Radical new Kia Soul arrive 1 March

The motor industry might be sending out SOS distress signals as sales go on falling and jobs go on disappearing but Kia in the UK are holding their own and are about to introduce their most radical car yet – the Soul.

On sale from the 09 registration plate introduction on 1 March, Kia hopes to sell around 3,000 of the Soul, an urban-crossover with SUV looks. It has a bold in your face upright stance, with a boxy shaped body with a length of 4,015mm. It has five doors, five seats and is front-wheel drive. No 4x4 version is to be built but a smaller MPV will be introduced next year using the same new Soul platform.

The looks of the Soul combines retro with complex and the model line up and vast array of extra cost customisation packages and accessories is just as complicated. Kia says this is so the Soul appeals to the widest range of customers.

Whilst Kia says young and trendy, active singles, couples and families are the most likely customers, traditionally upright, relatively high of the ground vehicles of this type such as the Nissan Note, Daihatsu Materia, Fiat Qubo/Doblo, Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Partner Tepee and perhaps also the new Mini One Clubman, are bought by older couples and the less able. Additionally customers like a vehicle of this type because of the high command seating positions, easy access with versatile load carrying abilities they offer.

The Soul is available with a choice of two 1.6-litre engines, one 124bhp petrol and the other a 126bhp CRDi diesel. There is an automatic transmission option priced at an extra £1,000 available for the Soul 2 1.6-litre CRDi version.

There is a three-tier model line-up, traditional Soul 1 and Soul 2 core models and then a final tier of three ‘Originals’ - the first of a rolling programme of specifically equipped and decorated models to appeal to targeted types of customers. The first of the ‘Originals’ are named Samba, Shaker and Burner so Kia logic says these will nominally appeal to young families, female users and hard-core must-haves.

Prices start at £10,495 for the 1.6-litre petrol Soul 1 and rise to £14,995 for the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel Burner model. Built in South Korea the Soul range is covered by a five-year warranty. Seven-year cover only applies to European built Kia vehicles.

Simon Hetherington, marketing director of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said this week at the media launch for the new Soul range, "It is likely the higher performance and greater fuel economy offered by diesel will see that being the main selling engine option but let’s see how this new market sector for us develops. I anticipate that the petrol engine will probably have the edge in sales for some retail buyers choosing the Soul 1 model because of its lower starting price. But customers choosing the Soul 2 version or any of the ‘Original’ variants, then the diesel engine might have the edge.”

He added, “As this is a totally new type of product for us it is difficult to judge which of the specification options will prove most popular. We have planned for 50% of sales being Soul 2 models with Soul 1 taking 25% and the ‘Originals’ taking the final 25%. But we can adapt our forward ordering system and if necessary if we sell more than we think we will in today’s current market conditions we can order more to meet demand.”

“From the customer clinics we have held we think buyers of the Soul will be new customers to Kia. They will be more image led and will consider the Soul against such models as the Mini and Fiat 500. There is an indication that potential SUV owners who do not want the cost and social issues associated with such vehicles will be attracted by the Soul, “he said.

In time for the 1 March on sale date Kia will announce a cost effective PCP, personal contract purchase, plan for the Soul. This will be specifically aimed at retail buyers who make up 65% of their customers. Other lease and PCP options will be available for the growing number of business, and company car user-chooser customers.

Hetherington said although Kia’s UK sales were marginally down in January over the same month last year their market share increased and for 2008 they showed a near 7% increase in sales whilst the overall new car market was down 11%. With Soul and a raft of new and changed models on their way their 142 strong UK dealer network needs to grow. Sixteen additional outlets opened in 2008 and they will expand further up to 170 in the longer term.

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