Kia Motors has made a significant impact in India with its SUV, the Kia Seltos, and has recently received recognition for the Electric SUV, the Kia Soul EV, which was honored with the Urban Car of the Year award at the 15th World Car Awards. Typically held in conjunction with the New York Auto Show, this year’s awards ceremony took place online due to the cancellation of the event caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Kia Soul EV was first unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show last year.
Established in 2003 and officially launched in January 2004, the World Car Awards aim to reflect the dynamics of the global automotive market while recognizing and promoting excellence, leadership, and innovation within the rapidly evolving industry.
Kia Soul EV
The Kia Soul EV features a 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, allowing it to achieve an impressive maximum range of 280 miles (approximately 450 kilometers) on a single charge. Charging the battery with an AC charger takes about 9.5 hours, while a DC charger can fully charge it in just 75 minutes to one hour. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in a swift 7.6 seconds and offers four driving modes: Normal, Eco, Eco Plus, and Sports.
Design-wise, it boasts sleek LED headlights, a lower grille, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Kia Soul EV is equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with a premium sound system featuring 10 Harman Kardon speakers. The interior showcases leather-like upholstery, a digital instrument cluster, and heated seats, all set within a stylish beige-black dual-tone cabin. The dashboard is designed to be compact and user-friendly.
In terms of safety, the vehicle is equipped with advanced features such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assistance (FCA), Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), and Lane Follow Assist (LFA).