Kia on Tuesday unveiled the latest version of its subcompact Soul. The car was first released in 2008.
The automaker increased the variety of color options by adding two-tone roof combinations in addition to the existing line-up of 11 colors. Customers can also choose between three hub cap colors and four different interior hues.
Kia hopes that the increased color options will appeal to buyers overseas who place a lot of importance on individuality.
Kia is hoping to counter the relentless onslaught of imported cars here. A wider variety of imported cars are being sold here than ever before, wooing customers with cheaper compacts as well as their staple luxury sedans.
Some 440 imported car models are in showrooms across Korea as of September, up more than 40 percent from a year ago.
Thanks to the free trade agreements Korea signed with the U.S. and EU, the price tags of imported cars are coming down, threatening the cost competitiveness of Korean cars. Imported car sales surpassed 130,000 units in 2012 and are highly likely to set a new record this year as they now hold more than 10 percent of the market here.
Domestic carmakers are fighting back with variety. In March, Hyundai started selling a modified version of the popular Santa Fe SUV with a bigger chassis called the Maxcruz, and sales exceeded 6,000 units just six months after its release.
Hyundai's compact Avante is also being transformed. A coupe version came out in April and a modified diesel model was unveiled last month, four years after production of the original stopped.
