Kia bares its Soul(s) in Paris

Kia has high hopes for its new Soul 'urban crossover' and to mark its first public outing at the Paris Show next week the Kia stand will feature a 'Soul World', in which seven different variations on the Soul theme will be displayed.

The stylish new Soul will go on sale globally next year with versions planned for Korea, the US, Europe and even China. In total Kia hopes to sell about 180,000 per annum.

Initially, the Soul will be offered with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines in Europe, both putting out 124bhp, with CO₂ between 137 and 159g/km, while other markets will also have the choice of a 2.0-litre petrol model.

The Paris Show will preview other possible variations of the Soul, with a hybrid 'concept' version on display, along with others yet to be revealed.

Kia has a hybrid powered cee'd hatchback ready to go into production too and that car makes its world debut in Paris. Though the cee'd hybrid goes on sale in Korea and the USA next year it has not yet been confirmed for sale in Europe.

Another example of the cee'd making its world debut is the ISG model, featuring the company's new stop-start system fitted to a 1.4-litre petrol engine. This technology will be rolled out across the cee'd range in time.

By our reckoning, the Kias making their world debut in Paris include the Soul, the cee'd ISG and cee'd hybrid, which means there could well be a surprise up the Korean company's sleeves too, potentially a new coupé or concept. Watch this space for more.

Shane O' Donoghue