Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition introduced

Kia has teamed up with UK music and surf festival Boardmasters to help tailor its pure-electric Kia Soul to appeal to those who love surfing.

Called the Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition, the latest concept was built out of a pure-electric Kia Soul prototype that was destined to be crushed.

Mechanically, it keeps its 64kWh long-range battery and single 150kW electric motor.

To help it cope with life among the dunes, engineers have boosted the standard car's ground clearance by more than double, raising it from 153mm to 310mm at the front and 320mm at the rear.

Riding on 16-inch white steel wheels, the Kia gets a set of Maxxis Bighorn sand tyres to help ensure the front-drive Soul doesn't get stuck.

Accommodating two 7ft 9in surfboards, Kia also custom-built a dedicated racking system out of lightweight steel tubing.

The rack, and increased ride height, means that the 1950mm-tall Soul EV towers over the rest of Kia's European range, standing 255mm taller than the flagship Kia Sorento SUV.

Since many surfers will use their car as a support vehicle throughout the day, the Soul gets solar panels that charge a 12-volt leisure battery that in turn provides power to charge appliances and run an on-board fridge to keep drinks and food cool.

Other changes include the addition of a pair of bright LED spot lights that are mounted to the roof rack.

Inside, the rear seats have been dumped and replaced by a wooden deck made from timber sourced from a sustainable forest. A swing-out arm has also been added to hang a pair of wetsuits or towels.

That rear bed area is said to have been completely sealed to prevent sand and moisture reaching the front half of the cabin.

Up front the Soul remains standard with a 10.25-inch infotainment system that incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and is combined with a premium 10-speaker sound system.

There's no word on how the big wheels, raised ride height and roof rack have affected the standard Soul EV's 450km range.

There are also no plans to replicate any part of the Soul EV Boardmasters Edition for any market and it will remain a one-off.

Kia Australia, meanwhile, axed the Soul hatch back in 2019 after disappointing sales, but the Soul EV was back on the radar for a potential 2021 return. The focus locally is now on the new Kia Niro EV and forthcoming all-new EVs such as the Kia EV6.

The fate of the Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition, meanwhile, is more certain. UK rules that govern manufacturer's pre-production prototypes dictate that any test mule must be destroyed, so the special beach-ready crossover may still end up being crushed.