The Kia Soul is one of my favorite small cars to drive. You’ve likely seen the fun commercial with the hip hamsters pitching the Soul, but this car indeed walks the talk. We’ve said before that we like that the Soul is customizable to the individual tastes and personality of the owner, and that this is a genuine youth car. You likely won’t see the Kia Soul being towed behind the motorhomes of retirees. Instead, it’ll find its rightful place in High School and University parking lots, hip clubs and anywhere else Gen-Y hangs out. Its “new way to roll” speaks the language of the youth market.
The Kia Soul is the motoring King of Cool. Along with rivals Nissan Cube and Scion xB, these new breeds of youthful rides are the motoring equivalent of the iPod and X-Box.
It’s the car that began Kia Motors America’s transformation, and for 2012 it returns to the Kia lineup with a fresh and updated look, more power, and the same funky “outside of the box” vibe that we have come to love from.
Beyond cool – which is very important in this segment, it’s been fine-tuned for 2012 with a significant number of technology and powertrain enhancements. This iconic urban passenger car now has more power, making 164-hp from its 1.6-liter engine, and gets up to 35 miles per gallon. Since its debut in Spring 2009, Soul has enjoyed soaring popularity and earned a trophy case full of prestigious awards, including a 2009 “Top Safety Pick” honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a Consumers Digest “Best Buy” for 2010, a “Top Recommended? Vehicle for 2011” by Edmunds.com, receiving the “Best Family Cars for 2010” designation by Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine, and being recognized as “Best Hatchback of 2010” by Cars.com.
The Soul’s easily-recognizable profile and exterior design has been updated with subtle changes to front and rear fascias to project a wider stance, while new headlamps, taillights, side mirrors and wheels project a more modern look.
Inside, Soul’s more high-tech, futuristic cabin features a nice blend of technology at a great overall value. All Soul models are improved with redesigned and upgraded interior materials, making the cabin the perfect personal lounge on wheels or an efficient cargo carrier with 14 storage zones. Passengers will find comfort in the roomy, comfy cabin.
Soul is available in three trims – Soul, Soul+ and Soul! – with the base trim offering numerous standard convenience features, including electric power steering, air conditioning, tilt and telescopic steering column, power windows, door locks and mirrors, available SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Also new for 2012 is an all-new 350-watt seven-speaker Infinity audio system that is available on Soul+ models and standard on Soul! models for a more exciting music experience. Also new on Soul! models is UVO powered by Microsoft voice-activated infotainment system with a 4.3-inch color touch screen and rear camera display and available Premium Package that includes heated front seats, leather seat trim, automatic climate control and navigation.
The whole interior was co-designed with the sound-system, so they work well together and provide a great audio experience. A very cool feature is lights inside the speaker wells in the door that dim and glow with the beat of the music. Well done.
Overall the Soul is nicely done package that offers far more content than its price suggests. It’s among the nicest-driving car in its class, with great road manners. It makes it easy to drive across town or across country.
Pricing starts at $13,900 and up, depending on model and options. It’s covered by Kia’s warranty, 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. For more information, see you local Kia dealer, or visit Kia.com.