Articles by Peter Barnwell

Though quite a funky design, THE five-door, five-seat Soul hasn't lit up buyers to any great extent possibly because of the styling and also Kia's tempting line-up that gets plenty of attention. Now that more people are looking at smaller SUV's Soul might come on to the radar especially as there's a new model due soon.The new, California designed, 2014 Soul looks, well, pretty much like the old Soul except for detail changes to the front and rear. But every body panel is different, so is the interior and the platform is from Kia's European small car, the C'eed. There's more of the so called "Schreyer" look at the front and some fairly radical tail lights and rear end styling but Soul remains a boxy on wheels with attitude.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONS / TECHNOLOGYPower comes from a choice of 1.6-litre petrol and turbo diesel engines. They are used elsewhere in Kia's range and are available with a six speed manual or six speed auto transmission driving the front wheels only.  Outputs are 103kW/167Nm and 94/260Nm for the petrol and diesel respectively. Fuel economy is likely to be around the 6.0 litres/1900km mark for both, possible better than that.The new platform is appreciably stronger than the previous model thanks in part to extensive use of hi-tensile steel in the chassis and body. The new Soul has been crash tested in the US where it scores the equivalent of five stars.The suspension has been upgraded in line with other changes to offer a more comfortable and controlled ride. A sub frame is now used to mount the Macstrut front suspension for reduced noise and vibration in the cabin. The steering is revised and components relocated for better feel and less shock transmission to the driver on rough roads. Other noise attenuation materials and systems further reduce interior noise and vibration.DESIGN / STYLING / FEATURESThough it looks the same, the new Soul body is incrementally larger all over resulting in more interior space for passengers and luggage. This is accentuated by a better interior design and anew dash featuring higher quality materials and finishes.Kia will offer the new Soul with appreciably more kit as well as more options. While Australian specification hasn't yet been decided, overseas models come with a range of equipment including LED driving lights and xenon headlights, keyless entry, button start, auto climate control, cruise control, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, panoramic glass sunroof, connectivity advances and upgraded audio.Some driver assist features make an appearance including high beam assist, smart parking and lane departure warning. Some or all of these features are likely to flow through to Aussie-spec Soul  model dependent. As with the current model. Kia offers numerous customisation choices for Soul buyers including about a dozen exterior colours with contrast roof colour, multiple interior choices and a number of wheels in 16, 17, and 18-inch sizes.PRICESPrices for the current model start at around $22 grand which seems the likely starting point for the new model, up to about $30 grand if you tick all the boxes. Shop it against Toyota Rukus, Peugeot 2008, Mitsu ASX, Holden Trax, Ford Ecosport and all the rest of them. It's a robust, practical, safe and funky little thing. 

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We don't get it. Why would Kia introduce the Cerato Koup and then a few months later, the Proceed GT three-door hatch essentially the same sort of car? One's out of Korea, the other is out of Europe but they both fit in the same segment competing for the same customers. And there are two variants of the Koup in auto and manual.Go figure. But regardless, we like Cerato Koup on a number of levels -- the styling, technology, equipment, price and performance.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONWe drove the turbo manual version but there's a naturally aspirated model as well with a 2.0-litre engine. The turbo is more desirable if you like an engaging, sporty drive more kick, better dynamics, racier styling and a choice of six-speed manual or dual clutch auto (also available in the 2.0-litre).Like most models in Kia's Aussie line-up, the Koup has undergone local ride and handling calibration that delivers a sporty/Euro feel. Though only a 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine, its turbo helps generate a handy 150kW/265Nm output which translates into strong performance. Our manual test car offered up slick gear changes and about 7.7 litres/100km fuel economy to achieve a Euro 4 emissions rating on regular unleaded.DESIGN / STYLINGThe Koup is a cracking good looker with the so called "Schreyer" look to its flanks. Touches of carbon fibre look material set off interior and exterior styling as does subtle use of LED lighting.It's a fairly weighty coupe at 1334kg, bigger than you think and with a large boot and generous rear seat room. Access to the rear seat is commendably easy. Additional luggage space is provided by a 60/40 folding rear seat.VALUEThere's plenty of kit, adding value to the $27,990 ask. You get leather sports seats with a carbon fibre weave look. The driver's seat has six way manual adjustment while the steering wheel has rake and reach adjustment.Standard kit includes cruise, paddle shift on the auto, premium seats, trip computer, Bluetooth phone and audio, alloy pedals, judicious use of chrome garnishes, two 12V outlets, and numerous storage compartments. Wheels are 18-inch in a particularly fetching pattern alloy and the spare is a full size alloy.The audio/infotainment pod is comprehensive and includes SUNA satnav but the screen is a tad small on the regular Turbo. A Touring Pack adds a 7-inch screen. But metallic paint adds an annoying $520 to the bottom line.SAFETYKoup turbo scores a five star crash rating as well as a swag of driver assist kit like hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera auto headlights and wipers auto door locks and other stuff but none of the sophisticated driver assist electronics found on some of the Euro models at more money.DRIVINGAll good here, sporty, adequate get-go, reasonable fuel economy, impressive cornering, great looks and practical for a coupe. The Koup has just enough sporty edge to make it stand out from a crowd and is priced right with plenty of features to sweeten the proposition.The drive experience is enhanced by Kia's clever multi-mode power steering system called Flex-steer with normal, comfort and sports settings. It rides on a strut front and torsion beam rear suspension with decent size discs front and rear. They've done an excellent job on local calibration and the car is genuinely fun to drive.Overall, we like the Kia Cerato Koup. It has honest performance, looks a million bucks and isn't too heavy on the juice.VERDICTJust needs a slight polish in certain areas to make it really good. Kia Cerato Koup Price: from $23,990, ($27990 Turbo)Engine: 2.0 litre four-cyl petrol; 129kW/209Nm (150kW/265Nm Turbo)Transmission: 6-speed manual or auto; FWDThirst: 7.3L/100km (7.7L/100km Turbo) 

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