There’s no question that Kia’s target market for the Soul crossover aren’t the daddy types that frequent golf clubs on a nice and warm Sunday morning. No, according to Kia, that’s not how they roll.
Instead, the Korea-based manufacturer has set its sights on a much younger market; the 20-somethings that are making their way up to the world to establish a name for themselves. And who better to epitomize this market than 20-year old golf sensation – and millionaire – Michelle Wie.
Nevermind that Wie is Korean herself, although Kia probably figured that having a local celebrity whose known worldwide to push and promote the Soul to her age group would be a great idea, but she is also one of the most recognized 20-year-olds in the world. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she also has a strong influence as an endorser.
Needless to say, the Soul isn’t for the slacks-wearing, tucked-shirt hopping fathers with golf club memberships. It’s for the young, hip, and happening. That, after all, is how they roll.
It’s not really news, but it sure is heart warming in an odd sort of way. A very odd sort of way in fact because, as your heart is warming, your brain is telling you that very soon, your life might be in danger. It’s sort of like drinking whiskey. At this point you may be asking yourself, What are they talking about?"
A Korean woman, Cha Sa-soon, finally passed her driving test after the 960th try. The 69-year-old had to go through a 50-minute, 40-question test in order to pass. She had taken this test once a day since April 2005, but failed every time, until now.
When local news outlets got the story, it grabbed the attention of Hyundai-Kia. As a sort of graduation present, Kia gave the woman a brand-new Kia Soul. Persistence does pay off in the end. Just think, millions will now have to share the road with her and her new car. People would think that after 960 attempts, the woman would have a pretty good idea as to what to do - and what not to do - on the road. However we advise all of South Korea to buckle up, just in case.
The recall bug has hit Kia anew, with the Korean manufacturer announcing that there will be a recall of 24,000 2010 models of the Soul and around 11,200 2011 models of the Sorento because of a problematic electrical system discovered in both vehicles.
The models that are included in the recall are those built between September 7, 2009 and July 30, 2010. Yep, a little over a month ago.
The quick recall is a response Kia is doing after finding out that a number of the wiring harnesses that are being used in the Soul’s lighting speaker system and the Sorento’s interior accent illumination shouldn’t have passed the automaker’s quality control because they may not have been soldered properly.
Kia is making a pre-emptive strike on the matter because of the potential of a short-circuit that could eventually lead to the vehicles catching fire. And while no accidents have been reported, Kia is making sure that they nip the problem in the bud before it takes a turn for the worse.
According to Kia, dealerships will begin replacing the defective harnesses at no cost to the customer with the recall expected to commence no later than October.
Apparently the onslaught of special edition Kia Souls is not done yet. Kia has unveiled a new special edition Soul today called the Soul Echo. It will be available in Clear White or Quartz Black metallic. The white Echo features black 18" alloy wheels, black high-gloss door mirrors, and a corresponding black sports stripe. The black Echo features white 18" alloy wheels, white high-gloss door mirrors, and a sports stripe in white.
Inside, the new edition gets a full black leather interior and high-gloss black dashboard fascia that matches the black and white theme of the exterior of the car. It also features an uprated sound system with subwoofer, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, and reversing sensors.
The new Soul Echo will be offered with a choice of 1.6-liter petrol or 1.6-liter CRDi diesel engines and will be available with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Traction Control (TC).
The Kia Soul has sen its fair share of customizations. Even without the aid of tuning companies, Kia has released the Shadow Dragon Soul, Ghost Soul, Ignition Soul, and a few others. Now, a tuning company has decided they want to take a stab at the Kia Soul. Irmscher is usually known for its customization program for Opel models, but today the German tuner announced the first tuning kit for the Kia Soul. Called "Edition Irmscher 001", the tuning kit features a black and white exterior, large five-spoke custom rims, and a combination of black and red on the interior.
The exterior is painted in white combined with black mirror cases and roof and bumper inserts. The car sits on 18-inch alloy wheels. For the interior, customers will be able to choose between a range of leather finishes: a two tone upholstery for the seats (red quilted leather and black leather) and black-carbon-style leather on the steering wheel and gearbox.
The new Soul "Irmscher 001 Edition" is offered for any powerplant including a 126HP 1.6-liter petrol and a 128HP 1.6-liter diesel with a manual or automatic transmission, and trim levels.
