(April 23, 2011) The car that kicked-off Kia’s design-led transformation has been given a fresh and updated look with more power but keeping the same funky style. Kia Motors America revealed the face-lifted Soul at the New York International Auto Show.

The Soul has been fine-tuned with technology and powertrain enhancements to deliver more power and improved fuel efficiency.

“We have given the new Soul significant improvements in power, style and fuel economy, making this iconic vehicle the perfect package for consumers looking for something a little outside the box,” said Michael Sprague, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, KMA.

“The Soul has always stood out from the crowd and is responsible for bringing new customers to the Kia brand.  This mid-life refresh adds even more style and fun-to-drive performance to the vehicle that started our design-led transformation whilst also improving fuel economy by 10 per cent,” he added.

The 2012 Soul amplifies the fun-to-drive factor with significant horsepower and fuel economy increases with new six-speed transmissions and the ability to deliver up to 34 miles per gallon on the highway.

A new 1.6-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission produces 138, an increase of 12 horsepower over the 2011 engine. The top line 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is available with either the six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. It now produces160 horsepower, 18 more than the current engine.

Fuel economy for the 1.6-liter comes in at an impressive 28/34 mpg (city/highway), three miles per gallon more than the previous engine while the 2.0-liter delivers 27/33 mpg for both the automatic and manual transmissions.

In addition to the 2012 Soul’s performance upgrades, the mid-life changes also introduce a number of design improvements.

On the outside, Soul gets subtle changes including new projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights, a redesigned hood and new front and rear bumpers. New LED rear light clusters enhance the Soul’s design while the overall shape of the vehicle gives Soul a smoother and more streamlined silhouette.