a week after teasing the upper rear quarter of its compact crossover, the 2020 kia soul comes to us with five new images ahead of its upcoming debut at the 2018 los angeles auto show. for the first time, we're getting a look at the kia soul's interior — albeit in bits and pieces, as well as trim level names and slightly more specific on-sale availability.
we hoped the soul might offer a contrasting roof option, like competitors including the nissan kicks or toyota c-hr. well, wonder no more: there will be a red-painted contrasting roof at the very least. a full-profile shot also indicates that the new soul will retain the general shape of the previous generation, though the front end looks a bit more stylish on the 2020 model.
inside, kia keeps things funky with door panel accents in what could be either a geometric print or actual three-dimensional, geometric-patterned fabric in bright yellow. that could mean body-colored interior accents or — even wilder — interior accents available in a variety of colors regardless of exterior color.
kia also promises new tech and driver assistance features in the 2020 soul and, while not getting into specifics, the image of the multimedia screen looks to be running updated software on a wide, rectangular screen. the steering wheel shows a consolidation of phone and media controls on the left side of the wheel; buttons on the lower inside of the wheel, as there are in the previous generation, aren't visible.
related: more 2018 l.a. auto show coverage
trims for the 2020 soul include lx, ex, s and gt-line, as well as a new x-line. kia promises the x-line will be "ruggedly styled" but makes no mention of the addition of all-wheel drive or other features that would make the x-line ruggedly capable. expect a focus on sporty appearance for gt-line models. as previously reported, the limited-availability soul ev battery-electric model will also be part of the new soul's lineup, but only in select markets.
kia expects the soul to arrive at dealerships in the first half of 2019. stay tuned for our coverage of the full debut of the 2020 soul at the l.a. auto show.
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