Kia Soul concept to gain electric AWD system, off-road styling at Chicago show

Kia isn't saying too much about the concept car at this stage, except that it will sport an "advanced and capable electric all-wheel drive" system.

From the teaser image above we can see that this concept version of the Soul has been fitted with black wheel arch and bumper protectors, as well as a bash plate-style edifice below the lower air intake, to reinforce its off-road credentials.

The two most likely options for the concept car's drivetrain are an all-electric layout based on the Soul EV (above) or a petrol-electric hybrid setup, where the rear wheels are powered exclusively by an electric motor.

Released in September 2014, the Kia Soul EV features a 81kW/285Nm electric motor that powers the front wheels via a single-speed constant-ratio reduction gear. Fed by a 27kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Soul EV has an official range of 150km on a fully charged set of batteries.

The Soul EV is restricted to a top speed of 145km/h and is capable of sprinting from 0-60mph (96km/h) in under 12 seconds.