Korean carmaker Kia has put up its hand to say it also wants in on the fully-electric car game which has up until now been dominated by German and Japanese brands.
The new Soul EV isn’t Kia’s first battery powered vehicle (it also has a small electric MPV called the Ray sold in Korea only), but it is the first emissions-free product it will sell globally. The Soul EV will be on sale in Europe later this year and at this point is only under consideration for our market, but Kia South Africa has imported an early test unit to gauge interest and trial it in local conditions.
It’s based on the next-generation Soul which will be launched locally in November, with its rounder and more modernised shape and much-improved interior quality. Here though, the normal Soul’s petrol engine makes way for an electric motor with 81.4kW and 285Nm to power the front wheels, and there’s a 27kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack tucked up under the floor.
The package isn’t a whole lot different to the already-on-sale Nissan Leaf, with similar charging cables to plug in behind the front grille, various on-board displays showing charge levels and range, and a generally silent nature which can be spooky at times when accelerating and expecting some conventional exhaust noise.
A DECENT RANGE?
The Soul EV’s batteries are developed and made in Korea using a new composition (note the “polymer” suffix), which allows more energy density, fewer parts and lower cost. Kia says it’s targeting a maximum range of 200km on a full charge, which will better the Leaf’s claimed 160 if it can pull this figure off in production specification.
Some interesting features here include a driver-only climate control setting to minimise energy usage with only one occupant onboard, a detailed graphic display of a tree which blooms greener with more efficient driving technique, and a range of recycled interior materials such as Bio Plastic, Bio Foam, Bio Fabric and Bio Felt.
My short test drive early this week revealed much of the same characteristics as other electric vehicles we’ve tested – namely a plush ride due to heavy batteries, punchy acceleration thanks to instant torque from the electric motor, and a hushed cabin for obvious reasons.
Kia South Africa is determined to launch the Soul EV locally but needs to finalise technical issues and pricing.
An announcement will hopefully be made next year.
Star Motoring