Spy photographers have caught the redesigned Kia Soul on a handful of occasions and now we’re getting our first glimpse at the electric variant.
Caught undergoing testing on and around the Nürburgring, the all-new model follows in the footsteps of the standard Soul as it features a boxy design and a squared off front fascia. While the styling looks familiar, it appears the electric variant will come with a more traditional lighting arrangement that features headlights up top and LED fog lights and turn signals mounted further below.
Additional styling changes are limited, but the electric variant will have a modified grille with an electric charging port that is located near the driver’s side headlight. The car also lacks an exhaust system and there appears to be less ground clearance as the battery pack protrudes from underneath the vehicle.
Technical specifications remain unconfirmed, but the Soul EV is expected to be heavily influenced by the Hyundai Kona Electric. That particular model has a 64 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers an electric motor that develops 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS) and 290 lb-ft (392 Nm) of torque. It enables the crossover to travel 258 miles (415 km) between changes which beats competitors such as the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf.
If the powertrain carries over from the Kona Electric, it would be a big improvement over the outgoing Soul EV. The model has a 30 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor that produces 109 hp (81 kW / 110 PS) and 210 lb-ft (285 Nm) of torque. This allows the crossover to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 11.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 90 mph (144 km/h). The 258 mile (415 km) range would also be a huge improvement over the current range of 111 miles (178 km).
![](https://www.carscoops.com/wp-content/themes/carscoops/assets/images/icons/arrow.png"){kind=icon}