Kia Soul diesel EX

When Kia introduced the three Soul concepts at the Geneva Motor Show, a couple of years ago, I was less than impressed. Who, after all, would want such a way-out car ? After that I put the Soul to the back of mind, as I certainly had no intention of taking it seriously. It was thus with less than overflowing enthusiasm and rather more out of sheer curiosity, that I presented myself for my first test drive. I sat into the car and immediately it felt just right. How could I have been so wrong about this car ? I enjoyed every minute of it, from the moment I first sat into it, until the moment I had to reluctantly hand it back. I am not alone in this. My wife’s first comments on getting in were, “This is nice, you sit up into it, you do not have to lower yourself into it !” Then on the morning I had to leave it back, she said, “I am going to miss it, it is a very comfortable car.”
The test car had a more than adequate EX specification, with 1.6 litre diesel power and a five speed manual gearbox. The engine’s exhaust emissions are recorded as 137 gm/km, putting it comfortably into Irish road tax band B, which at current rates, incur an annual charge of 156 euro. The engine is smooth and silent, you would never guess that it is a diesel, until you look at the official fuel consumption figures. It is credited with 44 mpg (6.3 lt/100 km) on the urban cycle, which stretches to 61 mpg (4.6 lt/100 km) on the extra urban cycle. This gives a combined cycle average of 54 mpg (5.2 lt/100 km). As far as I am concerned, that is the sort of fuel consumption we need in family cars today. Low cost of operation and economy are highly desirable, but a car also needs to be satisfying to drive. The Kia Soul diesel, records a top speed of 182 kph (113 mph), with a 0-100 kph acceleration time of 11.3 seconds. It may not be what is needed for the WRC (World Rally Championship), but for a practical, versatile, family car, it is more than satisfactory.

The steering wheel has an excellent feel, the instruments and controls are all conveniently laid out and easy to reach while driving. The instrument faces are black, with white lettering and red needles. They are clear and easy to see at all times. The centre console, which houses the heating/ventilation and audio system controls is likewise, clear and easy to see at all times. There are additional audio controls conveniently located on the left hand arm of the steering wheel. The EX specification includes a reach and height adjustable steering wheel, electric windows, front fog lamps and electrically adjustable exterior rear view mirrors. From the B-pillar back, the side windows have privacy glass. While this darkened glass hinders outsiders looking in, it has no detrimental effect on passengers looking out.

Sitting up that bit higher, the car is comfortable and relaxing to drive. The steering wheel has an excellent feel, with a smooth and positive action, whether you are manoeuvring in tight spaces or cruising out on the open road. The steering is geared to give a sports oriented 2.6 turns from lock to lock. The gear lever falls comfortably to hand, giving smooth and positive gearchanges. In spite of the somewhat higher build, the roadholding was good, while the ride was smooth and comfortable, over a wide variety of Dublin and Fingal’s appalling road surfaces. Thanks to the electronic stability programme, the car always felt safe and perfectly under control. The anti-lock braking system uses ventilated discs at the front with plain discs at the rear. The rear discs incorporate a drum for the handbrake (parking brake).
If the Soul has a disadvantage from a family motoring point of view, it is that the luggage space is rather small for a car of this size. Normal luggage space between the boot floor and the underside of the rear shelf is 0.222 cubic metres, when all seats are in use. There is a large foam plastic tray below the luggage floor and above the Spacesaver spare wheel, which is useful for storing smaller items. I suspect that the space offered by this tray, has not been taken into account, when calculating the load volume in various combinations. Maximum luggage space, with the rear seats folded and the shelf removed, allowing loading to the roof, is 0.818 cubic metres.

Above left : Normal luggage space ------------------ Above right : Maximum luggage space

Above left : Rear seats folded for maximum luggage space ----- Above right : Spacesaver

If the luggage space is insufficient for your needs, you have the option of using a roofbox, or towing a baggage trailer. The Soul is allowed to carry up to 75 kg on the roof, but being of a somewhat higher build, loading may be that bit more difficult. The alternative is to tow a small baggage trailer, in which case the Soul is allowed up to 450 kg for trailers without brakes. A baggage trailer is certainly a lot easier to load than a roofbox and would cause less aerodynamic drag, which would help overall fuel consumption. When it comes to larger braked trailers like a caravan, the Soul can manage up to 1300 kg, which allows a reasonable size caravan to be towed. When using a caravan you can put your additional luggage in the caravan, but keep an eye on the overall weight and remember you need a proper full size spare wheel as Spacesavers are not intended to accommodate the additional weight of things like trailers and caravans.

I have always maintained, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Kia Soul certainly has distinctive styling. There are elements of wedge shaped styling in the side window profile, the roof outline from the windscreen to the C-pillar and in the body sculpturing from the side repeater lights towards the rear. The privacy glass in the rear doors and quarter lights, combined with the almost vertical rear end do tend to suggest a van or commercial vehicle conversion, which may not be to everyone’s taste. However, when you are sitting inside enjoying the ride and driving experience, does it really matter what it looks like to anyone else ? As long as it does the job, then surely that is the most important thing ?
While I do not consider it to be the most exciting or stylish looking car to to have ever hit the streets, I did enjoy every minute of my driving experience and I would be more than happy to have one as my daily car. It is well priced and comes with an extended warranty, which makes it a car well worth considering, if you are looking for a comfortable, economical, versatile, medium sized family car.

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