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Kia's Personalized Soul

The so-called Soul concept, an SUV-like crossover, emphasizes customization

Kia's Personalized Soul

By Stuart Schwartzapfel

At the upcoming Geneva Auto Show in early March, Kia will show off three concept cars based closely on the forthcoming Soul production vehicle. The Soul is a compact crossover—a vehicle with an SUV-like body tacked onto a car-like underbody—originally unveiled as a concept during the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Soul Burner concept (the original Soul concept from 2006, pictured right; a teaser shot of the Soul Burner iteration, pictured left) emphasizes the vehicle's customization and personalization options. It's a tactic that has proven popular for Toyota Motor's (TM) hip, youth-oriented Scion brand. The Soul Burner is customized with a matte black finish and dragon "tattoos," or body graphics. Blacked-out wheels with prominent red piping round out the menacing preview.

The Verdict: It remains to be seen whether Kia can appropriate the emphasis on personalization from rival brand Scion.

Stuart Schwartzapfel is a regular contributor to BusinessWeek.com. He has studied the automotive marketplace and works as an advertising and marketing strategist for major manufacturers. He does not write about any car brands for which he currently works.

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