Kia has finally revealed its first series-production electric vehicle to be sold in the U.S., the Soul EV. Debuting at the Chicago Auto Show, the Kia Soul EV will go on sale in the third quarter of 2014, initially in states which have the largest EV markets and infrastructure: California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

Based on the current Soul, the EV retains its funky design but adds specific details such as the larger grille that accommodates charging ports, color accent trim in the front and rear fascias, projector headlights, LED positioning lamps, and LED tail lights.

All Soul EV models feature a two-tone paint, with three-color combinations offered initially: Pearl White lower body with Electronic Blue roof, Caribbean Blue lower body with Clear White roof, and Bright Silver with Clear White roof. The Kia Soul EV also gets its own set of 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped with specially engineered Super Low Rolling Resistance (SLRR) tires.

The electric Kia is motivated by an 81.4kW (109hp) electric motor producing 210 lb-ft (284 Nm) of torque. Mated to a single-speed constant-ratio gear reduction unit, the motor sends power to the front wheels and is able to accelerate the Soul EV from 0 to 60 mph (96 mph) in less than 12 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to approximately 90 mph (145 km/h).

Energy comes from a 27kWh lithium-ion polymer battery located beneath the car’s floor, with Kia estimating a “real-world” driving range of approximately 80-100 miles (128-161 km) on a full charge.

The battery can be charged into any standard 120v outlet or a conventional 240v EV charger, with recharging times varying from 24 hours for a fully depleted battery using a standard 120-volt outlet and under five hours when plugged into a 240-volt outlet. When a 50kW output charger is used, the battery can be charged to 80 percent of its capacity in as little as 33 minutes.

Pricing for the Soul EV will be announced closer to the vehicle’s launch.

Kia's second generation Soul has landed in Britain, bringing with it promises of greater space, a higher quality cabin and sharper driving dynamics. It's offered with a choice of two 1.6-liter engines, five trim grades and on-the-road prices ranging from £12,600 to £21,550.

While retaining its predecessor's boxy design, the renewed Soul rides on a 20mm longer wheelbase at 2,570mm stretching the car's length to 4,140mm, while it's also 15mm wider at 1,800mm. However, height has been reduced by 10mm to 1,600mm.

Boot capacity with the rear seats in place has been improved by four percent to 354 litres, rising to 994 litres to the cargo cover with the rear seats folded, and a maximum of 1,367 litres up to the roof level.

Engine options in the UK include a 1.6-liter turbo diesel producing 126bhp and 192 lb-ft (260Nm) and a 1.6-liter petrol that makes 130bhp and 119 lb-ft (161Nm) of peak torque.

When connected to a six-speed manual, the 1.6L diesel engine accelerates the Soul to 60mph (96km/h) in 10.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 112mph (180km/h), while returning a combine fuel economy of 56.5mpg UK with CO2 emissions of 132g/km. The figures for the 6sp automatic transmission are 11.8 seconds, 110mph, 47.1mpg UK and 158g/km, respectively.

The 1.6L petrol unit with a six-speed manual reaches 60mph (96km/h) in 10.6 seconds before topping out at 115mph (185km/h). It returns up to 41.5 mpg UK and CO2 emissions as low as 158g/km (if opted with 18-inch wheels, these figures change to 38.7mpg UK and 170g/km).

The five available trim grades for the new Soul are the Start, Connect, Connect Plus, Mixx and Maxx. All Souls come equipped with DAB radio, Flex Steer variable power-assisted steering, a tyre pressure monitoring system, keyless entry, air conditioning, electrically adjustable mirrors, electric windows all round, steering wheel-mounted controls, USB and AUX ports and six airbags as standard.

If you opt for the Connect, you also get artificial leather cluster housings, door centre-trim and armrests, a rear power socket, 17-inch alloys, front foglamps, door mirror heaters, cruise control, Bluetooth, a parking camera, leather steering wheel and gearshift ****, and a storage box between the front seats.

The Connect Plus adds a higher-end Infinity sound system, satellite navigation and front speaker mood lights.

Mixx models gain 18-inch wheels, contrasting colour roof and door mirror casings, chrome exterior door handles, LED rear lights, cooled glovebox, heated front seats and a luggage floor undertray, plus an exterior trim kit.

Finally, the range-topping Maxx gets different 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a TFT supervision cluster, a panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors and a smart-entry key and engine start/stop button.

Reports about Kia mulling a two-door (or three if you include the tailgate) version of the Soul with or without a metal top above its head have been going around ever since the Koreans introduced their interpretation of Japan's box-style cars, with the most recent landing on the web just last month.

The resurfacing of these rumors had the people over at The Korean Blog getting their pens out and drawing what the latest iteration of the Soul would look like with two-doors and some flavorful styling cues from the sweet-looking Track'ster Concept of 2012.

So, what do you say about the render and the prospect of a two door Soul in general; would you give it a thumbs up or down?

Looking at the Kia Soul EV from a purely pragmatic perspective provides plenty of persuasive arguments to steer you its way, if you’re in the market for something completely electric, with above-average (claimed) range, unusual styling and excellent interior practicality.

The model has now gone into production in its native South Korea, and it’s expected to be exported outside of the country “later in 2014”.

Thomas Oh, Executive Vice President and COO, Kia Motors Corporation adds to the background context: “Although it is Kia’s first globally-sold all-electric vehicle, the Soul EV is our second-generation battery electric vehicle and benefits significantly from our in-depth experience gained from development of the Ray EV and proven daily operations of the Ray EV fleet in Korea for the past three years.”

Not being the first generation of a new technology is always desirable from a consumer's perspective…

The Soul EV features a 27 kWh battery pack and a claimed range, based on European test cycles, of 212 km or 132 mph, while being able to sprint past sixty in just over eleven seconds; top speed is 145 km/h or 90 mph.

The battery can be charged up to 80 percent of its capacity “in as little as 25 minutes with a 100 kW charger (if available) or 33 minutes using a 50 kW DC charger.”

Juice goes to an 81.4 kW (108 hp) electric motor which has around as much torque as a diesel engine of comparable output would have.

Kia kept the number of updates it’s brought to its Soul to a bare minimum, when it refreshed the model for the 2015. That’s not at all surprising, since it’s only had one year on the market, being an all-new model that debuted in 2013.

All the Korean manufacturer has done is include a new UVO eServices Package for the base model. According to the release:

“UVO eServices is a free subscription telematics service available for 10 years/100,000 miles. For 2015, UVO eServices offers four new features: Geo-fencing, Speed Alert, Curfew Alert and Driving Score2. Additionally, with the introduction of the Kia App store, select apps can be downloaded for free from iTunes3 or Google Play4.” It also supports Pandora, iHeart and Yelp radio.

Additional tech is thrown in (as an option), like Siri Eyes Free or Sirius XM Travel Link, which offers information on traffic and weather conditions, along with fuel prices and other useful bits of information for navigation.

The only other thing they’ve done to the 2015 Soul is the introduction of the interior Umber Color Package, “which is available with either the Fathom Blue or Cloud White exterior colors. Included with the option package is premium Nappa leather seating surfaces and door armrest accents. Outside, Gloss Black wheel inserts further set the Umber Color Package apart.”