The Kia Soul'ster Concept pickup truck has been named the 2009 Concept Truck of the Year during the 2009 North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Mich. It's the first Kia concept vehicle to win one of the Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards, chosen by a jury of more than two dozen North American automotive journalists.



The Soul'ster debuted at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It's a small-footprint, front-wheel-drive, two-door garden truck derived from Kia's new 2010 Soul, a car-based compact four-door crossover powered by either a 1.6- or 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.




"The Soul production vehicle has provided our design team with a tremendous platform for expression, and with the Soul'ster we sought to highlight a different side of the Soul and take it to another level," said Tom Kearns, chief designer, Kia Design Center America. "It is an honor for the Soul'ster to be named Concept Truck of the Year, and further proof that Kia's global commitment to design is dramatically altering the brand's image and consumer opinion of our company and our vehicles."

Kia Motors America (KMA)