Only a couple of months after Kia shared a raft of information surrounding its new battery-powered 2015 Soul, our spies caught up with an undisguised production model during a commercial shoot on a public road…and one very annoyed man inside the car, who we imagine to be working directly for Kia or the agency responsible for the filming.
Our people tell us that he “jostled with our photographer, grabbed for his camera, and made verbal threats”. Nevertheless, despite his forceful objections, our spies pulled it off and now you can see the new Soul EV in its production clothes.
While the Soul EV will be Kia’s first globally-sold all-electric vehicle, the Korean brand did offer the Ray EV in a limited run exclusively for South Korean government fleets back in 2011.
The Soul EV’s electric powertrain will consist of an 81.4 kW (109hp) electric motor, producing 285Nm (210 lb-ft) of torque driving the front wheels through a single speed constant ratio gear reduction unit, and a 27 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack offering a range of more than 200 km (+124 miles) on a single charge.
Kia states that recharging the battery can take up to five hours using a standard 240v or 230v household outlet, or 25 minutes on ‘fast’ charge with 100 kW output.
The battery-powered edition of the compact crossover will be able to complete the standard sprint to 100km/h (62mph) in less than 12 seconds and top out at around 145km/h (90mph).
Based on the latest generation Soul, the EV is identified through its two-tone color scheme with a light blue roof and same-color accents, projection type headlamps, LED positioning lamps and taillights, modified front grille and bumpers, and aerodynamically shaped 16-inch inch alloy wheels.
We can’t see the interior through the darkened windows, but Kia has said the EV will offer a unique “Supervision” instrument cluster and center stack with an 8-inch display screen. Furthermore, to better reflect its eco-friendly nature, a number of interior components and trim will use a range of recycled materials such as Bio Plastic, Bio Foam, Bio Fabric and Bio PET Felt.
Sales of the Soul EV will begin later this year.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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