On show: New Soul, Optima facelifted, Niro Concept car
All-new Kia Soul (pictured above)
The star of the Kia stand was the all-new Soul. The distinctive supermini crosses the line between small car and off-roader in a modern, stylish way. It’s been designed in California, yet is unmistakably a Kia thanks to that ‘bow-tie’ grille on the front.
Buyers of the previous Soul will be interested to read that the new model is slightly bigger, which means more room in the cabin and a bigger boot too.
Inside there’s an eight-inch touchscreen dominating the dash with all the latest smartphone connectivity.
Engine choices are limited to either a 1.6-litre petrol or a diesel engine of the same displacement, with manual or automatic six-speed gearboxes available too.
For more information about the new Kia Soul, click here for the full low-down.
Optima Facelift
We’ve also been given a first glimpse of the face-lifted Optima. The Ford Mondeo rival gets a revised exterior with new headlights, bumpers and wheels.
There’s also a Sports Pack which adds further styling tweaks and hints of stronger performance.
Inside there’s a long list of changes, including a new larger 4.3-inch screen on the dash, a seven-inch screen in the centre console, a revised steering wheel and redesigned front seats.
The car has also undergone a significant refinement improvement, with Kia claiming to have reduced road noise by 3.3 decibels.
New technology has been installed to help the Optima keep up with the competition, including upgrades to the multimedia and safety systems.
You can find out more information about the Optima in our full review here.
Niro Concept Car
It may be a bit of an acquired taste looks-wise, but the Niro concept car hints towards a rival for the extremely popular Nissan Juke.
Powering it is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine which makes 158bhp.
It focuses on looking ‘tough’, trying to emulate off-roaders while retaining on-road manners.
While we doubt those ‘butterfly’ doors will make it to production, Kia states this model is ready to be built if there’s enough interest.
You can read more about the Niro in our concept car guide here.
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