Looking for a cool car for under $18,000? Well, you’re lucky because Kelley Blue Book has just put together a list of the Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000.

“The vehicles that made Kelley Blue Book’s 2009 list of Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 — typically a gas-sipping and obviously affordable bunch — are cooler than they have ever been,” KBB said in a statement. “More fun, more practical and more amenity-laden than ever before, today’s entry-level vehicles deliver more than simply affordable and efficient transportation.”

Check out the complete list after the jump and head over to KBB.com to read their article.

2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 List:

2009 Honda Fit

2010 Kia Soul

2010 MAZDA3

2009 Nissan cube

2009 smart fortwo

2009 Ford Focus

2009 Scion xB

2009 Subaru Impreza

2009 Suzuki SX4

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

- By: Omar Rana

Kia will be working with chassis expert Lotus on all future models to improve their ride and handling – well at least for Kia’s that will be sold in the UK. A spokesman for Kia said that the new strategy will provide an upgraded suspension that is tuned specifically for UK Roads.

The first car to receive the treatment will be the new Soul. It will get higher compression and rebound rates plus adapted bump tops to help the car from bottoming out on large potholes.

The spokesman said that the changes will help stop the harshness of the road getting into the cabin while improving steering feel.

2009 Kia Soul:

Source: CAR

Kia will be taking over the 2008 Paris Motor Show next week with its new five-door Soul hatchback. According to AutoWeek, Kia will also show a hybrid concept of the Soul in Paris.

The Kia Soul Hybrid Concept is powered by a 1.6L engine and a 20-hp electric motor. Fuel-consumption is further reduced with the use of start/stop technology and regenerative braking. Kia will also show a cee’d hybrid that shares the same powetrain as the Soul along with the Sportage FCEV (fuel-cell electric vehicle).

About 50,000 units of the Kia Soul will come to North America next year. Power for the U.S. Soul model will come from a 2.0 liter engine producing a total of 140-hp.

Click through for more images.

2009 Kia Soul:

Source: AutoWeek

Following the bits and pieces - Kia has fully revealed the 2009 Kia Soul which will make its world premier at the Paris Motor Show next month. The car will hit the European market next year in February.

The 2009 Kia Soul will be available with a choice of two 1.6 liter engines – one petrol and one diesel - both producing 124-hp. Both will come with a manual transmission as standard and an automatic as an option. The diesel produces 188 lb-ft of torque while the petrol produces 115 lb-ft.

The 2009 Kia Soul will also hit the U.S. market with a 2.0 liter engine producing a total of 140-hp.

Click through for more pictures and the press release.

2009 Kia Soul:

Press Release:

Kia’s sharply-stylish new segment-busting Kia Soul is set to win over minds as well as hearts at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile in October 2008 with confirmation that the urban crossover will come to Europe next year with a choice of fuel-efficient petrol and diesel engines.

Kia Soul will go on sale in mainland Europe next February with a choice 126 ps diesel and petrol engines based on the DOHC engines already fitted to the hugely successful, European-built, Kia cee’d – with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, depending on model. Right-hand drive production is due to start in March 2009.

The diesel engine generates 126 ps at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 255 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The all-aluminium petrol engine also produces 126 ps at 6,300 rpm and 156 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm.

“The Kia Soul is a brand new urban crossover car packed with chic design, liberating ideas and cavernous passenger space for active people with busy lives,” enthused Paul Philpott, Managing Director of Kia Motors (UK) Limited.

“And we can’t wait to see it on UK roads in the Spring of 2009 where its unique modern looks and strong individual appeal will make it a ‘must-have’ for everyone from young singles and couples to more mature motorists who insist on putting fun into their driving,” he added.

Kia Soul is a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, a high roofline and an unusually long wheelbase. The key elements behind Kia Soul’s striking appearance are its vertical measurements. Overall height is 1,610 mm but the base of the windscreen is 135 mm higher than a typical compact car, the hip-points are 120 mm higher and the ground clearance is raised by 45 mm.

Access to the new Kia Soul’s spacious interior is remarkably easy and the cabin will deliver head, leg and shoulder room that matches or beats many larger vehicles. Generous headroom (1020/1005 mm front/rear), legroom (1070/990 mm front/rear) and shoulder room (1403/1400 mm front/rear) will ensure Kia Soul can easily adapt to the changing demands of its owner when pressed into giving friends or family a lift!

Looking ahead to the Paris Show debut, Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “Kia Soul is about surprise and style and the experience of sitting in the Kia Soul is unique. First impressions will make a big impact. Tall doors and high-mounted seats make for easy access and an airy interior, yet the ‘laid-back’ dashboard design, triple dial instrument cluster and thick-rimmed steering wheel create an unusual combination of spaciousness for passengers and cosiness for the driver generating a very special ambience.”

Kia Soul will be manufactured at Gwangju facility in Korea from November 2008. In the USA and several non-European markets a 2-litre, 142 ps petrol engine will also be available.