The funky-looking Kia Soul last received an update towards the end of 2016, and here the 2019 model is set to receive a new platform, which although is configured primarily for front-wheel-drive, can accommodate an all-wheel-drive layout, according to our spy photographer sources.
Exact details are difficult to pin down at this point, though it can be expected to retain a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines in its line-up. This is most likely to include the 201 hp 1.6 litre T-GDI option which was introduced to the Soul range last year, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The move to the new platform is also expected to make improvements for accommodating electrfication, and as such should make gains in battery range for future iterations of the Kia Soul EV.
If the AWD provision for the Kia Soul does materialise, there might be room for a Soul variant dressed in a more rugged exterior, such as that of the Trail’ster. That concept was in fact based upon a Soul, combining all-wheel-drive and electrification with an AC synchronous permanent magnet electric motor drawing from a floor-mounted lithium-ion polymer battery.
GALLERY: Kia Trail’ster concept
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