back of the Sedona (Grand Carnival) transformed into a garage complete with tools, race gear and checkerboard rubber floor.You don't even need to bring a marquee, as the custom roof racks contain an awning to keep the sun and rain away while you prepare your machinery for the on-track battle.High-Performance K900The K900 (or Quoris as it's known in some parts) is Kia's equivalent of the Hyundai Genesis, and a car that isn't sold here. It's a bit of a shame, because this high-performance concept - developed by Kia racing drivers Mark Wilkins and Nic Jönsson - looks a bit swish.The 5.0-litre V8 engine has had twin turbochargers added underneath the boot (yup, underneath the boot. It helps reduce heat, they say) to bump the power output from 313kW to 485.The lowered sports suspension, 21-inch gloss black alloys and bright red brake callipers give the K900 a sleek, sporty look.Inside there are tan leather seats with black suede accents and 11-inch seatback monitors for the rear passengers that show footage from iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. Which is grand if videos of motor racing video games are your thing.In the boot, along with a viewing porthole so you can see the turbochargers, are custom compartments to store your racing gear, presumably if you've run out of space in the Ultimate Karting Sedona.Pirelli World Challenge GTS OptimaSo why the focus on motorsport? Well, Kia are celebrating winning the manufacturer championship for the GTS class of the Pirelli World Challenge in the US this year.And joining the concept cars on display at the SEMA show is the No.30 GTS Optima that was driven by Mark Wilkins throughout the season, finishing third in the drivers' standings.Being a production series, the GTS Optima features the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the road-going Optimas available in the US. In Australia, the Optima only comes with the 148kW/250Nm naturally aspirated 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine.However the front-wheel drive Optima has been tuned so it produces 274kW, which is 126kW more than the Australian road-going models.The six-speed sequential transmission helps the 1300kg GTS Optima hit a top speed of 260km/h.

Kia's announcement of an Australian-first seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty could benefit buyers of others brands as they try to match it.One of Australia's fastest growing car brands, Korean company Kia, is about to upset its big name rivals by announcing a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, the longest in Australian automotive history. Kia’s sister brand Hyundai was the first company to offer a five-year, 130,000km warranty in Australia 15 years ago -- in 1999 -- as a response to quality concerns over a bungled safety recall the year before.Hyundai then increased its warranty coverage to five years and unlimited kilometres in 2006.RELATED: Small car price war about to heat upFrench car maker Citroen then raised the bar in March this year, offering new-car buyers an unprecedented six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.Kia's new benchmark of a seven year, unlimited kilometre warranty will put the market leaders under increasing pressure given brands such as Toyota, Holden, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Subaru, Honda, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz only offer three years coverage. It means buyers of most mainstream brands will eventually be the winners as they try to raise their level of warranty coverage to either match or get closer to Kia's seven-year stretch. But none are yet to react.The longer warranty period will likely boost the resale value of Kia cars at trade-in time because used-car buyers will get the balance of the new-car warranty.Most new cars are sold after four years, according to industry figures. This means a typical secondhand Kia would give used car buyers three years of factory-backed protection against faults.The Kia warranty is part of the company's ambitious sales push in Australia after a decade of weak results.Kia is just outside the top 10 sellers but its sister brand Hyundai -- which sells, in effect, the same cars under the skin but with different body styles and different branding -- is in the top four.It is the largest gap between the two jointly owned companies in the world.Kia recently poached Hyundai Australia's sales and marketing boss Damien Meredith to head the Kia division locally and this is his first step towards doubling sales within four years."This is a watershed moment," said Mr Meredith. "Kia customers now have a peace of mind that can't be matched in the Australian new car market."The deal includes free roadside assistance for seven years -- if the car is serviced at a Kia dealer once a year.Kia has also extended its capped price servicing program to seven years -- one of the longest in the car business -- and that prices of routine maintenance will remain the same as before."The two year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits," said Mr Meredith.

A recall on Hyundai vehicles earlier in January has now roped in models from stablemate Kia, with a notice being issued for the Sportage and Soul SUVs. The safety recall is for a defect that means the tensioning cable in the seatbelt assembly has not been properly crimped, raising a risk the cable could break and not allow the seatbelts to pretension and fully restrain the wearers in an accident. A total of 2941 vehicles are affected -- 2704 Sportage and 237 Soul -- with build dates between August 23, 2011 and March 31, 2012, and on-sale dates between September 10, 2011 and December 31, 2012. The list of VIN numbers for the Soul can be found here and the VIN numbers for the Sportage can be found here. The VIN number for your vehicle is located on the build plate in the engine bay.The Hyundai recall affected 6552 of their popular ix35 SUV, and a spokesman at the time said the seatbelts would still protect wearers in an accident, but would simply not be able to deploy the pretensioning function that automatically tightens them. "It is only on the driver's seatbelt. We've had one incident in Australia and it was an non-injury incident," Kia Australia general manager of public relations, Kevin Hepworth says.Owners can contact their closest Kia dealer for an inspection and rectification if needed, with the fix estimated to take up to an hour of the customer's time. however Kevin says  

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.

 IT looks like it should wear a bow and appear at birthday parties but the success of the Kia Soul is no laughing matter.The present box on wheels soon gets a bigger engine and more appeal to boost its value. It is selling its socks off in Europe and while Australia isn’t too sure, it’s become one of the preferred mobile advertising billboards and a surprise winner with elderly motorists.That comes as the biggest surprise to Kia who expected the Soul to knock the socks off the  youth market. Instead, says Kia Australia marketing manager Steve Watt, it has become popular with the more mature buyer who like the high seating position and versatile interior. The slab-sided box shape has become a winner with advertising companies and private businesses who want to shout their wares. Kia says the updated Soul gets here early in 2012, a year after its first showing at the New York motor show. Australia picks up the 2-litre “Nu” engine as an option to the 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. It will be the first time the Nu engine makes an appearance in Australia and precedes its inclusion in some other small Kia models later in 2012. Unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show today, the European-spec Soul only gets the 1.6-litre engines. Australia will get more engines and the choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions but misses out on a few small details, including the LED daytime running lights and tail ights as shown on the US-spec model at the New York show. There will aso be no GTI engine - a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol - for Australia as it’s only destined for the US. Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says “the fact Ausrtalia misses out on the GTI engine is why we get the new 2-litre engine’’. The car gets an external  refresh with a bigger front air dam and, at the rea, a bigger black bumper insert panel, plus 18-inch alloys and new door handles.Inside is a revised centre console design, circular LCD ventilation controls and new fabrics. Europe gets an optional EcoDynamics pack, which includes Kia’s ISG (stop-start system) and AMS (alternator management) which the company says cuts emissions to 125g/km CO2 for the diesel and 139g/km CO2 for the petrol models.