THE end of an era has come for one of Kia’s most iconic creations. After 16 years on the market and more than 1.5 million units sold in the United States alone, production of the Soul will be discontinued later this month. What started as a quirky, boxy car has become a key player in helping transform the Korean brand’s image.
A design that stood out
The Kia Soul debuted in 2009 with styling that was anything but conventional. At the time, with rare exceptions like the Scion xB and Nissan Cube, compact cars had fairly generic designs, making the boxy Soul stand out from the crowd. Kia’s design team in America said the shape was inspired by a “boar with a backpack,” as they wanted to create a vehicle that was both rugged and practical, but not too big. That unique shape has carried over into production and has proven to be a huge success.
Marketing phenomenon and legacy
The Soul also served as something of a platform for design experiments, with concepts that included convertible versions and even track-oriented models. Although these concepts never entered mass production, they perfectly reflected the spirit of the Soul.
“The Soul was one of the cornerstones that allowed Kia to gain a foothold in the United States. This unique vehicle – and the marketing that went with it – helped get Kia to where it is today,” said Eric Watson, vice president of sales for Kia America. “We’re proud of the legacy Soul will leave behind, but we’re equally excited about the future of Kia’s broad and award-winning SUV lineup.”
Last call for customers
It should be noted that sales results in recent years have not been as they used to be. The peak of sales was reached in 2015, and these figures were not repeated later. We welcome Soul and welcome another “K” model in the near future.
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