- Kia U.K. saved a pre-production Soul EV prototype from being crushed, converting it into a concept for the Boardmasters 2021 surfing and music festival.
- The Soul EV gains a 3.0-inch lift, revised suspension, wider track, and chunky 265/75 R16 Maxxis Bighorn tires wrapped around 16-inch white steel wheels.
- The custom roof rack can carry two Tahe Bic Malibu surfboards, while the rear seat is replaced with a white-stained spruce deck for extra cargo room.
Automakers often destroy pre-production prototypes after they’ve reached the end of the development process, but Kia’s U.K. division recently saved a Kia Soul EV prototype that was destined for the crusher. After it avoided an untimely death, this Soul was transformed into this custom, lifted surf-mobile for Boardmasters 2021, a surfing and music festival on the Cornish Coast in England.
Based on the Soul EV, which is not sold in the U.S. and is the only Soul available in Europe, the Boardmasters Edition retains the production car’s powertrain, with a 64.0-kWh battery feeding a 201-horsepower electric motor powering the front wheels. While the powertrain is untouched, the Boardmasters Edition sits on new 16-inch white steel wheels shod in 265/75 R16 Maxxis Bighorn tires, which required redesigned wheel arches.
Along with off-road tires, the Boardmasters Edition gains a modified suspension with a 3.0-inch lift, as well as a 4.3-inch wider track at the front and 4.5-inch wider track at the rear. There is also steel roof rack that holds a pair of Tahe Bic Malibu surfboards and raises the Soul’s height to 76.8 inches, ten inches higher than a Kia Sorento. The rack includes a pair of LED spotlights and a solar panel to help recharge the battery pack while you’re out riding the waves. Kia acknowledged that these changes would negatively impact the Soul EV’s 280-mile range (on Europe’s WLTP testing cycle).
The special edition keeps the production-spec Neptune Blue paint but adds white stripes and Boardmasters logos. Inside, the Soul EV’s rear bench has been removed to enlarge the cargo capacity, and the trunk floor features white-stained spruce wood. The tailgate also includes a fold-out bench and a swing-out arm for drying wetsuits or towels. The Soul EV Boardmasters Edition will be on display throughout the festival from August 11 to 15.
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
