While the new Kia Soul is slated to debut at the LA motor show, which will take place in a few days, the model has been spied without any camouflage in Mexico. The new Soul has retained its predecessor’s boxy shape, though it has received major styling updates at the front and rear.

The most noticeable change is the new tail-light units, which appear to almost bracket the upper tailgate in an unbroken line. This is a very unique look that makes the car stand out. The new headlights look very sleek and modern compared to the current Soul.

The new Soul is expected to be offered in an off-road ‘X-line’ trim as well as a sporty ‘GT-Line’ trim. On the mechanical front, the new car is said to share its powertrains the Hyundai Kona, which is vailable with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 149hp, as well as a 1.6 litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 177hp. There’s also an all-electric version of the Kona that gets two battery options (39kWh and 64kWh) as well as four-wheel drive. However, there is no news of a four-wheel-drive Kia Soul as of now.

The new Kia Soul will go on sale in international markets sometime next year, however, there is no news about an India launch yet.

The Korean brand is expected to bring the production-spec SP SUV to India during the second half of next year and will follow it up more models, including a compact SUV based on Hyundai’s QXi. Kia is also considering bringing the Grand Carnival MPV to our market by 2020.