Kia Unveils The Kia Trail'ster Concept
The Kia Trail'ster concept points at the future direction of the brand's popular Soul compact crossover. Based on the Soul platform, the Kia Trail'ster adds the extra wrinkle of all-wheel drive and a battery-assisted drivetrain to the mix in an effort to attract the attention of younger buyers with 'active lifestyles.'
The Trail'ster's increased ground clearance, more rugged exterior styling (including prominent fog lamps and aluminium skid plates), and full-length canvas roof panel represent the most significant styling changes to the basic Soul canvas. Black rims anodized with red further set off the vehicle's white paint job, which is intended to blend in with the snowy backgrounds associated with wilderness adventure.
Under the hood, the Kia Trail'ster concept comes with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's good for 185 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle's all-wheel drive system makes use of an electric motor mated to the rear wheels that contributes extra traction when needed. When working together, total system output for the Trail'ster comes to 220 horses, but since it's a 'through the road' hybrid, with no mechanical link between the electric and gasoline power plants, the Kia concept's EV mode is only good for five kilometres of all-electric driving. There is, however, a promised 30 percent increase in fuel efficiency during city driving.
Will see a production version of the Kia Trail'ster concept? Undoubtedly. Will it maintain its battery-assisted setup? That's harder to say. All-wheel drive is a smart move for Kia, as it allows it to position the Soul as a legitimate rival to vehicle like the Jeep Renegade, especially for those who don't intend to head off-road but who still want extra traction. Adding hybrid-like fuel mileage to the Soul is also appealing, but the technological cost might be too high for the entry-level crossover market. There was no word regarding on-sale dates or pricing from Kia.