Kia Motors America (KMA) arrives at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with the Kia Soulster open-air concept, a variation of the highly anticipated Soul, arriving at Kia Motors retailers this spring. With young buyers' budgets in mind, the Kia Soulster is an efficient front-drive car based on the production model Kia Soul, recently introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.
"Kia Soulster delivers something new, intriguing and relevant to today's buyers - a fun, affordable convertible for active people who like to share good times with friends," said Tom Kearns, chief designer, KMA. "Defying categorization and providing utility and practicality, the Kia Soulster exhibits distinctive design cues and satisfies multiple consumer needs."
Stylin' Soul'r Yellow Design
A two-doorrnconcept with roadster roots, the brightly colored Soul'r yellowrnSoulster projects a hip industrial look with screw borders, reminiscentrnof a rivet design found on a fighter jet. The windshield is shortenedrnfor a sportier and hunkered down appearance. A two-piece top enablesrnpassengers to expose the front and back seating areas independently,rnusing elbow-grease technology. The roll bar serves a dual purpose andrnincludes a place for the slider tracks, while providing protection notrnfound in traditional convertibles.
Withrna unique face, Kia Soulster has a tough but refined character. Therntoughness is expressed through details like the anodized skid-padrninsert, which matches the fender vents, roll bar header and wheels.
KiarnSoulster's attitude incorporates lighting that shines through with anrnamber glow under the headlamps. The side vents, side-mirror turnrnsignals, unique LED headlamps, fog and tail lamps incorporate bluernshades.
The energetic, distinctive look carries from front tornrear with dual chrome exhaust and polished aluminum exhaust tipsrnfeaturing carbon-fiber interior sleeves. The large 19-inch, five-spokernaluminum alloy wheels perfect the Kia Soulster's appearance. Regardlessrnof Soulster being viewed from front, back or side, it offers innovativernperspectives derived from the original Soul.
Inside Out
Oncerninside, Kia Soulster takes even more progressive variations from Soulrnbeginning with the new four-passenger seating design, a diversion fromrnSoul's five-passenger arrangement, lending spacious versatility forrnlong summer weekends. The surprisingly flexible Kia Soulster providesrnreal seating for two in the front with comfortable seating for two morernadults in the back. Fold-flat passenger and rear seats combined withrnample headroom make this the perfect car for social outings outdoorsrnand on the beach with friends. Making basic features hot, its crank-uprnwindows are a purposefully key interior design element as are therndashboard-integrated audio speakers.
Adding to the edgy designrnscheme, the non-floor-mounted cantilevered seats project the illusionrnof being suspended in space when viewed from the side allowing forrnincreased rear legroom. Storage compartments below each of thernfold-flat rear seats, offer room for myriad cargo needs. In addition tornthe spacious cargo area, dual storage compartments also can be found inrnthe rear and underneath the cargo hold area.
All Revved Up
Withrnyoung buyers in mind, Kia Soulster offers an agile, smooth and spiritedrnride. As with its Soul cousin, Soulster's can be made available with arnmyriad of engine choices depending upon each market's needs. Arn1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manualrntransmission, which produces approximately 120 horsepower. For thosernlooking for a little more power, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine isrnavailable with either the five-speed manual or a four-speed automaticrntransmission, producing approximately 140 horsepower. Fuel economy forrnboth engines is estimated at 30 or more miles per gallon. Other marketsrnmight choose the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 124rnhorsepower or a 1.6-liter turbodiesel.
