The crossover vehicle, which was first seen at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and then the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, is expected to make its debut at the Paris Motor Show later this year.

It is anticipated that the Soul will go on sale in the UK in 2009. “Because the new Kia Soul is not a replacement for an existing vehicle and is destined to play a unique role within the Kia global line-up, it can be a bit of a rebel,” said 'Gregory Guillaume, chief designer Kia Motors Europe. “The trio of Geneva concepts were 'appetisers' for the new model introduction at Paris, and you can be certain that the new Kia Soul model will retain the core DNA of the three exciting concepts.” Meanwhile, Kia has signed up for the British International Motor Show, and claims it will use the event to announce a forthcoming production model. The model is likely to go on sale in the UK next year. “The British International Motor Show is an important event for Kia Motors,” said UK managing director Paul Philpott. “By gathering together the latest crop of concept cars and current models, we aim to show everyone how far Kia has come in such a short space of time,” he said.