Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
It was a few days ago the carparazzi caught the 2020 Kia Soul for the first time ever, testing in sub-zero weather in Northern Europe. The photographers spied the next-generation crossover once more at the same location, this time around a little closer than before and in greater detail.
Scheduled to premiere in 2019 for the 2020 model year, the all-new Soul is the third generation of a lineage started in 2008 by the original. The current-gen Soul, meanwhile, debuted in 2013 and got facelifted back in 2016.
From the photos, it is clear the new kid on the block has a longer wheelbase and a shorter rear overhang than the outgoing Soul. Up front, the prominent hood and fascia are complemented by a steeply raked windshield. From the profile, the generously-sized greenhouse and superior ground clearance should translate in a better daily driver.
What little of the interior we can see, the 2020 Soul appears to borrow a lot of the switchgear from the all-new Kia Cee’d, including the floating infotainment screen flanked by the two air vents. Make no mistake about it, the Soul that’s yet to come is more of an evolution than a revolution.
The bigger brother of the Kia Stonic happens to ride on an all-new platform, which is expected to unlock the full potential of the Soul with optional all-wheel-drive. And just as it is the case today, the South Korean automaker will add an all-electric version to the lineup following the debut of the ICE-only Soul. As a brief refresher, the 2018 Kia Soul EV is good for an EPA-rated 111 miles of driving range.
In the internal combustion department, the 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo should soldier on with 201-horsepower on tap and a smooth-shifting dual-clutch transmission. It remains to see if Europe will get a turbo diesel option as the industry steers away from Satan’s Fuel, though Kia can make a case for the 1.6-liter U-Line CRDi powerplant available in the Stonic.
From the photos, it is clear the new kid on the block has a longer wheelbase and a shorter rear overhang than the outgoing Soul. Up front, the prominent hood and fascia are complemented by a steeply raked windshield. From the profile, the generously-sized greenhouse and superior ground clearance should translate in a better daily driver.
What little of the interior we can see, the 2020 Soul appears to borrow a lot of the switchgear from the all-new Kia Cee’d, including the floating infotainment screen flanked by the two air vents. Make no mistake about it, the Soul that’s yet to come is more of an evolution than a revolution.
The bigger brother of the Kia Stonic happens to ride on an all-new platform, which is expected to unlock the full potential of the Soul with optional all-wheel-drive. And just as it is the case today, the South Korean automaker will add an all-electric version to the lineup following the debut of the ICE-only Soul. As a brief refresher, the 2018 Kia Soul EV is good for an EPA-rated 111 miles of driving range.
In the internal combustion department, the 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo should soldier on with 201-horsepower on tap and a smooth-shifting dual-clutch transmission. It remains to see if Europe will get a turbo diesel option as the industry steers away from Satan’s Fuel, though Kia can make a case for the 1.6-liter U-Line CRDi powerplant available in the Stonic.
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