Updated Kia Soul shows its face

We’ve always loved the Kia Soul EV here at Electrifying.com, but to be honest, it’s one of those cars that’s slightly hard to pigeonhole.

Is it a hatchback? Is it an SUV? Is it simply a stylised box with wheels? Well, whatever it is, it’s always been lightly striking and very efficient - sharing the brilliant hardware from the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona EV was never a bad idea. It’s fun, and a little bit different. And now it looks set to be different again - at least for US buyers initially.

In America, the Soul has received a bit of a re-fresh, albeit only for the 2.0-litre petrol version that they get in the ‘States. The design updated include a new grille with LED headlights, new fog lights and daytime running lights, as well as fresh new taillights. There are new wheels and a new palette of two-tone colour schemes.

As far as the inside goes, the cabin gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen as standard in all but the base grade and a through re-model, including a better dash and shiny new body-colour inserts on the inside of the doors, as well as a much more comprehensive package of driver aids.

While Kia has yet to make any official announcement about the updated model in the UK, the fully-electric model is set to adopt the new look later this year. Given that Kia usually streamlines its battery and motor supply and production, it seems likely that the Soul will be kitted out with the same battery, charger and battery system offered in the new Niro EV. That would mean a 64.8kWh battery pack and peak DC charging of 72kW. Range is likely to remain similar to the current model which comes with a 280 mile WLTP range figure.