U.S. Market Kia Soul Photos Appear on the web

We wouldn't go as far as calling it a leak as the Kia Soul has already been revealed at the Paris Show (click here for our high-res gallery), but nonetheless, the first pictures of the U.S.-spec subcompact wannabe-crossover have made their way into the blogosphere. The photos are accompanied by a second set of images from a scanned brochure that show us the options that are being made available to the Canadian-spec model. The Soul will make its first public appearance on U.S. soil at the LA Auto Show on November 19 with sales scheduled to begin in early 2009.

In the States the Soul will be offered exclusively with a 2.0-liter petrol engine producing 142 HP at 6,000 rpm and 186 Nm (137-lbs/ft) of torque at 4,600 rpm. Buyers can opt for a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic.

Less-power-hungry consumers in Europe and other markets will also be able to choose between a smaller 1.6-liter gasoline engine generating 126 HP at 6,300 rpm and 156 Nm (115-lbs/ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm and a more frugal 1.6-liter turbo diesel delivering 126 HP at 4,000 rpm and 255 Nm (188-lbs/ft) of torque at 2,000 rpm.

Via: Kia-World