In an effort to build up the hype surrounding the upcoming Soul launch in Paris, Kia Motors invites enthusiasts and frustrated wannabe customizers to build their own virtual Kia Soul complete with interior, background and, yes, even Flower Wheels.
Main Page
A Site for the Soul
Even though the guys here at LotPro.com won’t be getting a look at the new Kia Soul for a while yet, that hasn’t seemed to stop Kia from making a big deal out of it back in Korea. Because, in anticipation of the official unveiling at next week’s Paris Auto Show, Kia Motors has rolled out an absolutely amazing web site that’s dedicated to the Soul. While it really doesn’t break any new ground in the configuration department (the section that allows visitors to paint, decorate and option out a Soul just the way they want), the “Sing a Soul” and “Studios” sections are way cool.
Studios Page (not sure what it says below Soul)
Not entirely lost in translation
Since the U.S. intro isn’t scheduled until next spring, the current web site is designed primarily for the Korean audience. This means that while many of the key site labels are in English, some of the more technical instructions are posted only in Korean. But what the heck, this isn’t a job, it’s an adventure! In any case, most of the navigation through the site is fairly intuitive. Even if you can’t read the fine print, you’ll get the idea.
Movies and Animation
Make a Soul, Sing a Soul
If you’re a frustrated DJ or feeling the least but musical, the Sing A Soul tab on the site allows you to lay down tracks on a simulated audio board to create your own “Soul Song” (try saying that quickly ten times). You can also view movie shorts, a 3D movie and even the intro TV commercial. But take heed if you’re the impatient type: this is a Korean site intended for the Korean market. This means that load times for videos and the audio applications can be ponderously slow. The “Studios” section, in particular, takes a lot of patience to view. That being said, it is worth the wait. I now know why so much animation work is done in Korea.
Korean Rappers
Let them (Kia) entertain you
To view the new Soul, and have a good time in the process, check out the following web site:
http://soul.kia.co.kr/index.html