2010 Kia Soul: Soul, man!

Little by little, the Korean manufacturer Kia finally seems to be coming out of its funk. Sure, Kia has had some interesting products since its arrival in Canada, but on the whole they’ve always been associated with low-end products at low prices. Will Kia manage to pull off the same feat as Hyundai and change consumer perception of their products? Well, the manufacturer’s two latest products, the Forte and the Soul, are a step in the right direction.

This new hotshot in the “boxes on wheels” category joins the Nissan Cube, the Scion xB, which should be on sale this year, as well as the Honda Element, although the Element is a larger vehicle. However, the Soul has the least radical style of the bunch and the public seems to approve in general. Despite its boxier lines and straight hatch, the manufacturer managed to limit the “cube” effect with a plunging hood, relatively inclined bumper and smaller overhang. Basically, although many people don’t like the style of the Nissan Cube or the Honda Element, the Soul’s lines seem to be much more widely accepted.

A Kia Soul Burner?

The manufacturer wasn’t satisfied just having fun with the Soul’s design – the team also had fun with naming the different versions. There’s the Soul 2u (to you), 4u (for you), the Soul Retro and finally, the Soul Burner. You’ll have to check out the specs to see the how they differ. All of these versions share the same four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine featuring 142 hp for a torque of 137 lbs-ft along with a factory-standard five-speed manual gearbox or an optional four-speed automatic. The base version gets a four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine with 122 hp that comes exclusively with a manual gearbox. The best thing about this base model is its $16,000 price tag, since there’s nothing very modern about its mechanics and its performances aren’t exactly heart stopping. In my opinion, there’s little chance that the masses will flock to this version when for about $2,000 more, you could have the first version equipped with the 2.0-litre engine. According to Kia, the vast majority of buyers are doing exactly that. Furthermore, the Soul is selling like hotcakes in Quebec. With plenty of them on our roads, this vehicle is definitely contributing to Kia’s excellent results in recent months.

A great passenger compartment

Inside the vehicle, you’ll quickly notice the improved quality and the attention to the trim. Sure, the dashboard uses a lot of hard plastics, but the layout and style of the different components enhances its look. The ergonomics are also excellent and everything is where it should be. The Soul Burner turns the style up a notch with the ubiquitous red colouring in the passenger compartment and on the dashboard, which completely transforms Soul’s interior. They even extended the idea to the speaker grilles. Red lighting inside the grilles and under the dash add to the style. There’s a control located on the dashboard that lets you adjust the lighting and you’ll even be able to make the lights flash to the sound of the music. It’s a veritable disco on wheels.

As for the rest, the seats are firm but comfortable and their higher position guarantees good visibility. There’s a good deal of room for the rear passengers and behind the wide hatch there’s a relatively generous cargo space for a vehicle of this size, some 546 litres with the seat up, increasing to 1,511 litres once the 60/40 split seatbacks are lowered.

Behind the wheel

Of course, you’ll prefer the versions equipped with the 2.0-litre engine. It’s not overpowering, but it offers satisfactory accelerations and pick-up. Hey, this isn’t a sports car here. The manual transmission is pleasant and it helps you make the most of the available power, but that’s not to say that the automatic should be avoided. It could use an extra gear, but all in all it offers smooth shifting and no hesitation.

You’ll like the Soul once you’re behind the wheel. Its compact size makes it fun and agile, while its style will give you good visibility. On the back roads, it will confidently take on corner after corner and its suspension minimizes weight transfers. Its 18-inch wheels in certain versions not only add to the style, but they make the vehicle more dynamic, which is quite surprising for a vehicle that bears the Kia logo.

Several hundred kilometres behind the wheel of the Soul are enough to understand why this vehicle has been so popular since its introduction. Low prices and an excellent warranty make it one of the most interesting vehicles out there.