The all-electric Kia Soul EV will make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, previewing its two electric powertrains and the firm’s latest infotainment system. Deliveries are expected to start in spring this year, with UK pricing and specifications expected to be confirmed after the show.
Like its combustion-engined equivalents, the all-electric Soul has undergone a fairly major cosmetic rethink relative to its predecessor. Every exterior panel is new, with the most notable updates including fresh LED headlights, “strake-styled” LED fog lamps, a new front bumper (which houses the charging socket), a blanked-off grille and a refreshed rear bumper.
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Inside, there’s a choice of fabric or leather upholstery, available in either monochrome or black and red colour combinations. Standard equipment includes a seven-inch digital gauge cluster, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a wireless smartphone charger.
Optional interior equipment is plentiful, with Kia giving buyers the option of heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, and a premium Harman/Kardon stereo system which, thanks to a “Sound Mood Lighting” system, can pulse the interior lighting in time with the music.
Kia’s new UVO CONNECT telematics system will also feature on the Soul EV, providing drivers with real-time traffic updates and weather forecasts via the touchscreen. It’s accompanied by a smartphone app which allows owners to remotely check the location of the vehicle, as well as wirelessly beam sat-nav directions to the car’s in-built system.
Two all-electric drivetrains will be offered with the Soul EV. The long-range model comes with a 64 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor with 201bhp and 395Nm of torque. Kia claims an all-electric range of 280 miles on the WLTP test cycle and a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds.
Kia’s standard-range model comes with a less powerful 132bhp electric motor, but it retains the same torque figure. Due to the smaller 39.2kWh battery pack, the range is also decreased to 172 miles. Both battery packs can be recharged from 20 to 80 percent capacity in 42 minutes using a 100kW fast-charger.
The Soul EV comes with a host of safety equipment including forward collision avoidance assist, blind spot detection, smart cruise control, lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, and lane-follow assist which controls acceleration, braking, and steering at speeds up to 80mph.
Now read our review of the Kia Soul EV. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…
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