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Another significant chapter in the history of modern automotive manufacturing is about to come to an end, as Korean automaker Kia officially confirms that it will discontinue production of its compact crossover Soul at the end of October, finally removing the model from the assembly line after nearly sixteen years of continuous presence on the global market. It is important to note that this decision will primarily affect the United States, which has become the last stronghold for this unique car, while other key regions, including its home market of South Korea, said goodbye to the model back in 2021, and European buyers purchased the last units in 2024. The total global production of this model over its entire lifetime exceeded one and a half million units, which eloquently testifies to the incredible popularity and demand for this car among a wide range of consumers.
Originally created as a youth-oriented, somewhat boxy urban crossover, the Kia Soul managed to transform itself in record time into one of the brand's key and most influential models, radically changing its perception on the international stage and playing a pivotal role in shaping the company's new, dynamic, and bold image. Many industry analysts agree that without the phenomenal success of the Soul, the Kia brand would probably never have been able to achieve the heights and level of recognition it currently enjoys. The model has gone through several platform generations and has repeatedly updated its exterior, but it has always managed to remain faithful to the original conceptual idea and that very unique, instantly recognizable body silhouette that has become its hallmark.
Throughout its production life, the Soul has served as a kind of experimental laboratory on wheels for the company's engineers and designers, spawning a number of bold concepts, including a convertible version and even racing modifications, which, although they did not make it into mass production, remained in history as a vivid testimony to the inexhaustible creative potential inherent in the very idea of this car. The absolute peak of commercial sales for the model is rightly considered to be 2015, when consumers appreciated its unique offering on the market, which consisted of a virtually perfect combination of characteristics such as unmatched interior practicality, expressive and memorable exterior styling, high fuel efficiency, and an exceptionally affordable and competitive cost of ownership. The end of Kia Soul production marks not just the disappearance of another model from the catalog, but symbolizes the end of an entire era in which this car became a true cultural phenomenon and style icon for an entire generation of car enthusiasts.