SCOOP: Kia Readying a Facelift for the 2012 Soul

It appears that the Soul is the next vehicle in Kia’s list to receive an update. Caught here in testing in Germany by our spy photographers, the bagged-up ends do their job to hide the Soul’s stylistic upgrades with the only visible change being the redesigned exterior mirrors that house the turning lights.

However, it is expected that the Soul will take some cues from the new Picanto and Rio hatchbacks (both of which were revealed at the Geneva Motor Show) such as the pulled back headlamps and more pronounced bumpers. An interior rework may also be in the cards.

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Kia Soul in Police Outfit to Patrol Sussex Streets

A local Kia dealer has donated a 'vanilla-cream' Soul to the Sussex Police department in the UK for use in their neighborhood policing program. While you won't be seeing the Soul chasing law-breakers on the highway, the small crossover will be used by the team of Police Community Support Officer's (PCSOs) as part of their routine street briefings and the general safe-keeping of Horsham South's communities.

"The car is as highly visible as we are!" said PCSO Charlotte Whittaker. "We were delighted to have been given a car by Toll House, but to have one that turns heads as swiftly as this one does only helps us become more visible to the public."

Toll House Kia, which provided the police-branded Soul Shaker to the Sussex Police department for a year, said that it will replace the car after six months.

More Reader Spy Shots: Kia's Small MPV Snapped in the Czech Republic

Carscoop readers Vladimir Pekulas and Jan Mlejnek bagged these shots of Kia's forthcoming mini-MPV on the highway near Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. If you take a closer look at the pics after the jump, you'll see that the man sitting in the passenger's seat of the Kia test car retaliated against our readers by taking or pretending to take, photos of them also... But anyways, let's refresh our memory on Kia's new model which has yet to be named.

The five-seater MPV is in effect the production version of Kia's No3 Concept study that was shown for the first time in Geneva earlier this year. The Korean automaker's retort to the likes of the Honda Jazz, Opel Meriva and Citroen C3 Picasso uses the same architecture as the Kia Soul and Hyundai i20.

It is anticipated that the small MPV's engine range will comprise of 1.6-liter petrol and diesel units, both producing an output of 126HP, while certain markets may also receive a 115HP 1.6-liter diesel along with a range-topping 2.0-liter gasoline engine making 142HP.

Kia will most probably swoop the covers off the mini-MPV at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with European sales set to start before the end of the year. Like the European market Cee'd, the MPV will be produced at the Hyundai Group's new plant in the Czech Republic.

"Děkuji" Vladimir Pekulas & Jan Mlejnek for the pics!

Kia to bring Soul Coupe to Detroit Auto Show

Kia Motors will unveil a new take on the Soul at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January. The all-new concept based on the recently revealed and eagerly anticipated Soul urban crossover passenger car is more than just a re-packaging treatment, as it will demonstrate the flexibility of the original Soul design first shown at the 2006 NAIAS.

Soul is due to go on sale in the UK from March 1 2009. Full range details, specification and prices are yet to be revealed but Soul will be available to UK customers with fuel-efficient 1.6 litre petrol and 1.6 litre diesel engines and with a wide range of personalisation options. The Kia Motors press conference for the 2009 NAIAS is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 11, 2009 from 2:20-2:45 pm.

Source: Kia

Kia Soul exterior and interior official pictures

Kia has issued a new set of photos that include for the first time the interior along with more technical details of the Kia Soul. They are 3 types of engines can be chosen for the Kia Soul. The most powerful engine of the range will be a 2.0L gasoline unit producing 142 PS at 6,000 rpm and 186 Nm (137-lbs/ft) of torque at 4,600 rpm. This engine can be combined with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic. A smaller 1.6L gasoline engine generating 126 PS at 6,300 rpm and 156 Nm (115-lbs/ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm will be offered in most countries, while consumers in Europe and some other markets will also be able to order a 1.6L turbo diesel engine delivering 126 PS at 4,000 rpm and 255 Nm (188-lbs/ft) of torque at 2,000 rpm. Kia notes that some markets will get a 115 PS version of the diesel engine.

For the interior, it looks to be high in quality compared to its targeted rivals such as the Scion xB and Nissan Cube.