Last week, we touched on the premier of the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show, but it wasn’t the only car that Kia brought to the windy city.
We’ve known about it for a while, but the 2015 Kia Soul EV is still probably the most exciting news to come from Chicago. It represents the Seoul automaker’s first large scale entry into the electric market. The Soul EV will be equipped with a 27-kW-hr lithium-polymer battery, which is expected to take the car up to 100 miles on one charge. Charging time is somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty minutes.
While it bears strong resemblance to the 2014 Soul, the EV model is distinguished by an off-color roof, as well as a different look in the front and alternative wheels. White accents adorn the interior as well as exterior. Kia has been praised for using upwards of 20 eco-friendly materials in the electric Soul’s construction.
Also on display in Chicago is the rolling curiosity that is the Kia Niro concept. A rally car with butterfly doors and a hybrid powertrain, the Niro is if nothing else fun to look at. It’s front-wheel driven by a 160 horsepower I-4, and assisted by a 45 horsepower electric motor.
To see more of the Niro or the 2015 Kia Soul EV, visit the gallery on Motor Trend. What do you think of these future offerings from Kia? They’ve certainly got the look down. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, in an email to comments@leithmail.com, or in person when you visit Leith Autopark Kia.