This year, nearly one-third of the cars to be showcased at The Los Angeles Auto Show will have eco-friendly powertrains, and the 2020 Kia Soul is expected to be one of them. We haven’t seen or heard much about the 2020 Soul as the automaker has managed to keep a tight lid on details thus far.

The Next-Gen Kia Soul Will Debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show

As reported by The Korean Car Blog, the South-Korean automaker will be introducing the next-gen soul in both standard and EV form at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Although Kia has yet to confirm anything, it’s not surprising since California is one of the biggest markets for EVs in the United States.

Under The Hood

With this setup, the new Soul should offer a range of 258 miles on a full charge. This is a decent range, especially when compared to some cars from other segments cough... I-Pace... cough.

The gasoline-powered engines will be shared with the Hyundai Kona, so expect the Soul to be offered with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces around 147 horses and 132 pound-feet of torque. An optional 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine could also find its way into the 2020 Soul lineup. It will produce in the neighborhood of 175 ponies and 195 pound-feet of torque.

2020 Kia Soul Exterior Design

The 2020 Soul has been spotted previously, and it's a dead ringer for a Kia product. The 2020 Soul features a handful of changes that go with the brand's ‘evolutionary’ design trend. The Soul should arrive with a fresh new face, a pair of larger headlights, and slim LED daytime running lights.

2020 Kia Soul Interior Design

On the inside, the new Soul will be recognizable, but we can expect higher quality materials and more bells and whistles to keep the tech-savvy people happy. The most prominent change will the inclusion of a rotary shifter.

Like I mentioned earlier, Kia has not mentioned a lot about the Soul, but the model is expected to ride on the same platform that underpins the Hyundai Kona. The standard Soul EV is expected to be front-wheel-drive only, while the gasoline model could be offered with an all-wheel-drive system.

Conclusion

The South-Koreans are known to provide impeccable fir and finesse to their cars, so expect the Soul to carry the same tradition. From the details that we already have, the car looks to be a strong contender in the EV segment. There is no word on pricing, but we speculate it to be on par, or probably a couple of thousand dollars more than the current generation. As for the release date, expect it to roll into dealerships sometime in early 2019.

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Kia SOUL.

Read our full review on the 2017 Kia SOUL Turbo.

Read our full review on the 2014 Kia Soul.