New Kia SOUL EV arrives with the heart of the electric e-Kona

New Kia SOUL EV arrives

The new Kia SOUL EV has been revealed in Los Angeles, with refreshed styling and the heart of the e-Niro for a 200bhp EV with 300-mile range.

It’s just four years since the current Kia Soul EV arrived with 132 miles of range, a 27kWh lithium-ion and a price point, after taxpayer bribe, of around £25k.

But now there’s a new Kia Soul EV, revealed at the Los Angeles Motor Show, which, with a 64kWh battery pack, a range of around 300 miles and a price point expected to be not much different than the current Soul EV, is significant progress in such a short time.

The new Soul will only be offered as an EV in the UK and Europe (the US will get petrol options), and although Kia aren’t being specific about range and performance we can’t see it being much different to the e-Niro from which it borrows its electric gubbins.

Design is an evolution of the current Soul, with the boxy, no nonsense shape still intact but with new front and back ends, a blanked grille, new LED lights and unique 17″ alloys, with new independent rear suspension and four driving modes.

Inside there’s a new 10.25″ touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, new rotary ‘gear’ knob and new ‘UVO’ telematics system allowing functions to be controlled with your smartphone.

Price and specifications for the UK version of the new Kia Soul EV will be forthcoming nearer its arrival in mid-2019.