Soul's gone surfin'

James Batchelor

22 Sep 2022

Kia has created a one-off Soul EV to celebrate its partnership with the Boardmasters Festival.

The car which formed the basis for the modified crossover was originally a pre-production vehicle that was destined to be scrapped.

But Kia saved it from the crusher and created this special Soul EV to turn heads at the surfing and music festival in Cornwall, that's on this week.

Surf's up for Kia

To ensure its suitable for when the surf's up, the electric crossover gets 16-inch wheels wrapped in 30-inch Maxxis Bighorn sand tyres. The rubber is so chunky Kia says it had to significantly rework the front bulkhead and foot wheels to fit the wheels in the arches.

Along with the new wheels, Kia has upgraded the suspension with custom dampers and struts, and whole car gets a three-inch lift in ride height.

The roof wears a custom-made rack with LED spotlights fitted and there's even a solar panel attached to power ancillary items like a fridge. The back seats have been ripped out and the modded Soul EV gets wooden decking for the floor to allow sandy and wet surfing gear to be transported. 

Aside from the dramatic bodywork and interior modifications, the Boardmasters Edition still uses the standard Soul EV's 64kWh battery, although Kia admits the 280-mile range will be reduced due to the tyres. 

The special Soul will be on display at the Inspiration Zone at Boardmasters, which takes place from August 11 to 15 in Cornwall.

It's a strict one-off with the original car destined for the crusher

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