Kia Soul'ster Concept

By Jay Williams - 15/January/2009

Detroit, America — The Kia Soul'ster Concept showcased at this year's Detroit Motor Show has tickled my fancy.

It's an original design that has an ominous in presence, like a bank of dark clouds: this car demands attention (but not respect) with it's unique exterior. 

If Kia started building compact SUVs and adventure vehicles like the Soul'ster concept car, it would set itself apart from its rivals and carve out a new niche for drivers bored with carbon copy designs.

Not sure if it would sell in big numbers, but it would stand out from the crowd.

The Kia Soul'ster concept has a range of engines options to choose from: a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder with 89kW (120hp) and a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder with 104kW (140hp) round out the petrol options.

The Korean company will also offer a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine, expected to deliver high torque while using low amounts of diesel fuel.

These figures are kind of a let down, because the Kia Soul'ster looks so different but just doesn't have the power on offer that you would expect from a 4x4.

It's the kind of vehicle that looks as though it could join the Dakar Rally or tackle giant sand dunes, and the diesel engine sounds decent, but with no high performance engine it will just end up being another pipe dream in all likelihood.

I think Kia's main selling point is the sense of fun and adventure the car exudes, and the 2-piece top that can expose the front and rear seating is a nice touch.

The exterior of the Soul'ster has adopted LED headlights, much like you would see on an Audi, and the dual chrome exhaust pipes and 19-inch alloys also give the vehicle an strong visual presence.

Tom Kearns, the chief designer at Kia Motors, had this to say: "Soul'ster delivers something new, intriguing and relevant to today's buyers - a fun, affordable convertible for active people who like to share good times with friends.

"Defying categorisation and providing utility and practicality, the Soul'ster exhibits distinctive design cues and satisfies multiple consumer needs."

It's kind of like miniature Hummer and let's not write it off until we see a production model - which may or may not happen.

There was also some other Kia news from the Detroit show: the Asian car maker has plans in place to integrate start/stop technology into new models destined for European countries later this year. We can expect this fuel-saving technology to be deployed in Australia from 2010.

Related articles:
- Kia Kue Concept (2007)
- Kia cee'd (2007)
- Kia Multi-S (concept)
- Kia Sportage (2005)
- Kia Kue Concept (2006)