Kia bared its soul at...

Kia bared its soul at the SEMA Show this year! The Korean firm’s Soul concept first appeared at the Detroit Motor Show in 2006, but the company brought a revised version of the compact MPV to SEMA.

What’s more, bosses have promised that the production version of the boxy people carrier will be virtually identical to the show car.

We’ve already glimpsed heavily disguised examples being put through their paces, and they back up this claim. The unusual sloping roof and squared-off proportions of the SEMA car are both set to make production, while a pair of practical roof rails will also be added to the shape.

In addition, buyers can expect the newcomer to feature Kia’s latest grille design, as previewed by the KEE coupé driven in Issue 985. The Frankfurt show car’s subtle H-shaped design is set to become a Kia trademark, and will appear on the five-door Soul.

However, some of the concept’s details won’t make it to showrooms. The wraparound windscreen and rear-hinged back doors will both make way for a more conventional design. Under the skin, the Soul will share its engines with other models in the Kia line-up.

That paves the way for economical 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre CRDi diesels to appear under the bonnet, alongside petrol powerplants in the same capacities. And don’t be fooled by the Soul’s chunky off-roader appearance, because the road car will be front-wheel drive to help cut costs and reduce emissions.

The production model is scheduled to appear at the Detroit expo in January, and is expected to arrive in UK showrooms early in 2009.

The newcomer will go head-to-head with established rivals such as the Ford C-MAX, Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic. It’s also likely to come with the same impressive seven-year warranty that Kia introduced with the Cee’d hatchback.