UK-Bound Kia Soul Tweaked by Lotus

Using another brand name to make your products appear more alluring and special is nothing new in the auto industry. But if there's one brand that has no problem whatsoever associating its name with other carmakers, that has to be Lotus. In its latest venture, the British firm has lent a helping hand to Kia to fine-tune the UK market Soul crossover. Lotus has been working on the Soul since late 2008, customizing the overall suspension settings and bump stops for UK road conditions ahead of the crossover's market launch in March.

This is the first time that Kia has developed a model specifically for UK roads and drivers in mind. "The result of our partnership with Lotus is a more composed ride which we think is much more suitable to what our roads can throw at Soul, and additionally, it is also a more exciting car to drive," said Paul Philpott, Managing Director, Kia UK.