Kia Soul

Kia Soul at a glance

Kia designed it to stand out. An upright, boxy shape, high roof and vertical tailgate give a roomy cabin in a short body, and a wide range of colours was offered. All Souls are front-wheel drive. The brand's story is told in the history of Kia, and other Kia models, such as the Kia Sportage and Kia Carnival, are in the Kia catalogue.

First generation (2008–2013)

The Soul concept appeared at the 2006 Detroit auto show and was styled by Michael Torpey under Peter Schreyer. The production car, based on the platform of the Hyundai i20 era, followed at the Paris Motor Show in 2008. Its high roof and long wheelbase made the cabin very roomy for five people. The boot is small in standard form, but with the rear seats folded it grows to 818 litres.

At launch, gearboxes were a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. From 2012 six-speed manual and automatic units arrived, together with a 1.6 GDi of 138 hp and a 2.0 Nu of 164 hp. The Soul won a Red Dot design award in 2009, and its "A new way to roll" hamster commercials were named Automotive Ad of the Year. In its 2009 Euro NCAP test it received five stars, with 75% for adult occupants and 86% for children.

Second generation (2013–2019)

Design and interior

Revealed at the New York and Frankfurt shows in 2013 and based on the Track'ster concept, the second generation kept the boxy shape. It grew slightly, with a 2,570 mm wheelbase, 1,800 mm width and 1,600 mm height. The body became 29% stiffer and uses 66% high-strength steel, and the suspension and steering were revised. New headlights with LED strips, a bolder bumper and wheels of 16 to 18 inches modernised the look; ground clearance is up to 165 mm. Inside, the cabin has an almost flat rear floor, a central rear head restraint and a larger boot than before. The second Soul won a Red Dot award in 2014 and iF design awards in 2014 and 2016.

Petrol, turbo and diesel engines

According to the old 1cars text, the 1.6 MPi reaches 100 km/h in 11.3–12.5 seconds and 177–182 km/h, while the 2.0 takes 10.2 seconds. The turbocharged 1.6 T-GDi gave the Soul GT/Soul Turbo hot-hatch performance.

Soul EV

The 2014 EV uses a 27 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery and an 81 kW (109 hp) motor with 285 Nm. Its targeted range is over 190 km, and it can charge at up to 100 kW via CHAdeMO. In the 2014 Euro NCAP test, the petrol Soul scored 75% for adult occupants, 82% for children, 59% for pedestrians and 56% for safety assist.

Third generation (2019–2025)

Revealed at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, the third Soul shares its platform with the Hyundai Kona. Engines were a 1.6 MPi with 90 kW (120 hp), a 2.0 MPi with 110 kW (150 PS) and a 1.6 T-GDi with 150 kW (201 hp). Gearboxes were a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, seven-speed DCT or CVT, and from 2023 the 2.0 with CVT was the only US powertrain. The e-Soul, the only third-generation version sold in Europe, has a 64 kWh battery shared with the Niro and a 150 kW (201 hp) motor with 395 Nm. Kia phased the electric version out of Europe in mid-2024. In October 2025 it announced the end of the model, and Korean production stopped that month.

Rivals: how the Soul compares

Its rivals were boxy and crossover-style cars such as the Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman, Scion xB, Opel Mokka and Renault Captur. In electric form it faced the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona Electric. Its strengths are a roomy, practical cabin, distinctive design and good equipment. Its weaknesses are a small boot in early models, no all-wheel drive and modest performance with the base engines. Similar small SUVs on 1cars include the Opel Mokka.