Kia Soul review (21/06/2014)
It may also be that our test car this week — the Kia Soul — will not add hugely to the company’s well-being in sales terms herebecause it is something of a niche model, but it will certainly add to its growing reputation of making adventurous, bold and innovative cars.
When we saw it first at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the Soul, along with Toyota’s Urban Cruiser, represented a new generation of cars appealing to young hipsters who wanted to stand out from the establishment. The Soul racked up decent sales figures globally without becoming the icon that perhaps Kia would have liked.
But, along with its Toyota rival, the Soul sparked a host of imitators, not least those from the Renault/Nissan axis (Captur/Juke) and others such as the Opel (Mokka) and Mercedes (GLA).
While the design of the original Soul was widely lauded, here in Europe the car was let down by poor ride characteristics and flawed and plasticky interiors. But with the second generation of the car, Kia has addressed these failings with considerable gusto and has also gone out of its way to make a car which is still very individual looking, but now has a very decent spec and is still priced at a hugely competitive level.
Sure it was not as brilliant as it might have been dynamically, but not only did it achieve its (relatively) modest sales aims, but it also brought in a generation of drivers which Kia had not expected. Whatever about America, here in Europe its appeal — curiously — was greatest among hipsters’ parents rather than the groovy set it was aimed at. Empty nesters, it appears, wanted to be every bit as hip and cool as their kids. All that being so — and trying to find a neat balancing act between apparently contrasting target markets — the new Soul has been given a very thorough make-over which has not only seen the car equipped as standard with all sorts of high tech gadgetry that will appeal to younger buyers and the sort of on-road abilities their mums and dads will like.
Young drivers will undoubtedly be impressed by standard kit, such as the DAB digital radio, the audio mood lamps which change colour and intensity depending on what you’re listening to; older souls of either sex will add positive ticks to the revamped chassis which has allowed a more sophisticated suspension design which makes the Soul a far better car to drive. The the very first thing I noticed about the new car when I picked it up was the smoothness of the ride; on good surfaces there is a near magic carpet ride (it is a tad jittery on broken surfaces) and the overall feedback is admirable.
The fact the new car is based on the platform which supports the current Kia Cee’d has also allowed for more generous dimensions inside and out and greater passenger comfort as a result.
Much attention has also been paid to the quality of the materials utilised in the new car and stuff such as the black leather steering wheel with contrasting yellow stitching not only make driving the car a much more tactile experience, they are also further pleasing on the eye.
This sort of detail — which is nearly extraordinary on a car this price — certainly ups the ante for competitors and offers potential buyers an unexpected level of cachet which can only be good for Kia’s market share.
On the engine front the turbodiesel, which is the only powerplant offered on the Irish market, is fairly unremarkable. It outputs a respectable 94 kW (128 bhp), but the more important figure is the 260 Nm of torque it produces between 1,900 and 2,750 rpm and, allied to a six speed box, this results in a decent enough top speed of 180 kph and an 11.1 second 0-100 kph capability. Unremarkable, as I say, but perfectly acceptable too.
On the fuel consumption front, Kia claim a 5.0 l/100 km (56 mpg) rate, but I would predict that a real world figure of somewhere around 6.0 l/100 km is probably closer to the mark.
Even so, those with a light right foot will not be disappointed by performance in this regard.
The Soul is reasonably commodious for passengers, but not necessarily for cargo — unless of course you shed some of the passengers and lower the rear seats.
In fact, that’s about the only way you’ll get a bag of golf clubs into it as the boot is quite compact. Even the added under floor boot storage doesn’t boost it greatly.
I did not expect to like the second generation Soul as much as I did, but the work Kia has done to make the car as good a driving prospect as it is a looker ‘souled’ it for me, if you’ll forgive the dreadful pun.
****
as tested in the EX specification — €24,495.
decent enough on performance and consumption, but not madly exciting.
top drawer stuff here with standard kit including air con., cruise control, four electric windows, DAB radio, Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, LED running lights and 17” alloys, as well as Kia’s seven year warranty.
a good car has been transformed into a very good one. It is now as dynamic to drive as it is sharp to look at.
