2012 Kia Soul Update Shown Ahead Of Australian Debut

2012 KIA SOUL

Kia's quirky Soul hatch has come in for a mild makeover and a number of significant mechanical updates, bringing it in-line with the company's newer offerings.

The Soul's styling updates are limited, gaining new side mirrors, a lightly restyled bonnet, projector headlights above new LED daytime running lights, and larger fog lamps in the front bumper.

At  the rear, stylish new wraparound LED lighting fills the housing of the original taillights, bringing a hint of Nissan X-Trail to the Soul's rear end. There's also a revised rear bumper, with larger reflectors sitting in a more prominent black feature strip.

The updates continue in the cabin, the Soul gaining a cosmetic update to its transmission housing. It also picks up Kia's 'UVO' infotainment and communication system. 

Models fitted with the Premium Package gain navigation, heated front seats, leather trim and automatic climate control.

Australian specifications have yet to be revealed however, and it remains unclear whether the UVO system and Premium Package will be offered locally.

The major upgrades to the 2012 Soul are found under the skin, with Kia's new direct-injected 100kW 1.6 litre petrol engine bringing a 9kW increase over the current model.

Fuel consumption is rated at 8.4 l/100km in the city, and 6.9 l/100km on the highway.

A more powerful 120kW 2.0 litre engine will also be offered in the US, but as with previous Kia models, this spec is unlikely to hit Australia.

New transmissions are also featured, with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions replacing the old five-speed manual and four-speed automatic units. Expect these in Australia.