Pope Francis Enlists Kia Soul as Latest Popemobile
The Kia Soul is living up to its name in South Korea.
Pope Francis will be riding in a Soul during his five-day visit to South Korea, a drastic change from previous Popemobiles that have even consisted of a custom-built, bulletproof Mercedes-Benz and an Audi A8. Pope Francis has been an adamant supporter of compact cars and the Korean automaker stated that it was honored by the pope’s use of the Soul but declined to comment if any modifications were done to the vehicle for safety purposes.
SEE ALSO: 2014 Kia Soul Review
The 2015 Kia Soul is priced from $15,900 including destination and comes standard with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 130 hp and 118 lb-ft of torque. More upscale models are equipped with a 2.0-liter engine providing 164 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque.
GALLERY: 2015 Kia Soul
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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