The Kia Soul EV makes its debut

Kia will take a major step this year, when it begins selling the Soul EV, the electric version of the well-known city car, in international markets. The presentation took place in Chicago, and the model is scheduled to go on sale in the second half of this year.

The electric version uses as its base the second-generation Soul sold in Korea, with certain details exclusive to the electric model. The first thing that catches the eye is the two-tone paint of the model, along with LED lights at the rear and front and equipment that is also specific to it and more complete than in the conventional Soul.

Among the equipment, there are new upholstery, sat-nav, rear-view camera and an air conditioning system developed specifically for electric vehicles. Inside, we will find a 3.5-inch screen showing information on battery charge and various aspects of the vehicle, as well as Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control.

Mechanically, it will feature an electric motor producing 109 horsepower, powered by 27 kWh batteries. Its performance and range, while not spectacular, are good and in line with the figures offered by other models: it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12 seconds and reaches a top speed of 145 km/h.

The range is quoted as between 129 and 160 kilometres, depending on external factors such as driving style and the number of accessories (such as air conditioning) in use. Recharging takes excessively long with a standard plug; it takes 24 hours to charge the batteries, so if we want to speed up the process, we will have to use a 240-volt connection, which takes around five hours.

For now, we know that the electric Soul will indeed reach Europe, although its destination in Spain is uncertain. Last year Kia decided to halt sales of the Soul in our market, but an exception could be made for the Soul EV if the response in neighbouring countries is good enough.

Source | Kia