Kia is launching a totally new vehicle! It was spotted on the streets in August and, although it was heavily camouflaged, we managed to draw some conclusions. Currently, everyone is referring to it as a 2018 Kia Subcompact Crossover, but this is not the official name of this car. Kia didn’t release any info about the name so we don’t have a clue how it is going to be named. Kia already has some crossovers in the lineup and, to tell you the truth, we were pretty surprised when we saw spy photos of this model. It is still uncertain whether this crossover will resemble the others. These spy photos are all we have at this moment and we base our review only on them.
Platform
When you take a closer look at these photos you will notice some similarities with the Soul, a hatchback manufactured by Kia. It cannot be part of the crossover segment since it has neither adequate size nor the AWD option. However, the similarity between this hatchback and the upcoming crossover is incredible. Apparently, these two cars will share the same platform. The main difference is that the crossover will have more rounded chassis than the Soul. Kia probably opted for this vehicle to be the base for the future crossover since its popularity is growing. Last year over 147,000 units was sold all over the world. As far as we are concerned this was a good decision and this platform is a good foundation for the future.
2018 Kia Subcompact Crossover Design
In the photos, we can see that running lights are placed about the headlights, which is extremely unusual for Kia’s vehicles and much more common for Jeep. This led us to believe that the Korean automaker paid close attention to competent cars when they were designing the 2018 Kia Subcompact Crossover. Both headlights and taillights should be equipped with LED technology. The grille wasn’t camouflaged thus we can see it is going to be hexagonal. This is the only things we can say about the front fascia at this point. Unfortunately, the interior remains a mystery and Kia will definitely release more details regarding this crossover by the end of 2016.
Under the Hood
It is extremely difficult to discuss the powertrain since we have only photos of the camouflaged 2018 Kia Subcompact Crossover. However, we did our homework and checked what are the possible engines manufactured by Kia that can be placed under the hood. The list was quite long, but it has come down to only two options: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The first option is used in the latest Soul and generates 164 horsepower. The second option is slightly powerful and comes with an output of 200 horsepower. These are only speculations but we are almost sure that all-wheel drive will be offered as an option, besides front-wheel driving system, and it will be mated to the automatic gearbox.
Competition
Competition in this segment is tough and Kia must put a lot of effort in order to get a significant share of the market. Regardless of the market 2018, Kia Subcompact Crossover will have a difficult time before it gets a significant share. In our opinion, the main players in this field are Honda HR-V, Fiat 500X, and Chevrolet Trax. However, there are few more that can stand side by side with these three such as Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-3. We’ll need to hold our horses to see what will be the situation on the market once it is released.
Arrival and Price
The crossover won’t be launched until the end of 2017, meaning there is still a lot of time ahead. Price is, among other things, being kept off the record. We can only say that Soul’s price is around $20,000 and this crossover might cost few thousand dollars more.
