Kia India Trademarks Soul Moniker, Launch Soon?
While the carmaker is expected to bring the petrol-powered model to India, one cannot discount the EV either.
Kia has filed the trademark application for the Soul moniker in India, recently, indicating that the premium hatchback might get launched here soon.
About this time a year go, the Korean carmaker was said to be seriously looking into the possibility of bringing the internal combustion engine (ICE) Soul to our country.
This year though, the Kia India has applied for the Soul trademark and it is not clear if the ICE version or the EV version will come to the country as the trademark only says the title is proposed to be used for automobiles.
The Soul has the profile of a tall boy hatchback with a sharp front fascia and a rather quirky rear section. In Turbo trim, with 18-inch alloy wheels and centre-exit dual exhaust, it looks appealing.
Unlike the exterior, the cabin of the Soul is pretty rudimentary. Although there is a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a head-up display, smartphone connectivity and several other features, the styling of the dash and the presence of too many buttons might not be appealing to new age buyers.
Kia sells the ICE Soul overseas with 2 engine options – a 2.0-litre petrol (147 BHP and 179 Nm) and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol (201 HP and 264 Nm). Gearbox options include a 6-speed MT, IVT and 7-speed DCT.
But, if the Kia Soul trademark is for the premium hatchback’s electric version, then buyers would be looking at an EV with 450 km range thanks to a 64 kWh battery pack. It comes loaded with features like its petrol-powered twin.
Considering the numbers Tata’s Nexon EV is fetching every month, we would not be surprised if Kia launched the Soul EV in India. But, only an official confirmation from the carmaker will put an end to speculations.
