The current Spectra has been on sale since 2004, and has sold considerably well since its release. The Spectra, along with its 5-door sibling Spectra5, was refreshed for MY2007. Now, according to Ward's Auto, Kia Motors America will be debuting an all-new preview concept at the 2008 New York International Autoshow in March. Len Hunt, President of KMA, told reporters that the new concept car will be based on the Spectra. Hunt also hinted that the new car, along with the production Soul, will enter the U.S. market in early 2009. We suspect the mystery concept car is the long-awaited replacement of the Spectra. The timeframe is bang-on and testing prototypes were appearing more frequently in the recent months.
Kia has set its eyes on Toyota's youth brand, Scion, with these two vehicles. Hunt stated that the two models will rival the Scion xA and the xB. From this, we can confirm that the Soul's main competition is the xB. Hunt also hinted of a possible compact sports coupe, based on Hyundai's Veloster Concept, for release in the near future.
[Source: Ward's Auto]
