Kia says that expanding the Soul lineup beyond the current five-door hatch would prove to be more difficult than you might think. Earlier reports stated that Kia was keen to the idea of building an open-top Soul, but changing economic times seem to have crushed those plans.

“(The Soul) tends to be a niche vehicle,” Orth Hedrick, director-product planning, tells Ward’s at a Sportage media event here. “There is very high appeal to a very narrow group of buyers.”

Kia hinted at a future derivative with the convertible Soul’ster concept shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

But in order for Kia to green-light a production Soul’ster, Hedrick says “You have to have broader appeal” to justify the development time and money it would take to bring the model to market.

When Kia launched the Soul in spring 2009, it had high hopes the vehicle would expand the reach of the Kia brand to more stylish, affluent markets. And, so far, that is happening, says Tom Loveless, vice president-sales.

Hot news! Look at it. Its a first photo of a new Kia’s Soulster concept. The best description of the Kia Soulster: Cabrio pick-up leisure car. As we already known, Kia Soulster will make its premier at the Detroit Auto Show. The two-door Soul will keep its boxy profile, with a redesigned hatch that incorporates blacked-out pillars into the tinted windows of the greenhouse.