Kia calls the Soul an “urban crossover”. If anyone out there knows exactly what that means, I want to hear from you. But, until then, we’ll have to take what Kia is pushing as the definition.
Styled by chief designer Peter Schreyer (formerly of Audi fame), the Soul has a couple of distinctive features, like those bulging wheel arches, the wraparound effect of the windscreen and highly stylised head and tail lights.
No one would call it beautiful or pretty, especially when looking at the severely squared- off rear. It looks much better in front, thanks to aggressively shaped lights and that chrome grille surround, which has a subtle thickening at the centre that is effective in creating a unique identity out of an otherwise non-descriptive grille. Overall, the Soul has a chunky sportiness that no sports utility vehicle can match.
Beyond the interesting details, the Soul has a simple and fairly common body style of a 5-door hatchback. But it carries some clever detailing to be distinctively different. Eager to prove a point, Kia’s glossy orange brochure proclaims that “no two souls are the same”. We might say that about people, but with cars, the Korean manufacturer may be stretching it a bit.
Anyway, Kia is offering an unusually wide selection of accessories that can be specified by the buyer, so that his or her Soul is different from any other. Of course, some of these customising features must be fitted at the factory.
But equipment such as audio accessories, some interior fittings, wheels, body decals, bumpers, embellishments and rocker panel-mounted skirts can be specified at the dealer. Perhaps even two-tone paint schemes on the outside, if you prefer.
For the interior, one of the options available combines black overall trim with the dash top, door inserts and centre console surround finished in bright red. It gives a shocking first impression, but will go down well with those of extroverted personalities. Whatever your choice of trim or colour, though, the Soul comes with an impressive list of standard features and some funky styling elements.
You can tell that Kia has taken that extra effort to woo the young urban types with that imposing centre console, which houses a comprehensive stereo system. It really does work as well as it looks, with USB and iPod connectivity being standard, of course. Among the options listed is a reversing camera, which comes with a little colour screen that appears in the rear-view mirror every time you select reverse gear. Neat.
The most interesting stereo system option, apart from the centre dash-top speaker, are the special door speakers with built-in peripheral LED lighting, which can be set to vary in luminescent intensity in sync with the music.
It’s quite cool but probably not to everyone’s taste. In fact, some may find it absolutely garish. Well, this is clearly designed to appeal to the current generation of young souls born at the tail end of the 20th century with an innate knowledge of Microsoft, Apple and Google.
But in case you are wondering, there is no choice of fluorescent interior lighting. For the rest of us less flamboyant city folk, there are more subdued colour choices like beige and black. Phew!
After the dramatic dashboard that greets its occupants, it’s a bit of a disappointment that the back seat passengers are not treated to any special attractions. Well, they do have ample shoulder and legroom, thanks to the Soul’s efficient packaging, along with the generous wheelbase and wide tracks.
It can easily ferry five souls with no problems. No doubt, three abreast on the rear bench seat is a bit of a squeeze, but the passenger in the centre still has an individual seat belt and head restraint.
The Soul shares neither its body nor its chassis with any other current Kia model. The Soul’s basic platform is brand new and not shared with other models for now. Kia claims that there are no plans for a 4WD version and that the chassis was not designed for it.
The hardware underneath is nothing sophisticated, comprising contemporary front-wheel drive technology. That essentially means MacPherson struts in front while the rear wheels are mounted on a torsion beam semi-independent set-up.
Its engine is a variable-timing twin-cam 16-valves unit displacing 1591cc, producing a better than average 124bhp at 6300rpm and 156Nm at 4200rpm. With just under 1200kg to hustle, acceleration is brisk, even with the 4-speed automatic transmission.
You will notice in the photos that the Soul sits lower than the typical SUV but slightly higher than the average saloon car. On the road, it is no performance car but manages to feel sporty enough, thanks to its eager engine and responsive chassis.
Despite the high ground clearance, it resists roll remarkably well. And the electrically assisted power steering is pleasantly devoid of any irritating dead spots. The ride can get choppy over irregular road surfaces or patched-up tarmac, but it should not be a problem for our roads.
The Kia Soul is certainly a different sort of passenger car. It has an unusual style with some very interesting features and even more fascinating options. Will it appeal to young urban souls? We’ll have to wait a good few months before the funky number arrives in Singapore.
Kia Soul 1.6 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
Type
Inline-4, 16-valves
Capacity
1591cc
Bore x stroke
77mm x 85.4mm
Compression ratio
10.5:1
Max power
124bhp at 6300rpm
Max torque
156Nm at 4200rpm
Power to weight
106bhp per tonne
Gearbox 4-speed automatic with manual select
Driven wheels Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 12 seconds
Top speed 162km/h
Consumption 15.4km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs
Rear Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
Front / rear Ventilated discs / Drums
TYRES
Type Hankook Optimo
Size 205/55 R16
SAFETY
Airbags 6
Traction aids ABS
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4105mm
Width 1785mm
Height 1610mm
Wheelbase 2550mm
Kerb weight 1170kg
Turning circle
10.5m
BUYING IT
Price incl. COE Not available
Warranty Not available
+ Funky styling, plenty of options, fun to drive
– Blocky rear end, no 5-speed auto, choppy ride on bad roads
