Kia Soul – The Fashionable and City Car

The Kia Soul is a compact hatchback produced in 2008 and is based on the Hyundai i20’s platform. The Soul is a city car with a tougher, taller, and a formidable ride than the i20. 

First Generation 

The first-generation Kia Soul was revealed in 2008 offering an unusual boxy exterior with an angled greenhouse, round edges, and sharp-looking blacked-out A-pillars. The interior is spacious and comfortable that can accommodate five passengers with enough headroom and legroom. The dashboard is well-ordered with the controls within reach and user-friendly. Standard features include air conditioning, a six-speaker stereo system, CD player, USB, power windows, and power door locks. The Soul offers several storage options and a boot space that can be extended by folding the split/folding rear seats or using the additional tray for the boot.

The Kia Soul base model comes with a 1.6L petrol engine, while the higher trims offer a. 2.0L straight-4 as well as an optional 1.6L straight-4 diesel engine, paired with a four-speed automatic, five-speed manual, six-speed manual, or six-speed automatic transmission.

Second Generation

The second-generation Kia Soul was released in 2013 and was based on the Kia Trackster concept with a slightly bigger wheelbase. The Soul’s styling was updated and looks more aggressive with newly redesigned features including a large trapezoidal lower air intake, a wraparound greenhouse, and high-mounted tail lights. The SUV Styling Pack includes blackened-out lower fascias, blackened A and B pillars, side skirts, wheel arches, and new alloy wheel choices.

The 2014 Soul’s cabin is quieter and offers a better space to comfortably accommodate four passengers and a child. The second-row seats can be flat-folded which extends the cargo space to 1727 liters. The standard features include a six-speaker AM/FM/MP3 audio system, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, power windows, and heated mirrors.

The 2014 Soul is equipped with a base 1.6L straight-4 engine and a 2.0L 4-cylinder, mated with a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. In 2017, a 1.6L straight-4 turbocharged petrol engine with 201 hp was added with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Third Generation

The third generation of the Kia Soul was introduced in 2019 and retained the boxy design with newly sculpted lines and modern lighting elements. The exterior features a sizable two-tone false front grille, a thin line of LED headlights, DRLs with turn signals, and a wide deck of air intakes. On the sides, the Soul comes with crisp stamps, rounded edges, bulging wheel arch blisters, 18-inch wheels, and a Kia badge at the tailgate.

The Soul offers more interior space with a cabin that can accommodate four medium-built adults with enough leg, knee, and headroom as well as 674 liters of cargo space. The standard features include dual auto climate control, wireless smartphone charging, a 10-speaker audio system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The 2020 Soul is fitted with a 2.0L petrol engine with 147 hp mated to either a CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission, while a 1.6L turbocharged petrol engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is an option.

Finally

The Kia Soul is a suitable car for urban use with its great dynamics, performance, and tough looks. This small crossover did well within the city limits and was a perfect city car. You can check the Kia Soul stocklist for more available and affordable models.