Jalopnik: 2009 kia soul

Kia Soul Graffitized With Aqua Teen Hunger Force Characters

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Kia's teamed up with graffiti artist Hense and Cartoon Network to create a tagged Kia Soul featuring Aqua Teen Hunger Force's Master Shake and Meatwad. Oh, and you can win it.

The ATHF'd Kia Soul is part of what we'd consider one of the most well thought out and executed marketing strategies we've seen in years. Considering Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim programming appeals to mid-twenties/early thirties n'er-do-wells with a sense for the hip and clever, they're hitting the Soul's target audience right in the gut with this ad buy. Of course, considering sales on past box-UV's like the Scion xB they'd be just as well-off purchasing time around Matlock marathons on the Hallmark Channel.

In any case, the little Soul has been properly festooned in urban-chic artwork by an Atlanta-based graffiti artist named Hense and will be given away by some method to be unveiled on June 1st. Not sure if it's as cool as a free Ford Fiesta with a no-limit gas card for six months, but we sure wouldn't turn it down. Details and more video can be found at Adult Swim.com.

2009 Kia Soul Pricing Leaks, Starts At $13,995

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST

According to an unofficial 2009 Kia Soul website, pricing for the Korean crossover will start at $13,995 and end at $18,595 for a fully-loaded model. The leaked price sheet below.

The compact crossover SUV/tall wagon gets quite a range of build options, with mix and match engines and transmissions. The $13,995 base price is for a Soul equipped with the lowly 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission. The cheapest vehicle equipped with Kia's new 2.0-liter fourbanger is the $15,645 Soul + with the manual transmission. As with most small cars, the automatic transmission requires extra change. In this case, a comparably-equipped Soul costs $950 more if chosen with a slushbox.

The (+) is apparently intended to be read as the Soul Plus trim level and the (!) is supposedly the Soul Exclaim trim. We're also fairly sure Sport means the sportier trim. Just using "Sport" when the other trims get symbols just seems lazy. We would have gone with the interrobang. All but the base Soul seem to share the same engine and transmissions, meaning the differences involve options and, likely, body trim.

[TheKiaSoul via Motive]

Kia Soul Hybrid Rejects Parisian Subtelty During Live Show Reveal

Wes Siler — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish a clean, green Hybrid model from its dirty, polluting counterparts. Thankfully, Kia’s designers have seen fit to equip the Kia Soul Hybrid with subtle hybrid badges to alert consumers to the presence of its 1.6-liter gasoline engine mated to a 180 volt, 5.3Ah lithium polymer battery pack and the 48 MPG figure the combination is capable of. It looks like this is actually going to be a production model, just one that’s been gussied up for the show floor with a clear polycarbonate hood and underfloor, revealing both the powertrain and battery pack. The Hybrid also debuts the full-length retractable canvas roof that will be optional across the Soul range. We’ll let you digest the rest of the facts and figures, but we’re finding the Soul increasingly appealing, even with over-the-top badges.

2009 Kia Soul Crossover Re-Revealed, Engine Details Emerge

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:19:00 EDT

After a few unofficial reveals, the folks at Hyundai's extra value brand have decided to release three official shots of the 2009 Kia Soul. The shots continue to show what amazing things styling can do to what is, ostensibly, a Kia Rio crossover. According to Kia World, the 2009 Soul will come globally with either a gas or diesel 1.6-liter fourbanger or a larger 2.0-liter four.

While we don't expect to get the diesel engine when the Soul bows here in April of next year, it would be interesting to see if the smaller engine will be offered as a way to entice drivers in with the promise of even higher mileage. Either way, we're enjoying the 14th inning of the All Star Game too much to risk Uggla-ing it with rampant speculation. [Kia World]

2009 Kia Sportage Gets Face-Lift, Rear Bumper-Lift

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

The aging Kia Sportage, though not actually sporty, is finally getting a facelit, as seen here in photos snapped by the intrepid spy photographers of KGP. Exterior upgrades appear to include new front and rear clips as well as what could be a new vent-like design element near the A-pillar. Inside, there's the obligatory USB port for iPods and other Mp3 devices (you know, for kids!). And wouldn't you know it, in the background is the recently spied 2009 Kia Soul, which actually looks smaller than the Sportage. Kia is the car company of change, right? Full spy report below the jump.

Kia Spy Report
Kia is readying a facelifted Sportage, with new front and rear clips destined for the compact SUV. The front-end styling behind the camouflage is sportier, and more angular than the current model. Interior upgrades are also in the works, including new USB and aux connectivity for iPods and similar MP3 devices. The revamped Sportage is expected to debut later this month.

2009 Kia Soul caught in Seoul

Wes Siler — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EDT

So we find the 2009 Kia Soul's name amusing; shoot us. Actually, we're not sure which of Kia's four Korean factories in which this shot was snapped, but it does confirm that the Soul should be ready to go on sale by early next year. The Scion xB-rivaling subcompact crossover is equal parts awkward, derivative and inspired. Styling analysis after the jump.

The soul's best angle is from the side, which reveals a Saab-esque hockey stick-style roof, small proportions and attractively oversized bulges surrounding the wheel arches. It's less successful from the front, with the hood appearing to be eternally open, sure to be the bane of obsessive-compulsive-but-economy-minded future owners. Other details remain scarce. We do know that it'll have five seats, power the front wheels via a smallish four-cylinder engine, and its owners will have to put up with a bevy of "When are you going to by a real car?" jokes from their Cavalier-driving, meth-dealing boyfriends.
[via CarScoop]

2009 Kia Soul, Revealed

Mark Arnold — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:20:00 EDT

The first time we saw the boxy little 2009 Kia Soul it was still just a concept, and a funky tribal tattoo-covered one at that. Since then we've had peeks at the production model, but now we get to see the full picture. This is the first official image of the 2009 Kia Soul, and for an econo-box, it doesn't look all too shabby. Think of it as the Korean alternative to the Scion xB, although the original Soul concept was actually a joint-venture between the Kia's design studios in California and Korea, and the actual production model was designed by Kia's European team. But what does all this mean for you?

Well, Kia is trying to double sales in the non-KDM (that's Korean Domestic Market) world by 2010, so the Soul is one of the new models designed to help meet that goal. The other upcoming offering from Kia will likely be an updated Sportage SUV in July, with the Soul coming soon after. In addition, we're expecting to see two new sedans sometime after that. The Soul will be cranked off the production lines in both South Korea and China, although the company's first American plant is set to open in Georgia next year, production of the Soul there is not expected. As for technical specs, not much is certain yet, but we expect a 2.0-liter engine driving the front wheels which should allow for the ability to lug around up to five adults. Hopefully.
[Kia via MotorAuthority]

2009 Kia Soul Photos Leaked Ahead Of Paris?

Wes Siler — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:30:00 EDT

These images of the 2009 Kia Soul production vehicle have mysteriously found there way onto Kia World. They reveal a vehicle remarkably similar to the Kia Soul Burner Concept from the Geneva Auto Show. The production version is missing the tacky paintjob and loud interior, but otherwise looks virtually identical to the Scion xB aping concept.

[Kia-World via FLD via AutoBlog]