This week Nicholas reviews the Kia Soul. Read Nicholas’ other reviews. Ed
Kia is a car company going places. Along with its sister company Hyundai, dynamics are improving, build-quality rising and most intriguingly of all, the two brands are becoming fashionable.
Nothing summed this up better than the Kia Soul, launched just over a year ago.
Individual looks
Here was a car with individual looks and a huge range of accessories to help buyers personalise the car further.
It was an unapologetic attempt by Kia to place the brand in the harsh spotlight of the style-conscious Mini market, and came with a price tag starting at £12,130 on the road.
Well proportioned
The chunky, quasi-military looks are well-proportioned. The rear lights shelter behind big, clear guards, and the raised ride height hints at off-road ability.
From behind the wheel, the large bonnet has just enough presence to add a feeling of security, although the car is actually smaller than it looks. Think of it as more of a big hatchback than a small off-roader.
A nice touch was the offset black stripe and 18inch alloys that comes on this ‘Echo’ edition.
Interior
Inside the cabin design is pleasant, with nicely-textured materials, although none of them feel as nice as they look. The Echo spec brings with it leather seats, air condition, reversing sensors, a 8-speaker stereo with dashboard mounted subwoofer and leather steering wheel. But this Echo spec bumps the price up to £16,000, at which point you might start wanting nicer dash materials.
On the move
On the move the Kia is good. The ride is a little harsh over small bumps, mainly due to the large alloys, and it’s a car that doesn’t like being hustled too hard. But it deals with compressions and larger bumps with composure, has accurate, light steering, and a solid cabin with no signs of creaking or squeaking.
Engine – stand-out plus point
The engine is a stand-out plus point. A 1.6 diesel, it provides startling performance and it’s perfectly matched to the 5 speed manual’s gear ratios. 60mph is dispatched within 10.9 seconds and over a combination of roads 54.3mpg is achievable.
It’s a shame then that engine noise is fairly noticeable at low speeds, but it’s never quite ‘skeleton dancing in a tin bucket’ loud, so with the excellent stereo on, it remains a brilliant drive train.
Summary
Overall the Kia Soul has tonnes of appeal, so with some more sound deadening and smaller wheels the cars ride and refinement would have more polish.
A rough diamond. 6/10
Thanks to Northwood Kia for the loan of the vehicle
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