When Kia launched the Track’ster Concept at the 2012 Chicago Motor Show, I’m pretty sure that you guys dreamed with a Turbo-powered Soul in your own garage. Well, after some rumormill about that, it looks like we finally see that, according to Motor Trend latest report, Kia will launch a Soul Turbo next year.
[ads id=”4″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]
In the U.S., its sales numbers lead those of subcompact crossover/wagon competitors such as the Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman, and Fiat 500L by a considerable margin.
The Kia Soul remains a five-door wagon of boxy and upright appearance, although its edges were softened considerably in the model’s 2014 overhaul.
Now we hear that the Soul’s popularity has Kia seriously considering derivatives. Insiders have told us that an All-Wheel Drive version could be an addition to the lineup for the next generation model to fight new models such as the Jeep Renegade or future Fiat 500X.
The Track’ster’s powertrain, which includes a 1.6 Turbo GDi engine delivering 250-hp, is another possibility: “The engine would fit under the hood of the Soul,” told by one company official in the know. Actually, the horsepower infusion is a great idea, even if Kia decides not to do a Soul-based coupe.
Maybe 250 hp is too much, but there are Kia’s like the new Forte family (with the 5-door and the Koup) and european hot hatch pro_cee’d GT (read our first drive) using the same engine, with 204 hp. What do you think? Would you buy one?
