When Kia launched the Soul, one of the things it said it would do is release limited run special editions to bolster its position as a cheeky little quirky crossover plaything. The Samba was the first of those, but it's been replaced by this, the Tempest.
Resplendent on unique 18-inch black alloys and with 'soul-shine' black seat trim, the Tempest is certainly angrier than the Samba, as its name suggests it will be, and it gets a decent kit roster. Chrome accents litter the cabin, and it boasts a reversing camera whose display is integrated into the rear view mirror, as well as the highest spec sound system (with sub woofer) and metallic paint. All that for £12,845.
In other Kia-related news, the Picanto and Rio are now available in range-topping 'Graphite' spec, which adds pimp-spec 14-inch alloys, iPod compatibility, seat height adjustability, a tilting steering wheel and air conditioning to the former. The latter gets some frankly outrageous 15-inch rims and indicator lights in the mirrors. Sweet.
And while you're dazzled by all that, it's probably a good time to break the news that Cocktail Orange metallic has been dropped from Kia's colour swab, and the maker has raised the prices of the Soul by around £300.
Mark Nichol - 2 Nov 2009