Earlier this year, Kia unveiled the Kia Soul’ster Concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. At the time Kia said that the response to the show car was very strong and overwhelming. It was said that the executives at Kia are studying the concept for production.

While Kia is remaining very quiet about any series production plans for the Soul’ster, sources have told once Korean magazine that the decision to put the Soul’ster into production will be made very soon. If the concept gets the green light, we can expect to see a production model hit U.S. showrooms in the second-half of 2010.

The Kia Soul’ster is based on the new 2010 Kia Soul. With front-wheel-drive the Soul’ster Concept can accommodate the 2010 Soul’s 120-hp 1.6L 5-cylinder engine and a 140-hp 2.0L 4-cylinder.

Kia Soul’ster Concept:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Kia-World

The new Kia Soul’ster made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show earlier last month. According to Automotive News, the concept may now be headed to production. Kia’s spokesman Alex Fedorak says that the response at the show was very strong and overwhelming.

“It is clearly a vehicle that was built as a concept in a fashion that was production-capable. We have been doing that more and more lately,” Fedorak said.

The Kia Soul’ster is based on the new 2010 Kia Soul. With front-wheel-drive the Soul’ster Concept can accommodate the 2010 Soul’s 120-hp 1.6 liter 5-cylinder engine and a 140-hp 2.0L 4-cylinder.

If produced, Kia says that the Soul’ster will be pitched at young buyers looking for a fun and affordable convertible for an active lifestyle.

Kia Soul’ster Concept:

After two teasers and a leaked image, Kia has officially unveiled the its Soul’ster Concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Kia says that it kept young buyers budges in mind and made making the Soul’ster a “fun, affordable convertible for active people who like to share good times with friends.”

The Kia Soul’ster designed to accommodate the Soul’s existing engine line up including a 120-hp 1.6 liter 5-cylinder engine and a 140-hp 2.0L 4-cylinder. Both are mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission and allow for an estimated 30 mpg.

The Kia Soul arrives in dealerships later this spring. Whether or not Kia will build a production version of the Soul’ster is still up in the air.

Follow the jump for the high-res image gallery and the press release.

Kia Soul’ster Concept:

Kia Motors America Showcases the Soul’ster Concept at 2009 North American International Auto Show

Open-Air Concept Heats Up the Show

- Distinctive design portrays style, practicality and efficiency

- Kia Motors America design team delivers another high-style concept

DETROIT, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Bringing a sunny beach feeling into Cobo Center on a cold day in January, Kia Motors America (KMA) arrives at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with the Soul’ster open-air concept, a variation of the highly anticipated Soul, arriving at Kia Motors retailers this spring. With young buyers’ budgets in mind, the Soul’ster is an efficient front-drive car based on the production model Soul, recently introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

“Soul’ster delivers something new, intriguing and relevant to today’s buyers – a fun, affordable convertible for active people who like to share good times with friends,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer, KMA. “Defying categorization and providing utility and practicality, the Soul’ster exhibits distinctive design cues and satisfies multiple consumer needs.”

Stylin’ Soul’r Yellow Design

A two-door concept with roadster roots, the brightly colored Soul’r yellow Soul’ster projects a hip industrial look with screw borders, reminiscent of a rivet design found on a fighter jet. The windshield is shortened for a sportier and hunkered down appearance. A two-piece top enables passengers to expose the front and back seating areas independently, using elbow-grease technology. The roll bar serves a dual purpose and includes a place for the slider tracks, while providing protection not found in traditional convertibles.

With a unique face, Soul’ster has a tough but refined character. The toughness is expressed through details like the anodized skid-pad insert, which matches the fender vents, roll bar header and wheels.

Soul’ster’s attitude incorporates lighting that shines through with an amber glow under the headlamps. The side vents, side-mirror turn signals, unique LED headlamps, fog and tail lamps incorporate blue shades.

The energetic, distinctive look carries from front to rear with dual chrome exhaust and polished aluminum exhaust tips featuring carbon-fiber interior sleeves. The large 19-inch, five-spoke aluminum alloy wheels perfect the Soul’ster’s appearance. Regardless of Soul’ster being viewed from front, back or side, it offers innovative perspectives derived from the original Soul.

Inside Out

Once inside, Soul’ster takes even more progressive variations from Soul beginning with the new four-passenger seating design, a diversion from Soul’s five-passenger arrangement, lending spacious versatility for long summer weekends. The surprisingly flexible Soul’ster provides real seating for two in the front with comfortable seating for two more adults in the back. Fold-flat passenger and rear seats combined with ample headroom make this the perfect car for social outings outdoors and on the beach with friends. Making basic features hot, its crank-up windows are a purposefully key interior design element as are the dashboard-integrated audio speakers.

Adding to the edgy design scheme, the non-floor-mounted cantilevered seats project the illusion of being suspended in space when viewed from the side allowing for increased rear legroom. Storage compartments below each of the fold-flat rear seats, offer room for myriad cargo needs. In addition to the spacious cargo area, dual storage compartments also can be found in the rear and underneath the cargo hold area.

All Revved Up

With young buyers in mind, Soul’ster offers an agile, smooth and spirited ride. As with its Soul cousin, Soul’ster’s can be made available with a myriad of engine choices depending upon each market’s needs. A 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission, which produces approximately 120 horsepower. For those looking for a little more power, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is available with either the five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission, producing approximately 140 horsepower. Fuel economy for both engines is estimated at 30 or more miles per gallon. Other markets might choose the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 124 horsepower or a 1.6-liter turbodiesel.

2009 Product Line

Kia Motors America offers a dynamic and diverse product line of 11 vehicles to meet the needs of all lifestyles. The 2009 vehicle line features the functional Rondo CUV and award-winning Sedona minivan along with a wide variety of popular passenger cars, including the refined Amanti full size sedan, purposeful Optima mid size sedan, versatile and compact Spectra and Spectra5, and sporty yet fuel efficient Rio and Rio5 subcompacts. The vehicle line also features the all-new and affordably luxurious Borrego, rugged Sorento and value-packed Sportage SUVs. The Soul will further complement the lineup when it arrives in dealerships this spring.

Kia has been teasing us with pics of its Soulster Concept that it plans to unveil at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show next week. We’re here to spoil the surprise for those of you who are on the edge of your seats gathering up random guesses about what Kia has planned.

No it’s not a coupe and it’s not even a hybrid Soul. According to a pic and some info posted on Automarket, the Kia Soulster is a compact convertible pickup.

That’s all we have for now but join us later this weekend when we bring you the full details.

Kia Soulster Concept:

Source: Automarket.ro (via AutoBlog)

Kia today released a second teaser image of its Soul-based concept that it will unveil next week at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. Kia says that the concept will show “more than just a re-packaging treatment” and will demonstrate the flexibility of the original Soul compact car.

So far rumor has it that it will be a coup version of the Soul but there is also some speculation that Kia may show a hybrid version of the Soul. From the new teaser image we can see that the concept will carry the “Soulster” badge.

The new 2010 Kia Soul will go on sale in April of 2009.

Kia Soulster Concept: