The Kia Soul is full of character and charm but it hasn’t really had much to offer in terms of power and driving dynamics. But that may soon change, as Kia has quietly confirmed via a commercial that the Soul will indeed offer another engine choice this winter. That engine option is likely the same 1.6-liter turbo-four found in various Hyundai and Kia vehicles like the Forte, Optima, Sonata, Tucson, and Veloster.
We originally reported in late 2014 that the Soul will be getting a much-needed infusion of performance to broaden the car’s appeal. However, thanks to a new version of Kia’s latest hamster-packed commercial, we now have confirmation that a sportier, turbocharged variant is coming. The 1.6-liter turbo-four makes 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque in sportier applications like the Veloster turbo and Forte turbo. While a six-speed manual transmission is something we’d like in a sporty Soul, it’s unknown if the Soul turbo will get a row-your-own option. Do expect a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, however.
Kia has shown two Soul concepts in the past that featured turbocharged engines, the Track’ster and the Trail’ster. The Track’ster was powered by a 250-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four while the Trail’ster had a 1.6-liter turbo-four coupled to an electric motor for a total system output of 220 hp and 285 lb-ft.
Besides the release date of winter 2016, no solid information on the turbocharged Soul has been revealed. But should you want all-wheel drive to go with your turbocharged hamstermobile, you may have to wait for the third-generation Soul because Kia isn’t planning to add it to the current model even though dealers have been fighting tooth and nail for it.
Check out the latest commercial below for the quiet confirmation of the Soul turbo.
Source: Kia via YouTube
The post Turbocharged Kia Soul Confirmed for Winter 2016 Launch appeared first on Motor Trend.
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