By Choi He-suk

Kia Motors Corp.'s crossover utility vehicle Soul appears to have hit the right chord in the United States.

According to the US automotive industry publication Ward's Auto, 2,459 units of the vehicle were sold in the United States during September, keeping the Soul at the top spot among box cars for the sixth consecutive month.

With 2,230 units sold last month, Nissan's Cube took second place with the Toyota xB bring up the rear with 1,539 units.

The Soul is also at the top of the list for the year so far with 24,237 units sold during the first nine months of the year, followed by the xB and Cube. During the period, 20,531 units of the Toyota xB were sold in the United States while 14,752 units of the Nissan Cube were sold.

"Soul's unique design is appealing to younger drivers in overseas markets, and the vehicle being named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that has boosted both the vehicle's popularity and Kia's brand image in overseas markets," a Kia official said.

With 16,861 units sold on the local market so far this year, the Soul is also the third bestselling model among the company's multipurpose vehicle and sport utility vehicle lineup in Korea.

In order to meet rising demand for the compact CUV, the company is looking to increase the Gwangju plant's Soul output.

According to reports, the company is said to be negotiating with the labor union to modify the Gwangju plant's Sportage assembly line to produce both Sportage and the Soul in order to raise output.

Along with popularity among US and local motorists, the Soul has caught the eye of the foreign media.

According to Kia, the North American Car and Truck of the Year panel, which consists of Canadian and US auto journalists, included the Soul among the 15 semi finalists vying for the 2010 North American Car of the Year award.

The panel will further narrow down the list to three models by the end of the year, with the winner being announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to be held in January.

This is the first time a Kia vehicle has been selected as a candidate for the award, which has been dominated by US brands.

First awarded in 1994, US brands have won the award eight times European makers have won four times while Japanese carmakers have taken the award three times.

Hyundai Motor Co.'s sports sedan Genesis became the first Korean vehicle to win the award last year.

cheesuk@heraldm.com

--The Korea Herald/ANN