Kia’s newly redesigned Soul is the basis for Kia’s first global electric vehicle (following the Ray EV that has been sold in Korea for 3 years). Wider and longer than the first generation Soul, the body is also stiffer and the suspension geometry has been revised.
The platform was originally designed to accept battery packs under the rear seats, which means the Soul EV will still have almost all of the 354-liter trunk space available for hauling.
According to Autocar.co.uk, the Kia Soul EV moves quickly from a standstill and delivers smooth power delivery and very light steering. All of this means it is ideal for driving in built-up areas. The driver said the regen was too strong even when just letting off the throttle, but we assume that will be adjustable to some extent. The Soul EV rode comfortably, absorbed bumps well, but felt “a touch ponderous during faster cornering.”
Autocar went on to say the Soul EV will be sent Britain in very small numbers at a price near £25,000 before government grants. We aren’t sure if this is their guess, or info straight from Kia while they test drove the EV in Namyang, South Korea.
