Kia Soul'ster Close to Mass-Production

Recently unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, the Kia Soul'ster may reach mass production in the near future, the South Korean automaker Kia announced today. The main reason? Kia says it's the avalanche of positive feedback it has received after the auto show held in Detroit which, during recession times, could help the car manufacturer revamp sales. According to Autonews, the Soulster is now a candidate for production and may go on sale after the 2010 Soul, the other Kia model it is based on.

Alex Fedorak, a Kia Motors America spokesman, confirmed that Kia Soult'ster may reach mass-production in the near future and explained the concept was especially unveiled to give a glimpse into a new car lineup that may go on sale sooner or later.

"The response was so overwhelming,” Fedorak told Autonews, pointing that Kia didn't expect to see such a positive feedback coming from people attending the 2009 NAIAS. "It is clearly a vehicle that was built as a concept in a fashion that was production-capable. We have been doing that more and more lately."

Just like we've told you in the past, Kia's Soul'ster is especially designed for the young sector of buyers and is based on the 2010 Kia Soul expected to go on sale in March. The Soul will be priced at $13,995 for the base variant, with Soul'ster likely to be sold in approximately the same price range.

Compared to Soul, the Soul'ster shares a more sporty appearance, with roof covers only above the front two seats while the rear seats are covered by a roll bar. The concept was designed by Kia Design Center America of Irvine, California with Tom Kearns as the lead designer, according to Autonews.