LEAK! - Kia Soul'ster appears before its official presentation

Kia has followed the same strategy Ford used to present the 2010 Mustang with its concept car, Soul'ster. Before officially showing it at Detroit Auto Show, the Korean company has released pictures of parts of the new car. Kia only did not manage to keep the secret as long as Ford did and now a picture of the entire car has leaked on internet. Check below what it will look like:



Based on Kia Soul, which will start its sales in the USA in February, Soul'ster (a clear joke with the word "roadster") brings back a sort of body that has been widely used by some off-roaders such as Ford Bronco and Isuzu Rodeo, among others. It may also become a sort of pick-up truck if its back seats are removed.

Although the first picture has leaked, no additional information on the car has had the same fate. This is why we can only try to guess which engine it is powered by. It is very likely that it uses a petrol 2-litre four-cylinder engine able to produce 142 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 186 Nm at 4,600 rpm, mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox.

The other choices for the concept car would be two 1.6-litre engines, a petrol and a diesel one. Both generate 126 bhp, but the diesel unit is more powerful in what relates to torque: 255 Nm at 2,000 rpm, against 156 Nm at 4,200 rpm of the petrol powerplant. Dimensions should be pretty much the same ones from Kia Soul, or else, 4.11 m long, 1.61 m tall, 1.79 m wide and 2.55 m of wheelbase.

Source: Automarket.ro via AutoBlog