Without doubt, the spotlights at this year’s edition of the Chicago Auto Show are on the Koreans. Following the presentation of Hyundai’s new Elantra GT and Coupe models, its sister company Kia has unveiled an impressive concept model for a sporty, three-door version of the Soul called the Track’ster
Of course, if you throw in a pair of round headlights and vertical tail lamps, the Track’ster could very well be a conceptual proposal for high-performance Mini model…
That’s not to say the Track’ster hasn’t got character but many details like the alloy wheel designs, the blacked out front pillars, the two-tone paint job and the prominent LED driving lights on the lower part of the front bumper do have a certain British flavor.
“The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia’s Californian design studio, which was responsible for the creation of the Track’ster.
“But the car had to be approachable as well. We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude. It had to be a bold interpretation that would change people’s conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be,” Kearns added.
Other notable highlights include the heavily beefed up wheel arches to cover up the 245/40-19-inch front and massive 285/35-19-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 high-performance tires, while the concept’s wheelbase is stretched to 101.2 inches, almost an inch longer than the production Soul. The car’s width stands at 75.5-inch width, which is more than five inches wider than the regular five-door Soul.
Inside, Kia’s designers opted for a two-seat layout with a new dashboard design and the usual futuristic trim you find on concept models.
Under the hood, you’ll find Hyundai and Kia’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four rated at 250-horsepower and linked to a short-throw six-speed manual transmission. Surprisingly, Kia fitted the Soul-based concept with an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system.
The Track’ster rides on a lowered sports suspension and features 14-inch Brembo vented and cross-drilled disc brakes with by six-piston calipers in front and 13.6-inch discs paired with four-piston calipers at the rear.
Kia says that it has no current plans to produce the Track’ster, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the company decides otherwise in the very near future.
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