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2009 Melbourne Motor Show: Kia Soul

Following successful debuts at International Motor Shows overseas, Kia has unveiled not just one, but five unique examples of its funky new Soul car.
The Soul marks another design success for Kia Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer – previously respon


Following successful debuts at International Motor Shows overseas, Kia has unveiled not just one, but five unique examples of its funky new Soul car.

The Soul marks another design success for Kia Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer - previously responsible for the first generation Audi TT - and demonstrates, along with the new Cerato and the upcoming Sorento, what lies ahead for the re-energised Korean automaker.

Schreyer describes the Soul as a car that challenges buyers to 'free your mind', to build an emotional bond with their new car, and to rethink everything they know about Kia.

“Conceived in the USA, developed in Korea and fine-tuned in Europe, the Soul will be a breakthrough vehicle for Kia on its journey to be seen as a design-led company and the maker of distinctive cars which consumers aspire to own,” he said

“Kia Soul is all about creating a car that demonstrates our passion for automotive design, gets Kia talked about the media and the public, and generates an irresistible customer appeal.”

The production-model Soul revealed today is remarkably close to the original concept first revealed in 2006. This is one funky little unit and worth a serious eyeball when you get along to the Show.

Like its siblings the Cerato, the No 3 concept, and the images circulating of the upcoming Sorento replacement, the Soul wears the new Kia corporate grille.

If Kia has its way,  the grille is about the only obvious element any two Souls on the road will ever share. With 61 factory and locally fitted options available, that seems a safe bet.

Options will include alloy wheels,  unique body kits, audio upgrades, sports or 'retro chic' interiors, body accents, as well as a variety of decals for the body.

To demonstrate the diverse possibilities for the Soul, Kia unveiled five uniquely different versions at the Melbourne Motor Show.

•    Burner (Black):  Go ahead, judge it by its cover!

•    Diva (Vanilla):  Arrive fashionably ahead of your time.

•    Lava (Orange):  Blend out.  The only thing it lacks is subtlety.

•    Mode (White):  It’s a blank canvas for your individual personality.

•    Searcher (Green Tea):  It’ll move you.  Even when standing still.

The Kia Soul will be released to the Aussie market in early April 2009, with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, in either manual or automatic transmission guises.

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