Kia has registered the Soul name in India. The Soul is a popular Kia product overseas. However, it is not known whether the model is coming to our shores, as a trademark filing could be seen as a way to block others from using the name, but it could also hint at the company considering launching the model in India.
- Kia Soul could arrive sometime in the future
- The Soul is currently in its third generation
- Carmaker showcased the current Soul EV at last year’s Auto Expo
- New Kia MPV to see a debut early next year
Kia showcased the current, third-gen all-electric Soul EV at last year’s Auto Expo, with the second-gen model having been showcased at the prior event. The third-gen Soul is retailed in international markets in both, standard petrol and all-electric form, though it’s only the latter that was showcased in India in the past.
Kia Soul: what’s to know?
Measuring 4,195mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,605mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,600mm, the Soul EV has a footprint similar to the Hyundai Kona Electric, though the Kia gets a quirkier tall-boy design.
The standard Soul is available with a choice of petrol engines, including a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated unit and a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo-petrol. The EV, on the other hand, offers a choice of battery pack sizes – 64kWh (long range) and 39.2kWh (standard range). The larger battery pack comes paired with a more powerful 201hp electric motor, while the standard range model uses a 136hp unit.
Kia claims a range of 452km for the long range variant and 277km for the standard range model. We drove the all-electric Soul EV in South Korea some time back. You can read our review here.
Kia Soul: will it come to India?
There is still no confirmation if the Soul will come to India in either petrol or all-electric spec, though Kia has previously said that its Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh has EV production capability. Kia is currently fresh off the launch of the 2021 Seltos and Sonet, with the carmaker also having confirmed an all-new model for a 2021 launch. This model is expected to be an MPV to rival the likes of the Maruti Ertiga.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
