2017 Kia Soul
The current Soul has been on the market since 2013 and while the design did not change all that much over the original, the car won its customers with the help of its funky looks and rather refined engine options. However, because the market is tougher than ever, it is going to receive a large update with the 2017 Kia Soul. Unlike what most people said, this will not be an all new car but rather a mid-life facelift which will include an updated exterior, upgrades inside the cabin and probably new engines.
Unfortunately though, so far Kia did not release any official details about the upcoming car but it has been spied testing not too long ago, wearing heavy camouflage on it.
Refreshed Design – Interior & Exterior
On the outside, the new 2017 Kia Soul will feature a new front bumper that will likely get a slightly more aggressive looking splitter as well as new fog-lamps. Also, the rear bumper should change quite a bit in order to fit a slightly perkier exhaust system. The wheels will be all new on all models of the car and the headlights as well as the tail lights will change accordingly. Besides that, a new trim level is expected to be launched with this generation of the car.
Rumors say that this will be based on the Trail’ster concept car which could mean that it will be the tough-terrain version of the car that will boast larger fenders, new beefier-looking bumpers and probably new wheels and tires as well.
Refined Interior
Inside the cabin, the new Soul will likely not change all that much over the current generation. However, we do expect better materials for its upholstery as well as better seats which were a bit lacking in terms of lateral support on the ongoing model. Also, the car will receive Kia’s latest infotainment unit which will support both Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. The tougher version of the car is likely going to get stain-resistant upholstery and a bit more equipment than the base model.
Under the Hood & Specs
Engine wise, the 2017 Kia Soul should feature the same engines as the current model as well as a new one. The base version will continue to use the same 1.6 liter naturally aspirated inline 4 direct injected petrol engine. This time around, this will make 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque in all markets. The US market will continue to get the 2 liter naturally aspirated inline 4 petrol engine as the higher end offering.
This time around the output will remain identical to the older version, meaning 162 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque which we have to be honest that it is more than enough for a car that will cost less than $18,000. Both of these will be available with a new 6 speed automatic and front wheel drive but only the lesser engine will also get the standard 6 speed manual gearbox.
The top end model on the other had will not remain the 2 liter engined car. Instead, Kia is expected to offer on both markets an all new 1.6 liter turbocharged inline 4 engine which will provide little over 200 horsepower and up to 198 lb-ft of torque which should be more than enough to make the Soul as fast as some hot-hatchbacks.
2017 Kia Soul Price & Release date
The release date is unknown for now but it is likely that the car will be shown both at the upcoming New York Auto Show as well as in Frankfurt and it should hit the market shortly after that.
The price should remain similar to that of the ongoing model meaning that the base version will fetch around $16,500 while its top end trim level could now cost well over $25,000, mostly due to the addition of an entirely new trim level.
As you may predict, the biggest competitors are Nissan Leaf and Fiat 500e.
The previous model:
More photos.
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