2020 Kia Soul EV, AWD, Turbo, Interior

The new generation of the popular small crossover has been caught for a few times on testings, so it becomes clear that it will come pretty soon, as 2020 Kia Soul. At the time when the original model came in 2009, this crossover seemed pretty unusual. With its unique shape, it was clear that the company’s goal was to take the best from two worlds – crossover and hatchback. The same philosophy carried through all these years and it will remain for the third-generation model as well. The new model is in an advanced stage of development and should come next year. Expect to see a bunch of novelties, including a completely new architecture. Of course, the 2020 Soul will stick to its recognizable shape, though we are about to see plenty of new details. Changes under the hood are expected too.

2020 Kia Soul

2020 Kia Soul Redesign

This redesign is about to bring plenty of novelties which will make this crossover even more popular. Of course, the most important is a new architecture. The company has developed a completely new platform, which will be used for all small cars of the brand in the future. As you may presume, the focus is on weight savings. The new architecture utilizes plenty of lightweight materials, which should provide some significant weight savings. This will bring benefits both in terms of fuel economy and driving dynamics. Another important thing to mention is that the new platform is compatible with an electric powertrain, which suggests that 2020 Kia Soul might get an electrified powertrain in the future, maybe even an all-electric version.

2020 Kia Soul spy shots

2020 Kia Soul Styling

The new version has been spotted for a few times this year. However, it still wears a complete camouflage, so we can’t say much about specific details. At the moment, we can clearly say that the 2020 Kia Soul will keep its familiar shape. Even dimensions should remain pretty close. So far, we can notice that the company has replaced a familiar Tiger-Nose grille, with a completely new design, which sits a little bit lower. Also, there are new, much narrower headlights, which are connected with some kind of a single brow. Still, we can’t tell how this going to look like once when the company removes a camouflage. On the other end, 2020 Kia Soul will come with a similar approach when it comes to taillights. There is a familiar vertical design, though with a new shape. Also, you can easily notice a center-positioned twin-pipe exhaust.

2020 Kia Soul rear view

2020 Kia Soul Interior

This is the area where we can’t say anything more precise at the moment. Though caught on testings, the new model doesn’t show anything of its cabin. So far, we can only speculate about its characteristics. So, we can presume that the company is going to offer a completely new cabin. Expect a little bit better use of space, which will eventually provide a little bit more legroom for rear passengers. Considering that the boxy shape will remain, you can expect plenty of headroom and pretty generous cargo area. Despite this is one of the cheapest models in the class, materials feature pretty good quality. We can expect the same from the upcoming model.

2020 Kia Soul Engines

The new platform will bring a lot of benefits. Before we start with engines, it is important to mention that the new architecture supports AWD layout, so this crossover will finally get a 4×4 version, which is probably the biggest drawback of the current generation. In terms of powertrain, most of the current units should remain.

The base model will continue with a familiar 1.6-liter unit, which delivers around 135 horsepower.

A bigger 2.0-liter unit is good for about 160 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. This one could come with a few tweaks that will provide a higher output. Speaking of more power, a 1.6-liter turbo inline-four sounds like the best choice. This unit delivers around 200 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.

2020 Kia Soul spy pics

2020 Kia Soul EV

Expect to see an all-electric version of this crossover in the future. Most likely, the new model will share the powertrain with Kona. This would mean two variants in the offer. The base model would feature a 39.2-kWh battery pack with a max power of around 135 horsepower. A max range should go around 200 miles. An optional 60-kWh version features much more power, around 205. You can also count on a longer range, probably around 300 miles.

2020 Kia Soul Release Date and Price

The 2020 Kia Soul will come next year. We don’t expect bigger changes in price compared to the current model, which starts at 16.500 dollars. Key competitors will be models like Honda HR-V, Nissan Kicks, Jeep Renegade etc.

 

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One comment

  1. It seems that what is obvious to Soul owners is not obvious to Hyundai/KIA. The Soul is very popular so why is Hyundai/KIA not taking advantage of the popularity of the Soul. The corporate offices put their effort and dollars behind the Kona. The 2020 Soul will be a Kona offspring without AWD. The originality of the Souls design is being replaced as it becomes a copy of Kona’s front end. It’s like BMW putting a BMW front end on the Mini Cooper! The Kona is just another small SUV, granted a good copy of all the other small SUV’s already available from all the other car companies.

    I bought a Soul because it had space inside, had adequate storage space when I needed it, had most available luxury extras, ie open roof, nav, power drivers seat, leather, upgraded lights etc and had almost adequate power and maneuvering ability. It was almost as fun to drive as a Mini Cooper convertible I had in the past. I was looking forward to replacing my Soul with the turbo and hoping for AWD and some minor design changes. The 2020 Soul won’t have AWD, looks like a Kona from the front and still offers less leather and other extras I would prefer.

    I have also been disappointed by over the past few years by dealers in Western NY who don’t seem to want to sell Souls. Granted sales people aren’t always the most knowledgeable car people but I have not met many KIA salespeople who are enthusiastic about the Soul. When they say we have lots of Souls in their inventory I have to tell them to look at their on-line inventory numbers. If I asked them why I should buy a Soul they have no idea why they are (were?) so popular except for price. It seems that most car manufacturers don’t know how to take advantage success. I can think of so many examples of the failure of the car industry to understand why they are successful ….. Cadillac, Lincoln, Oldsmobile, Ford, Honda (Acura).

    Example: Just bought a Soul for my grand daughter. When I told the sales manager I was disappointed that the 2020 Soul wouldn’t have AWD he actually stated that KIA was coming out with an SUV like the Kona with AWD???? I don’t think he had any idea why someone would even want an AWD Soul.

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