The South Korean carmaker is skipping one year and presenting a new 2020 Kia Soul EV. Kia unveiled the electric SUV at the 2018 LA Auto Show and the first impressions are amazing. The company’s flagship electric vehicle comes with the same 64 kWh battery pack that you can find in the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona models.
The estimated range is over 200 miles. However, the Kia refused to confirm the exact range with the new battery pack and said it will depend and vary on the different conditions. For sure, the overall range will be over 200 miles. For example, the same battery pack provides 258 miles in the Hyundai Kona. Besides this update, new Kia Soul will ad new and stronger electric motor with 200 horses. The charging will be faster as well, and the exterior design will see some further refreshments. Furthermore, you can expect new exterior two-tone schemes.
2020 Kia Soul EV Exterior is Stylish and Futuristic
The all-new 2020 Kia Soul EV comes with the boxy exterior and very compact proportions. Kia Soul is probably the very first stylish model made by the Korean carmaker. Moreover, the styling is imitated by the competitors as it looks very fantastic and revolutionary. The 2020 model will keep its distinctive design, however, the new model will get plenty of updates. The proportions and the overall shape will remain, however, the front end will suffer the most. For the start, front fascia will get a new design of the headlights. Some funny customer reviews are saying the headlights are looking kind sad.
At the back, the tailgate is lower which should provide easier loading and unloading of the cargo. When it comes to design, both front and rear bumpers will get a redesign. Generally, the new Kia Soul looks better than before. Furthermore, the Korean automaker will introduce new exterior paints. Most of the new colors are available for the two-tone exterior color scheme.
2020 Kia Soul EV Interior Offers
Ambient Lighting
At the 2018 LA Auto Show, we had an opportunity to see the new interior of the 2020 Kia Soul EV. The major upgrade from the inside is the infotainment system that now adds a 10.25-inch touchscreen. This unit comes with a split-screen function and it supports Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Moreover, an 8.0-inch head-up display in the standard.
The ambient lighting looks astonishing and it is also called a “mood lighting system”. That includes options such as “Party Time”, “Hey! Yo!” and “Romance”. On top of that, you can choose the “Traveling” and “Midnight City” schemes as well. The interior layout will stay intact and the comfort will be slightly better than before.
Safety Features
The new 2020 Kia Soul EV will feature a long list of safety and driver-assistance aids. That includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and auto high beams.
2020 Kia Soul EV Powertrain Options and Range
The forthcoming 2020 Kia Soul EV will offer three different powertrain choices. Two gasoline and one electric. The base model gets 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that can produce 147 HP and 132 lb-ft of torque. This engine offers a 6-speed manual and CVT transmission.
The optional 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder provides 201 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque. It comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The all-electric Soul EV comes with an electric motor that generates 201 horsepower. It also offers a bigger battery pack that provides above 200 miles of range.
2020 Kia Soul EV Debut and Price
The sales of the 2020 Kia Soul EV in the U.S. will start in the second half of 2019. The pricing will be available closer to the launch date.
The current price of the Kia Soul EV is around $34,000. The base model with all the standard features and standard engine costs almost $20,000.