Kia announced the pricing details of the 2015 Soul EV with a base price of $33,700 excluding tax credits when it hits the U.S. shores later this fall.
Kia, the Korean car making company, announced Thursday the pricing details of its latest all-electric version of best-selling Soul, the 2015 Soul EV. The compact city car has got an expensive price tag with a reasonable lease deal. The car maker's Soul EV will arrive in two models, the Base and Plus, with a starting MSRP of $33,700. The final cost of the vehicle will go further down after federal tax credit of up to $7,500.
Kia said its Soul EV will be available in limited numbers in select U.S. markets, starting with California, which is referred to as its largest market for electric vehicles, in October. But the car maker has plans to introduce its EV to other states including Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont, the Los Angeles Times reports.
"With our iconic urban passenger vehicle's wildly popular style and functionality mated to eco-friendly electric-drive technology that delivers best-in-class range, we're confident that the Soul EV represents a winning combination," Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing at KMA, said in a press statement, Thursday. "And with a starting MSRP of less than $34,000 (not including federal tax rebate of $7,500) and an expected introductory lease price of $249 per month, it represents a compelling value as well."
Only 5,000 of 2015 Soul EVs will be manufactured in Kia's production facility for the U.S. launch, which means getting your hands on one of the cars will be challenging. But electric vehicles are slowly growing from a niche category to mainstream, as more car makers join the fleet. Other alternatives to Soul EV are Nissan LEAF with an 84-mile-range starting at $28,980, Volkswagen's upcoming e-Golf with a range between 70 and 90 miles starting at $35,445 and Chevrolet's Volt starting at $34,345, Torque News reports.
But Kia's Soul EV will be a great steal, as it has an EPA-rated 93 miles of range on one full charge. It sports a 109-hp electric motor producing 210 lb-ft of torque with a maximum acceleration of up to 90 miles per hour.
Kia's 2015 Soul EV Plus will be $2,000 extra than the base model, at $35,700 excluding the tax credits or incentives. The additional price brings leather seats with triple-level heating and ventilation in the front, projection-style fog lamps and power-operating mirrors, Kia said. Both models will sport useful features like navigation, Rear Camera Display5, Bluetooth 6 hands free operation, power windows, cruise control, 6.6kW on-board charger and UVO EV mobile app.
