Kia Soul Reviews

The Kia Soul is a big seller in the USA, however this compact SUV has failed to set the Australian market on fire since its introduction back in 2009. Even the unique design, aimed at attracting younger buyers, hasn't helped sales. As it turns out, the relatively small bunch of Soul owners are mostly (much) more

What’s the biggest selling Kia in the USA? Bet you didn't think it was the Soul.

Alistair Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2014 Kia Soul.

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the 2014 Kia Soul.

When the Kia Soul first launched it was clearly targeting the youth buyer. With its building-block body shape, offbeat colours and 'tattoo' decal personalisation options it had facets of a kid's toy.

Kia’s Soul is a box with wheels. It’s made for congestion, for tight parking bays and meets a demand for maximum cabin space without becoming a van.

They won't admit it, but you'd have to reckon Kia discussed whether to kill off the Soul.

Looking for a car with soul? Then Kia Soul may be just the thing for you.

‘Huh, that’s...interesting looking.’ Our friend’s offhand comment about the Kia Soul+ surprisingly riled us. We immediately jumped to the Soul’s defense, spouting praise for its look, drivability, and price tag. We shoved our friend inside (the passenger seat, not the more-deserved boot), and as we drove around Sydney he came to his senses.The styling of Kia’s Soul may be unique, but standing out from the crowd is praise worthy, and the Soul deserves all that it gets.At  $26,990 the Soul+ 2.0-litre petrol comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, multi-function trip computer, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, 12-volt power outlet, ABS, ESC, iPod compatibility, power bass, Bluetooth, six speakers, and a pollen and dust filter for those allergy prone souls. The front-wheel drive, six-speed automatic, 2.0-litre petrol Soul+ has 122kW@6,500 rpm and 200Nm@4,800 rpm. The official fuel combined is 7.5/100km. We found 10.5/100km fuel combined, 8.5/100km on the motorway and 14.3/100km in the city.The external design is fairly boxy, but with smart lines, tinted glass, and a dark chrome radiator grille, it works. The boxy frame gives the interior an airy feel, leaving even passengers in back with plenty of leg and head room. While the back seats aren’t as comfortable as the front, they leave little to complain about, though our friend did gripe about the lack of a cup holder in back after we bought him a coffee.The driver’s seat comfortably places you high above the road. The height of the seating allows for easy entering and exiting, making it a breeze for older passengers to access, though with the option of dragon, houndstooth, and racing stripe decals, the Soul is definitely marketed toward Gen Y.The cloth door trim blazes the Soul logo, so despite how much you switch off you won’t forget what you’re driving. The boot has 222 litres of storage with seats up, 700 litres seats down. Remove the underfloor tray next to the spare wheel and you get 340 seats up, 818 down. ABS, ESC, driver and front passenger, front side, and curtain SRS airbags, child restraint anchorage points, three-point ELR seatbelts, and active front headrests help the Soul achieve its five-star ANCAP safety rating.The Soul+ is a fun drive, with responsive steering, little cabin noise, and a peppy feel.  It handles well and has good grip. We have to admit we liked the diesel version better as it gave a bit more oomph, but the 2.0-litre petrol holds its own.Climbing large hills on the motorway gave the Soul+ a little pause, but once it found the right gear it kicked in just fine. Blind spots to the side and rear were the only real annoyances, and if those bother you too much you can opt for the rear park assist.While some may think the Soul is quirky we just have to say it’s a really enjoyable drive -- small enough to navigate through tight traffic, and large enough inside for any sized adult. The Soul+ 2.0-litre petrol has plenty of personality.A fun, unique, and easy drive, Kia’s Soul+ 2.0-litre petrol is calling.

Kia’s Soul is aimed at people who want a sensible car that looks anything but sensible. People who like the retro look of a Fiat 500 or BMW Mini, but who also need a back seat that’s suitable for family use.The soul range starts at $21,490 for the manual 1.6-litre petrol variant. An automatic version of this model is also available at $23,490. The Soul+ 2.0-ltire petrol version starts from $26,990. And finally, the Soul+ 1.6-litre turbo-diesel with automatic transmission will set you back $29,990.The car we tested was powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine with 95 kW of power, and 157 Nm of torque at 4850 rpm. While 4850 revs aren’t likely to be reached by many owners the engine has decent torque from about 2000 rpm and really gets up and moves nicely from 3000 onwards. The engine is nicely responsive and we found it happy to pull away from the lights with a good deal of poke. The 2.0-litre petrol engine prodcues 122 kW and 200 Nm and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel is capable of 94 kW and 260 Nm.Chunky looks that come into the love-it-or-hate-it category are the biggest feature of the soulful Soul from South Korea. And we have to say straight out that we love it. Every line makes a statement, from the distinctive German-inspired grille, through the squared-off side and tall roof to the look-at-me taillights makes the Soul stand apart from the madding crown of lets-not-offend-anyone school of design. The interior is cheeky in style too with big gauges and a funky look that harks back to the 1970s.The really good news is that the Kia Soul isn't all style and no substance. Buyers of large family cars will find there’s room for large teenagers in the back seat. Obviously, plenty of headroom, fore and aft. The Soul has a reasonable-sized boot, but in a shortish car like this it relies on depth rather than length. While it may not be large enough to cart a lot of gear on an extended holiday trip with two kids on board, you really need a big station wagon or SUV for that, the Soul will prove more than adequate for most families almost all of the time.As with the Mini, the options list for the Kia Soul is large and designed to tempt the individualist who really wants to stand out from the crowd. Naturally there's a big choice of colours, mostly very bright ones, and alloy wheels in several sizes. You can add a body kit and/or various decals. Or how about a two-tone dashboard, fancy seat trims or stereo speakers that pulse with the music?Yet Kia Australia reports that a lot of Soul buyers aren’t getting into the car because of its appearance, but because it’s an easy car to get into. Owners in the baby-boom bracket love the fact that the seats are at the height of their backsides, therefore they can get into the Soul without the need to flop down into a low-slung sedan or up into a towering SUV.Our road test Kia Soul came in a bright red colour and had large alloy wheels added to a great design that was loved by all who saw it.Typically we found the engine using about five to six litres of petrol per hundred kilometres on in level open-road running. Around town the consumption was generally in the seven to nine litre bracket. At just 48 litres the fuel tank is relatively small so the overall range could be limited in big Aussie road trips.Kia Australia opted to import the Soul with the European rather than American suspension setup in the interests of reasonable handling, although this does create hassles if you drive on roughish roads. Our road test Soul had the 18-inch alloy wheel option and we found the ride to be rather too firm for our tastes. And really noisy on coarse-chip surfaces. There are smaller wheels in the price list and these may be a better bet on the comfort side of things.Handling is competent enough, the Soul holds the road well and is reasonably willing to change direction part way through a corner. We aren’t keen on the feel through the electrically-assisted power steering, finding it a bit on the dead side and not giving a lot of feedback. As the Kia Soul certainly doesn’t have a sporting setup, and certainly doesn’t challenge the Mini we mentioned earlier, it’s probably best left to those looking for stylish pizzaz, not to forget practicality.The Kia Soul isn’t for everyone, but the individualist on a tight budget will love it.