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2020 Kia Soul Photographed Uncamouflaged

Even though the all-new Soul is supposed to premiere next week at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, someone at Kia has been photographed driving the third generation without a single piece of camouflage on the body shell. The photograph was uploaded on Instagram, but has since been deleted.
2020 Kia Soul uncamouflaged 22 photos
Photo: foxx13 via Worldscoop forum via car_news_vip on Instagram
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Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, someone on the Worldscoop forum grabbed a screenshot and re-published the photograph in question. The pre-production prototype has black A-pillars that contrast nicely with the black-painted lower grille and lower half of the mirrors. The full-LED headlights also look the part, along with the slim upper grille and aggressive-styled front bumper that incorporates quadrilateral-shaped fog lights.

What doesn’t look so great are the wheels, which appear lost in the wheel arches of the 2020 Kia Soul. We’re guessing the automaker made this choice in order to refine the ride quality, but on the other hand, high-profile tires in combination with these alloys would fit the Soul better.

Slotted between the Stonic and Niro, the Soul is understood to arrive in Europe exclusively as an electric vehicle. The crossover is also understood to be offered with the 39.2-kWh battery, leaving the 64-kWh option to the e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric. In this configuration, the range of the Soul EV could be rated in the ballpark of 200 miles (322 kilometers).

On the internal combustion front, the range could start with the 1.0-liter T-GDI of the Stonic. Higher up and depending on the market, we’re expecting the 1.6-liter T-GDI with up to 204 PS (201 horsepower), 1.6-liter CRDI turbo diesel, and the 2.0-liter MPI four-cylinder with natural aspiration.

The “bold” and “immediately recognizable design” is complemented by “uncompromising versatility and a fun-to-drive personality” according to Kia, but we’re having doubts as far as the rear suspension is concerned. In the case of the Kona, front-wheel-drive models are equipped with a trailing torsion beam while all-wheel-drive models come with a multi-link setup.

Of course, Kia will be much obliged to up the visual ante with the GT-Line package in Europe and the GT configuration, which will feature the 1.6-liter turbo mentioned earlier.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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