Pope Francis has been referred to as “The People’s Pope” due to his viewpoints as well as his "LessStravagant" lifestyle. Take his recent trip to South Korea, for example. During his first papal visit to Asia and the first pope to visit South Korea in 25 years, he chose to ride in the back of a Kia Soul.
While those before him would be chauffeured in lavish, custom-built vehicles like bomb-resistant and bulletproof Mercedes-Benz SUVs, Pope Francis got in the back seat of one of Kia’s smallest and most popular current models, although it isn’t clear if any modifications were made to the car for added protection. What’s more, these recent pontiffs rode around in bright white vehicles, but this Kia Soul looked about as ordinary as this hatchback can get painted up in what appears to be the Fathom Blue paint color.
And his choice of a Kia Soul was due to a lacking supply of roomier vehicles in the lineup of Kia or even Hyundai, which have both introduced more luxurious sedans Kia K900 (known as the K9 in South Korea) and the Hyundai Equus. Automotive News reports that Pope Francis often uses a 20-year-old Fiat hatchback to make official visits.
The video above from The Telegraph shows Pope Francis arriving in Seoul and greeting South Korea’s President Park Geun Hye before being whisked away in the Kia.
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