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An urban box... Kia's Soul will be available in three specification levels and two engines. Photo Gallery
The Kia Soul has to solve the toughest problem the Korean company has faced over the past couple of years.
That problem is simply getting bums on seats. That usually takes a hero car. One that is a bit special, whether that's a high-performance star or something so different as to be irresistible. The Kia Soul has gone down the ‘let's be different’ road and it could just be the tonic the company needs.
Models and pricing
The Soul will be released in Australia in three specification levels and two engines — a 91kW/156Nm 1.6-litre DOHC petrol and the 94kW and 260Nm 1.6-litre common rail diesel already seen in Australian in the award-winning Hyundai i30. Both engines are coupled to the company's ageing 4-speed automatic and slick 5-speed manual.
The entry level Soul starts at $20,990 for the manual petrol with a $2000 premium for the automatic. The bottom spec car will not be offered as a diesel.
The Soul comes standard with six airbags, ABS with EBD, 15-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, immobiliser, central locking and 6-speaker MP3 compatible stereo.
Step up to Soul2 (Squared) for $23,990 and stability control with traction control, 16-inch alloys, driver's seat height adjustment, roofrails and steering wheel mounted audio controls become standard. You can also get the diesel engine for an additional $3500 and automatic for $2000.
At the top of the range the Soul3 (Cubed) is $27,390 (plus $3500 for the diesel) and is available as automatic only. There are also standard 18-inch alloys, additional body mouldings and headlight `eye-liners’, heated external mirrors, privacy glass, an underfloor wet box in the boot and a premium sound system with sub-woofer, external amp, centre speaker and ‘mood’ sensitive speaker lighting. Strangely the roof rails that come standard on the Soul2 are a cost option on the Soul3.
Exterior
Stylistically the Soul is an urban box. That is not to be unkind, some of the most successful of the so-called compact urban vehicles are just that — a basic square block on wheels, and there are some very good reasons for that. But more of that later.
From that starting point the trick is to sex-up the basic product. Give it a cool name, trick up the look and add a hook that a cashed-up segment of potential buyers will find hard to resist.
For Honda it is the Element, Nissan the Cube and Toyota the Scion Xb — all aimed at relieving the restless and style-conscious Gen-Y of their cash.
What is very much in Kia's favour in Australia is that the Soul is the first such car into the market.
The hook, in the case of the Soul, is the ability to add some individual flair. This doesn't stretch to the Smart car's interchangeable body panels but there is enough scope to do a soft-core `Pimp My Ride'.
A selection of decals — three at this stage, a range of flashy bits and pieces such as a sports kit and extra chrome, 11 exterior colours and three interior treatments are enough to give more than 10,000 possible combinations.
In keeping with the Gen-Y theme the external flash has been described as the automotive equivalent of body art — tattoos and eyeliners without the permanency, as the decals can be removed and replaced at whim, for a price.
Interior
Open the doors — here is where the benefits of the box design become evident — and the interior space is truly impressive.
Without the need for swooping rooflines and sloping windscreens style gives way to practicality. The space belongs to the passengers and the all-round vision is impressive.
There is genuine large car generosity in head, leg and shoulder room for four. Luggage space is limited but the rear seats split and fold for longer loads or that heavy shopping day.
The interior plastics are hard to the touch and there is little about the cabin that could be described as plush.
In the higher specification cars the blacks and greys are lightened by seat treatments that mirror some of the exterior flair.
Six airbags, including curtain bags, are standard across the range as is anti-lock braking. Stability control is not available on the base model — which weighs heavily against it — but is standard on the Soul2 (squared) and Soul3 (cubed).
Another omission is cruise control which isn't offered on any grade, although Kia says it will be available on diesel models from August.
Driving
On the move the story is one that has become almost a standard in the small and medium car market — pay the premium and get the diesel.
The strength of the diesel with its wider torque band more than makes up for the initial noise intrusion and while the four-speed auto is no benchmark it is infinitely better suited to the 1.6-litre common rail diesel than to the similar capacity petrol where it spends much of its time hunting for torque.
For both engines, the five-speed manual is a better option but the market has said time and again that when it comes to the crunch it’s an automatic world.
Steering is on the light side, with feel and feedback neither exceptional nor dreadful. Adequate may be damning with faint praise, but that is what it is and all most buyers will expect.
The driving experience can be improved by saving a few dollars and not opting for the optional 18-inch rims. The Blazer styling may look better but the bigger wheels with their lower-profile tyres make for a harsher ride on the Soul's independent front strut and torsion beam rear suspension package.
Settle for the less imposing 16-inch rims with 205/55R16 rubber and you will find it not only more refined but also quieter with less tyre roar.
Price: from $20,990
Engines: 91kW/156Nm 1.6-litre DOHC petrol; 94kW/260Nm 1.6-litre common rail diesel
Transmissions: five-speed manual, five-speed automatic
