The general theory has been that Americans wouldn’t have the taste for the small plain cars utilized in other markets. Kia has broken the mold by creating a small yet very stylish and functional vehicle that is fun to drive. All new for 2010 is the Kia Soul—a compact four-door box on wheels.
The 2010 Kia Soul competes against other boxy compacts including the Scion xB, Nissan Cube, and the Honda Fit. In the Soul, Kia has perfected the boxy design with sporty portions, unique features, and utilitarian interior space, all of which cater well to its demographics—Gen Y.
In this space (compact boxy Gen Y vehicles), buyers want and enjoy personalizing their cars and Kia is up to the challenge, offering many accessories and accent colors to emanate your soul in the Kia Soul. They even offer seats that glow in the dark! My test model had front door speakers that illuminated red to the beat of the music or could be dialed to either a mood setting or completely turned off.
The interior was comfortably fitted with easy-to-use electronics and a dash designed with curves and circular elements. We cruised around, sporting two-tone black and red seats and door panels. The front seats hold you with support and the rear legroom is surprisingly spacious for a car with only a wheelbase of 100.4 inches. The rear tailgate introduces 19.3 cubic feet of cargo area with enough room for small packages and a few grocery bags.
In reading the model lineup for the 2010 Kia Soul it may appear that my fingers are pushing random keys, but trust me, I am tapping with extreme accuracy! The lineup is as follows: base, + !, and Sport. The base Soul starts at $13,300 and is equipped with a 1.6-liter 122 hp engine mated to a fivespeed manual transmission. The Soul + ($14,950) jumps in horsepower to 142 compliments of the larger 2.0 liter engine. Additional features including Bluetooth, 16-inch alloy wheels, remote entry, tinted windows, and steering wheel controls, contribute to the increased price. You can also order the “+” with a four-speed automatic transmission for $950.
The Soul “!” arrives at $16,950 and adds 18-inch alloy wheels, premium audio package, power sunroof, leather steering and shift knob, premium hound’s-tooth accented cloth upholstery and a metal-finish interior trim.
The Soul Sport is also $16,950 but replaces the power sunroof with black front and rear fascias and side sills, a spoiler, black and red cloth seats and trim, metal pedals and a sport-tuned suspension.
Several people came up to me with big smiles and compliments to the styling of the Kia Soul. They favored it over the current competition citing reasons including: more dramatic lines, sportier stance, and interior features.
The Soul is available in some wild colors including Alien green and coffee-inspired Java. Kia calls the shape a reversed wedge greenhouse because the rear windows are smaller than the front which in turns draws an upward bodyline from front to back projecting the wedge form. At the back, large rear tail lamps sit vertical and wrap into the rear quarter panels in almost a Volvo fashion.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
- The owner’s manual didn’t clearly list instructions on how to pair your cell phone for Bluetooth connectivity
COOL FEATURES:
- Blue-Tooth phone connectivit
- Speakers that lit up (optional feature)
- Cool two-tone interior (standard on sport trim)
The 2010 Kia Soul includes six airbags, active front headrest, ABS, tire pressure monitor, LATCH seating system, and electronic stability control. The rear seat comfortably fit my son’s child seat and securely locked it in place. We had a tire that lost air due to a puncture and the tire pressure monitoring system quickly notified us when the tire dropped below 25 psi.
In Summary – The 2010 Kia Soul may be hitting the market after its competitors, but does so with well deserved confidence of styling and elements that will surely attract the attention of Gen Y and probably Gen X too. The Soul takes the box look to a new level and shows that small economy cars can rank high on the cool monitor and deliver a playful driving experience.
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S P E C I F I C A T I O N S :
2010 KIA SOUL SPORT
BASE PRICE: $16,950 AS DRIVEN: $18,345 (WITH
DESTINATION AND POWER SUNROOF)
ENGINE: 2.0-LITER DOHC CVVT 4-CYLINDER
HORSEPOWER: 142 @ 6000
TORQUE: 137 POUND-FEET @ 4600 RPM
TRANSMISSION: 5-SPEED MANUAL
DRIVE: FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE
SEATING: 5-PASSENGER
TURNING CIRCLE: 34.4 FEET
CARGO SPACE: 19.3 CUBIC FEET
CURB WEIGHT: 2820 POUNDS
FUEL CAPACITY: 12.7 GALLONS
EPA MILEAGE: 30 HIGHWAY, 24 CITY
WHEEL BASE: 100.4 INCHES
PASSING LANE
CHARLES DONALDSON