Kia Soul nameplate registered. Is the tallboy hatchback coming to India?

Kia has filed for the registration of 'Soul' nameplate in India. For the record, Soul is quite a popular car in the international market. However, it is yet not clear if the South Korean carmaker will launch the tallboy hatchback in India or if the name is being registered just to block others from using it in the future.

The third-gen Kia Soul EV was put on display in India at the Auto Expo 2020. The car is sold in the global markets in both petrol-powered as well as an all-electric version called the Soul EV. However, only the latter was showcased at the event.

In terms of dimensions, the car measures 4,195mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,605mm in height. The hatchback has a wheelbase of 2,600mm. For the uninitiated, the Soul EV shares a very similar footprint as the Hyundai Kona Electric.

The ICE-powered Soul gets a choice of two engine options - 2.0-litre naturally aspirated unit and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol. The fully electric version of the car gets a choice of two battery pack sizes – 64kWh (long-range) and 39.2kWh (standard range).

While the larger battery pack comes mated to a more powerful 201hp electric motor, the standard ranged model features a 136hp unit.

There is no official confirmation if the Kia Soul will be headed for the India launch. Meanwhile, the company has recently introduced the new Seltos and Sonet SUVs in India. Apart from that, there is also an all-new model slated for the 2021 launch.