- Set to retire on the conclusion of the 2025 mannequin 12 months, over 1.5 million Kia Souls have been bought within the U.S. since 2009
- The Kia Soul’s ongoing recognition and affect on popular culture was fueled by among the most memorable and efficient automotive promoting within the historical past of the automotive trade
From a humble starting as a boxy idea car in Kia’s U.S. design studio and persevering with by 16 years of ardour, the enjoyable and funky Kia Soul city runabout has all the time stood out from the group. As what most take into account the primary manufacturing car in Kia’s design-led and historic transformation, the Soul has attracted new clients to the model by projecting the type of individuality and optimism that appeals to each the younger and the young-at-heart. And with Kia’s general U.S. gross sales almost tripling through the Soul’s lifetime, its affect merely can’t be overstated.
“The Soul was one of many cornerstones in Kia gaining a foothold in america and this one-of-a-kind car – and the advertising supporting it – helped Kia transfer to the place it resides immediately,” mentioned Eric Watson, Vice President, Gross sales, Kia America. “Kia is steadily progressing in the direction of its third consecutive annual gross sales report and all-time excessive market share, and that’s doable due to the early success carved out by the Soul. We’re happy with the legacy Soul will go away behind because it exits our lineup, however equally excited for the way forward for Kia’s expansive and award-winning utility car lineup.”
“BOAR WITH A BACKPACK”
Within the mid-2000s, Kia got down to design a worldwide automobile that stood out from the established order of compact hatchbacks. SUVs had been persevering with their climb in the direction of market dominance on the time, and so it was determined that this new car would mix the nimble effectivity of a small automobile with the flexibility and proportions of an SUV. Whereas watching a nature documentary on the life of untamed boars, the staff at Kia Design Heart America was impressed by the thought of a “boar sporting a backpack” given this animal’s power and angle relative to its measurement and translated that concept right into a mechanical type. All too usually, through the transition from idea to manufacturing, a car loses a few of its celebrated spirit and edge. Not so for the Soul, because the 2006 manufacturing mannequin was extremely true to the unique idea.
MUSIC-LOVING HAM-STARS
Launched with the tagline “A New Technique to Roll,” the extremely customizable Soul provided an audio system that featured in-speaker lighting to assist illuminate the beat. As an automaker trying to make a mark by launching a clearly completely different kind of compact car, Kia wanted a advertising marketing campaign that made the same and robust affect. Enter a forged of hamsters with ears for hip music and paws on the heartbeat of popular culture.
Tapping into the ability of music, dance, and positivity, the “Ham-stars” cruised to playlists starting from Black Sheep’s basic hip-hop monitor “The Alternative Is Yours,” LMFAO’s smash hit “Occasion Rock Anthem,” to Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” The hamsters rapidly turned promoting legends, with the Madison Avenue Promoting Stroll of Fame naming them the first-ever “Rookie of the Yr.”
INSPIRING NEW IDEAS
Kia took the wraps off quite a lot of Soul-based idea automobiles by the years together with the 2009 Soul’ster, an sudden pickup/utility variant of the Soul. One other standout idea was the 2012 Monitor’ster with its turbocharged 250-horsepower engine, two-doors, and AWD system that took the thought of “sizzling hatch” to a different stage. The Monitor’ster featured quite a lot of design cues that may make their manner into the second-generation Soul in 2014.
Monitor gave solution to path on the Chicago Auto Present in 2015, with the debut of the Path’ster idea. A extra rugged interpretation of the Soul, it featured an e-AWD system to place ample energy to all 4 wheels. Due to the Soul’s general recognition, buyer demand for brand spanking new variations continued to develop so a stronger powertrain debuted within the Soul Turbo in 2017. Whereas all-wheel drive wouldn’t be provided within the Soul, demand for an all-wheel-drive Kia subcompact SUV led to the event of the Kia Seltos. Extra than simply AWD, the Seltos is an evolution of the Kia CUV that gives extra cargo room behind the rear seats and elevated floor clearance than the Soul. The Seltos additionally affords a spirited turbocharged engine and useful Kia ADAS options.
All through its life, the Soul was usually on the core of Kia’s many memorable SEMA Present shows, with custom-made creations starting from a cellular DJ sales space and rolling music memorabilia museum to an all-electric reimagining of a basic ice cream truck.
AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS STORY
In 2018, Kia introduced that a couple of million Souls had been bought by passionate house owners forward of the introduction of the third-and-final technology, which debuted in 2019 as a 2020 mannequin. This gen-3 Soul was extra refined than ever but clearly additionally embraced the enjoyable and funky spirit that made this machine such a gross sales success all through the years. In truth, whereas the Soul was usually marketed in the direction of youthful patrons, it additionally attracted an older demographic that Kia rapidly realized had been usually folks of the identical spirit…simply separated by age.
A CHAPTER CLOSES
The Soul is predicted to finish manufacturing in October, and with only a few thousand models remaining at sellers across the US. These are the final examples of Kia’s spirited runabout with an enormous persona, on a regular basis performance and effectivity.
Awards and Accolades:
2009 “Greatest Wager” Distinction by The Automobile E-book
2009 Ward’s AutoWorld “Inside of the Yr” checklist — “Grooviest Inside”
2009 Kelley Blue E-book “Coolest New Vehicles Beneath $18,000”
2009 Kelley Blue E-book “High 10 Again-to-College Vehicles”
2009 Pink Dot Design Award (Product Design)
2010 Vehicles.com “Greatest Hatchback of 2010”
2010 TIME “Most Thrilling Vehicles of 2010”
2010 Fashionable Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award
2010 IIHS High Security Choose
2011 Effie Awards — Gold Effie (North America) for Soul hamster marketing campaign (“This or That”)
2011 Nielsen Automotive Promoting Awards — Automotive Advert of the Yr (Hamsters)
2012 J.D. Energy Preliminary High quality Examine — Highest Ranked in Phase
2012 Kelley Blue E-book — “High 10 Again-to-College Vehicles” (No. 1)
2012 Kelley Blue E-book — “High 10 Tailgating Vehicles”
2013 J.D. Energy Preliminary High quality Examine — Phase chief (repeat)
2013 Kelley Blue E-book — “10 Coolest Vehicles Beneath $18,000”
2014 WardsAuto “10 Greatest Interiors”
2014 Pink Dot Design Award (Product Design)
2014 iF Product Design Award
2014 Worldwide Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) — Bronze (Transportation)
2014 Clio Awards — Silver (Music: Partnerships/Collaborations) “Completely Reworked”
2015 Pink Dot Design Award — Soul EV
2015 GOOD DESIGN Award — Soul EV
2017 IIHS High Security Choose+ (with particular headlights & optionally available entrance crash prevention)
2017 U.S. Information & World Report — “Greatest Vehicles for the Cash” (Compact Automobile)
2017 Mother and father Journal & Edmunds — Greatest Household Vehicles (“Greatest Price range Automobile”)
2018 (2019 MY) Client Information Automotive — Greatest Purchase
2019 Kelley Blue E-book — 5-Yr Price to Personal Award (Compact Automobile)
2019 Kelley Blue E-book — “10 Coolest New Vehicles Beneath $20,000” (No. 1)
2019 Kelley Blue E-book — “10 Greatest Again-to-College Vehicles”
2020 World Automobile Awards — World City Automobile (Soul EV)
2021 IIHS High Security Choose (with particular headlights/optioned AEB)
2022 IIHS High Security Choose (with choices)
2023 Kelley Blue E-book — Greatest Vehicles for Faculty College students (New Vehicles Beneath $25,000)
