As part of its rather large display at Auto Expo 2018, Kia has showcased its Soul EV at its stand. A five-door crossover, the Soul EV is styled typical of the breed, making it look like a hatchback on stilts.
Design-wise, the Soul EV is decidedly polarising with a boxy-looking silhouette and rounded bits at the corners.
While it is underpinned by the same platform as the larger Ceed hatchback, the Soul EV shares very little with the hatchback under the hood. A 27kW lithium-ion battery (with fast-charging capability) powers the front wheels, sending 110hp and 285Nm of peak torque. Kia claims a range of 190km on a single charge, a 0-96kph time of 10.8sec and a top speed of 145kph.
On the inside, the all-electric crossover features OLED digital instrumentation and an 8.0-inch centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment system (which doubles as a reversing camera) that comes with EV monitoring software, satellite navigation, DAB radio, and USB and Bluetooth connectivity. Other equipment offered on the Soul EV includes dual-zone climate control, electrically heated and folding door mirrors, keyless start and entry, heated front seats and steering wheel, parking sensors and cruise control.
Kia may not launch the Soul EV in India at the moment, but there is potential for the crossover if the electrical infrastructure in the country gets upgraded. A potential rival to the Soul EV in the Indian market could be the yet-to-be-launched Nissan Leaf.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
