2012 Kia Soul Reviews

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

We like this little Soul bus because it has plenty of cheek. The brutally cut-off rear styling is a cute standout and the frontal treatment, recently revamped, has plenty of attitude even if it's a tad "try hard" with over-styled headlights.The Kia Soul started out a few years back as something of an oddity and was available with silly graphics and paint schemes. A reality check and restyle by Kia's design gurus sees Soul present as a viable compact SUV alternative. It fits in among the likes of RAV4, Mitsubishi ASX and the like.We got hold of the top priced $29,990 diesel auto Soul + complete with 18-inch alloys, roof rails, fog lights and adjustable driver's seat height. It is a generously equipped car that goes extremely well using minimal fuel.Plenty of power comes from the 1.6-litre, turbodiesel, four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a six-speed auto. A six-speed manual is standard. Outputs are 94kW/260Nm  same as other vehicles in the Hyundai/Kia range that use this powertrain.The auto is a cracker and is used throughout the Hyundai/Kia lineup. It offers sequential change mode and is both smooth and efficient. The engine has a variable geometry turbo to reduce lag off idle and boost mid-range and top end performance.It's a twin cam engine capable of returning 5.9-litres/100km fuel economy meaning an 800km range from the 48 litre tank.Emissions are minimised through engine technology and a particle filter in the exhaust to give Soul a Euro 5 emissions rating. It also gets a five star crash rating. Hi fives all round if you include the fuel economy figure. Under the funky bodywork is a conventional vehicle with a strut front/torsion beam rear suspension capable of towing up to 1100kg braked.All Souls get numerous storage compartments, Bluetooth phone and audio, decent six speaker sound with power bass as well as a host of other goodies. Seats for five and a large load space give it a practical edge as does the amount of headroom and legroom.The drive feel is all good with plenty of at times noisy performance available at will and especially in the mid range of engine speeds. It has a decent turning circle for city work but the spare is a temporary unit. The vehicle seems to be built on the same platform as Kia's small Cerato hatch and it feels a bit like that to drive offering up a firmish ride, quick steering responses and impressive cornering despite the top heavy look.We found the ride a bit choppy with those low profile 18s but overall, the Soul is an adept little butter box. Kids love it. The whole box and dice is made even better with fixed price servicing and roadside assist.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering  would you buy one?Kia's quirky, hard to define, boxy five-seat runaround. It's been updated and the number of models reduced from three to two. Apart from the tiny boot, its an immensely practical little car. Prices start at $21,490 for the 1.6 petrol, but this one will set you back $26,990 which includes the six speed auto. The diesel is another $3000 again.Pretty much everything in the small car and compact SUV segments. This car appeals to a broad cross section of people. All new 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine that cranks out 122kW of power and 200Nm of torque.There's also a 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engine available (1.6 petrol is good for 92kW/157Nm).Like a scalded cat, but uses a little too much fuel for our liking. Apart from the larger engine, the six-speed auto makes a huge difference.Rated at 7.5 litres/100km we were getting 8.3 after about 500km. Has a 48-litre tank and takes standard unleaded. Gets 3.5 out five stars from the Govt's Green Vehicle Guide (Prius scores 5). Emits 179g/km Co2.No problems here. Gets a full five stars for safety in Australian crash tests. With large doors and an elevated ridge height, it is easy to get in and out of and could find favour with older drivers for this reason alone. Small boot could be an issue, but rear seats drop down. Plenty of space beneath boot floor and temporary spare with a styrofoam separator with storage compartments (why not just make the boot deeper?)Easy. Accelerates quickly. Upright elevated driving position affords good all round vision. Brakes in our test vehicle were touchy. Misses out on one-touch blinkers. Plenty of hard plastic surfaces in the cabin (what happened to the funky lights that flashed in time with the music?)Yes and no. But then it depends on whether you view it as a small car or something more substantial. Bluetooth, full iPod connectivity but only one 12 volt outlet in the centre console (other Kias get two).Appealing car. We had one a couple of years ago for an extended period. We'd prefer the diesel, but it starts to take the car out of the realm of cheap motoring.

KIA'S distinctive cubemobile range has been given extra spirit with the addition of a model with a new 2.0-litre petrol engine and a six-speed auto transmission. Others in the range also get six speeds, auto or manual, a welcome upgrade from the original four-speed auto.The funky Soul is a big hit in most countries, the US in particular, where elderly drivers like its tall styling with easy entry and exit, and youngsters love its in-your-face chunky looks. For 2012, there's a lusty new-generation 122kW/260Nm 2.0-litre and all models get subtle new styling touches to see the charismatic chariot through its mid-life moments.The range still includes the 1.6-litre Gamma petrol engine, which has been slightly tweaked for an extra five kW and one Nm and the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel with its 96kW/260Nm gives a choice of three models, all with six-speed shifters and two equipment levels.Outside, a new grille, head and taillights, side mirrors and restyled wheels give the car a wider, more with-it look.Inside, new designs and materials, much-improved noise reduction and a tilt-and-telescopic steering add up to extra refinement. But bling fans might bemoan the demise of that weird lighting system that bathed the door speakers in a spooky light which pulsed with the beat of the music.Across the range has been boosted with hill-start control and VSM  vehicle stability management. Other standard safety gear includes ABS, ESP, traction control, EDB, BA and front, side and curtain airbags.We bared our upspec 'Soul+' with the NU (that's what they've code-named it) 2.0-litre engine along lengthy stretches of Korean countryside and some seriously congested city traffic, drew lots of admiring looks and here and there cruised along the new expressways with the rev counter reading only 2000 rpm at around 110km/h. That means hardly any effort, therefore less fuel use. Its official figure is 7.5litres/100km, pretty good for a sturdy crossover, we thought.The 1.6 petrol gets 6.5 in manual, 7.3 auto and the diesel 5.2 and 5.9.Nothing has changed in the suspension or steering, so the Soul ran as sweetly as ever, with its better-than-you'd-think handling and comfort. The new motor is keen to be let loose, but like Australia, the Korean roads have many cameras. Main difference is they clearly display theirs.The Soul+ also gets very attractive 18-inch alloys with fat 225/46 silicon tyres, adding to both roadholding and economy. We also liked the leather on the steering wheel, the 'soul shining' cloth seats and the under-floor storage tray.Soul is a good name for the car because it does seem to give its occupants something to smile about. It's spacious, fully featured, safe, beautifully built and despite one or two attempts by rivals, there's nothing quite like it.